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Clearing vacuity heat

清虚热 〔清虛熱〕qīng xū rè

A method of treatment used to address advanced-stage externally contracted febrile diseases or chronic diseases such as pulmonary consumption presenting with signs such as steaming bone or tidal heat, night sweating, persistent low fever, reddening of the cheeks, emaciation, and red or crimson tongue with little fur, which indicate that yīn humor is damaged and evil heat is lodged in the yīn aspect.

Medicinal therapy: Commonly used vacuity-heat–clearing medicinals include turtle shell (Trionycis Carapax, 鳖甲 biē jiǎ), sweet wormwood (Artemisiae Annuae Herba, 青蒿 qīng hāo), lycium root bark (Lycii Cortex, 地骨皮 dì gǔ pí), stellaria (Stellariae Radix, 银柴胡 yín chái hú), large gentian (Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix, 秦艽 qín jiāo), and black swallowwort (Cynanchi Atrati Radix, 白薇 bái wēi).

Representative formulas include Sweet Wormwood and Turtle Shell Decoction (青蒿鳖甲汤 qīng hāo biē jiǎ tāng) and Bone-Clearing Powder (清骨散 qīng gǔ sǎn).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on KI. Select KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), KI-2 (Blazing Valley, 然谷 rán gǔ), and LR-2 (Moving Between, 行间 xíng jiān). Needle with even supplementation and drainage. For advanced-stage febrile disease, add LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), and TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), needling with drainage. For pulmonary consumption, add BL-13 (Lung Transport, 肺俞 fèi shù), BL-43 (Gāo-Huāng Transport, 膏肓俞 gāo huāng shù), and LU-9 (Great Abyss, 太渊 tài yuān), needling with supplementation.

Point selection according to signs: For tidal heat, add LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé) and LU-10 (Fish Border, 鱼际 yú jì). For night sweating, add HT-6 (Yīn Cleft, 阴郄 yīn xī). Compare enriching yīn and clearing heat.

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