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Purple Snow

紫雪 〔紫雪〕zǐ xuě

Source: Wài Tái Mì Yào 外台秘要

Ingredients:

Action: Clears heat and opens the orifices; extinguishes wind and checks tetany.

Indication: Warm-heat disease with heat evil falling into the pericardium and exuberant heat stirring wind, marked by high fever, vexation and agitation, clouded spirit and delirious speech, tetanic reversal, maculopapular eruption, blood ejection, thirst with fluid intake, parched lips and dry teeth, yellow urine and constipation. The tongue is red or crimson with a dry yellow fur. The pulse is rapid and forceful or rapid and stringlike. Also treats exuberant heat with fright wind in infants.

Category: Orifice-opening formulas / Cool opening formulas

Method: Gold is usually omitted nowadays owing to its high cost. Prepared as a powder.

Rationale: Shí gāo and Hán shuǐ shí clear heat and engender liquid. Líng yáng jiǎo clears heat and extinguishes wind, addressing tetanic reversal. Xī jiǎo clears the heart and cools the blood. Aromatic Shè xiāng opens the orifices of the heart. These agents together swiftly clear heat and resolve toxin, settle tetany and open the orifices; hence they are the sovereign agents. Xuán shēn, Shēng má, and Gān cǎo help the main agents to clear heat and engender liquid. Zhū shā, Cí shí, and Huáng jǐn are spirit-quieting heavy settlers that help the sovereign agents to extinguish wind and settle tetany. Mù xiāng —or qingmuxiang[1]—, Chén xiāng, and Dīng xiāng free qì dynamic and help the sovereign agents to restore consciousness. Huá shí, impure Máng xiāo, and Xiāo shí drain heat and free the stool.

Notes: Also called Zǐ xuě dān (紫雪丹 Purple Snow Elixir).

See also: 紫雪丹

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