Consumption

1. Also pulmonary consumption; corpse transmission; flying corpse; corpse influx; demonic influx. A contagious disease characterized by cough with expectoration of blood, tidal heat, night sweating, emaciation. The cough is persistent and chronic, producing blood-flecked phlegm or in severe cases mouthfuls of blood. The tidal heat comes in the afternoon and evening, and abating in B1 watch (11 p.m. to 1 a.m.). Emaciation develops with reduced food intake and fatigue and lack of strength. The pulse is fine and rapid. Consumption begins with yīn depletion, which causes vacuity fire, and finally, when damage to yīn affects yáng, dual depletion of yīn and yáng.

As early as the Western Jìn Dynasty (CE 265–316), consumption was recognized to be contagious, and by the Sòng Dynasty (960–1279), it was posited to be caused by consumption worms. Predisposing factors include constitutional insufficiency (especially in children), excesses of drink and sex, taxation fatigue from thought and anxiety, as well as poverty poverty and poor living conditions.

This disease and the specific forms in which it manifests have been variously labeled over the history of Chinese medicine: The terms corpse transmission, flying corpse, corpse influx, and demonic influx emphasize the contagious and deathly nature of the disease (see influx); worm infixation indicates knowledge or intuition that the disease was caused by worms (see infixation); taxation influx emphasizes the weakening of the lung and wasting of the body. Since the late Qīng Dynasty in China, consumption has been called popularly called 肺痨 (pulmonary consumption), identified with pulmonary tuberculosis of Western medicine. In traditional literature, consumption is not always clearly differentiated from lung wilting, steaming bone, and taxation cough, although these three conditions are not only observed in the contagious disease consumption; they may result from other causes.

Medicinal therapy: Enrich yīn and downbear fire; clear the lung and kill worms, using formulas such as Spirit-Moistening Powder (润神散 rùn shén sǎn), Stemona Metal-Clearing Decoction (百部清金汤 bǎi bù qīng jīn tāng), and Turtle Shell and Rehmannia Decoction (鳖甲地黄汤 biē jiǎ dì huáng tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on LU and back transport points. Select LU-9 (Great Abyss, 太渊 tài yuān), BL-13 (Lung Transport, 肺俞 fèi shù), BL-43 (Gāo-Huāng Transport, 膏肓俞 gāo huāng shù), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), and KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī); needle with supplementation.

Point selection according to pattern:

• For depletion of lung yīn, add LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé) and KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi).
• For yīn vacuity with effulgent fire, add KI-2 (Blazing Valley, 然谷 rán gǔ) and LR-2 (Moving Between, 行间 xíng jiān).
• For dual vacuity of qì and yīn, add BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), BL-21 (Stomach Transport, 胃俞 wèi shù), and CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi).

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 expectoration of blood, add LU-6 (Collection Hole, 孔最 kǒng zuì). For night sweating, add HT-6 (Yīn Cleft, 阴郄 yīn xī).
• For seminal emission, add BL-52 (Will Chamber, 志室 zhì shì).
• For amenorrhea, add SP-10 (Sea of Blood, 血海 xuè hǎi).

2. Severe vacuity taxation.