Cold damage blood amassment pattern

A greater yáng (tài yáng) bowel pattern arising when stasis heat binds in the lower burner causing lesser abdominal tension or lower abdominal hardness and fullness, mania-like or manic states, forgetfulness, sloppy stool that is black and slimy like lacquer. The bladder is the greater yáng (tài yáng) bowel, and when greater yáng (tài yáng) evil heat passes through the channels into the bowel, it causes stasis heat to bind in the lower burner. Because the evil is in the blood aspect rather than in the qì aspect, urination is uninhibited.

Medicinal therapy: For mild cases, use Peach Kernel Qì-Coordinating Decoction (桃核承气汤 táo hé chéng qì tāng) to discharge heat and move stasis; for severe cases, use Dead-On Decoction (抵当汤 dǐ dàng tāng) or Dead-On Pill (抵当丸 dǐ dàng wán).

Comparison: Cold damage blood amassment, water amassment, and yáng brightness (yáng míng) bowel repletion patterns are similar, and care must be taken to differentiate. Lower abdominal fullness that is not painful when pressed and inhibited urination indicate water amassment; pain around the umbilicus that refuses pressure, short rough urination, and fecal stoppage constitutes a yáng brightness (yáng míng) bowel repletion pattern; lesser abdominal hardness and black stool like lacquer, mania-like or manic states, and uninhibited urination constitutes a blood amassment pattern. See cold damage; greater yáng (tài yáng) disease.