I Can Hear the Heart's Voice of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Chapter 312 - 138: Illness Begins in the Lungs, Lingers in the Kidneys (Part 2)

On this point, in the first volume of the "Middle Treasury Scripture" it is said: "Lung Qi connects to the nose. In harmony, one can discern fragrance and foulness. In cold, one tends to cough; in excess, the nose runs clear nasal discharge."

Patients with pulmonary deficiency often have congenital insufficiencies, weak physiques, postpartum body weakness, or post-illness lack of nourishment, leading to pulmonary deficiency, inability to protect the exterior, loose skin pores, disharmony of Ying and Wei, and are easily invaded by wind-cold pathogens, resulting in nasal discharge and sneezing. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

For those with spleen deficiency, it mostly stems from acquired insufficiency, leading to spleen Qi deficiency, and in severe cases, spleen Yang deficiency. The earth fails to produce metal, clear Yang cannot rise, and the lungs lose nourishment, thus spleen deficiency leads to insufficient lung Qi, inability to protect the exterior, making it easy to be invaded by external pathogens, resulting in nasal discharge and sneezing.

Patients with kidney Yang deficiency often have kidney Yang insufficiency as the cause of illness, resulting in the lungs losing warmth, inability to protect the exterior, easily invaded by external pathogens; furthermore, kidney Yang deficiency or mingmen fire decline, or simultaneous spleen and kidney deficiencies, lead to inability to transform and retain water, cold water rises, resulting in nasal discharge and sneezing.

Regarding this, there are records in the first volume of "Medical Mastery - Nasal Discharge" that state: "The kidney channels connect with the lungs. When kidney Yang declines and internal coldness arises, it fails to retain body fluids, resulting in nasal discharge." This explains the principle.

As for patients with internal accumulation of depressive heat, the lung, stomach, or bladder experience depressive heat, Qi transformation stagnates, the greater yang energy is obstructed downward, cold water Qi invades upwards causing nasal discharge. In "Suwen - On Impediments" it is said: "Inhibition in the bladder leads to hypogastric pain in the bladder, when soaked with decoction, difficult urination, and nasal discharge upward."

Not only "Suwen," there are also related records in volume fifty-nine of "Miraculous and Effective Prescriptions": "The nose principal by the foot Yangming stomach channel, Yangming channels cross left and right, enter the nostrils. Additionally, the nose is the orifice of the lungs, hence lung Qi connects to the nose. When pathogenic heat dries the two channels, it manifests in the nose as congestion, discharge, and sneezing symptoms."

Lastly, the mixture of cold and heat indicates prolonged nasal discharge and sneezing illness. The pathogen enters the jueyin, which governs the rise of yang from the end of yin, easily leading to a mix of cold and heat, disharmony of Ying and Wei causing illness.]

After Aconite finished speaking, the surroundings of Lu Xuan’s ears became much quieter, but soon, dry ginger popped up and asked: "This patient’s condition is so severe, it can’t be treated with ordinary prescriptions, can it?"

[Indeed.]

[The patient’s condition has been delayed for more than thirty years, originally the illness was in the lungs, but prolonged illness has affected the kidneys. It is no longer effective to boost Qi to consolidate the exterior, or dispel wind and cold. When all diseases are incurable, seek the kidneys. The key to this condition often lies in the instability of the primordial Qi in the kidneys.

The kidney is the root of prenatal essence, involved in growth, development, aging. All kinds of "allergic" diseases are blamed on congenital insufficiency, meaning low self-immunity. Treating from the kidney is fundamental. Boosting Qi to consolidate the exterior only scratches the itch through the shoes, treating the symptoms, not the root, with a high relapse rate.]

[I see.]

[So what about medication?]

[Aconite thought for a moment and said:] [(Processed) Aconite, Mahwang, Asarum, red ginseng (separately stewed), baked licorice separately, four kidney flavors (Lycium, wine-soaked Dodder Seed, salt Bu Gu Zhi, Xianling spleen), fresh ginger, dates, scallions, Musk (taken with cold), added with cold water 1500 milliliters, simmer over low heat to obtain 500 milliliters, taken in two doses.

Additionally, prepare "Golden Mirror Biyun Powder": Goose-foot grass, Asarum, Chuanxiong, Magnolia flower, indigo powder, mix a little powder and inhale into the nose, twice daily.]

Hearing this, Lu Xuan also withdrew his attention and took a breath.

He understood the situation, Aconite had even provided the prescription, but Lu Xuan was somewhat troubled.

The main issue was the mention of Aconite in the prescription, which required careful consideration.

In traditional Chinese medicine’s Yang-supporting drugs, there are cinnamon, ginger (including raw ginger, dry ginger, and roasted ginger), Evodia, Fennel, and another very important drug, processed Aconite.

In the Yang-supporting school of traditional Chinese medicine, Aconite is referred to as the "first essential drug for supporting Yang". Taking it easily leads to body heat, nosebleeds, oral swelling, palpitations, and insomnia.

As known to all, processed Aconite is like the general among medicines, with a hot nature. Regarding this medicine, Ming Dynasty physician Yu Tuan mentioned "Aconite embodies a robust nature, with a temperament that can break through obstacles and conquer generals; it can guide Qi-tonifying medicines to travel through the twelve meridians to retrieve the scattered primordial Yang; it guides dispersing medicines to open the skin pores to expel external wind-cold; guides warming medicines to reach the lower burner to remove internal cold damp."

Though Aconite is so important, it indeed has certain toxicity, containing compounds like aconitine, whose excessive intake can cause toxic reactions, primarily damaging the nervous system and circulatory system.

Therefore, the pharmacopoeia has specific dosage regulations for Aconite.

However, aconitine can be degraded by sustained high heat, becoming non-toxic after degradation. Clinically, mastering this "wild horse" of processed Aconite requires certain skills.

Firstly, the medicine targets Yang deficiency syndrome, where patients may fear cold, have unformed stools, phlegm in the throat, frequent colds, and so on.

It is worth mentioning that not all Yang deficiency patients fear cold, some fear heat instead, yet diagnose as Yang deficiency syndrome.

That is to say, the doctor’s diagnosis must be precise; if patients do not belong to Yang deficiency syndrome, this medicine should not be used. Conversely, once recognized as a Yang deficient constitution, this medicine should be used promptly to bring patients back to a normal state.

Secondly, when using this medicine, attention should be paid to the decoction method; it is generally required to boil this medicine for one to one and a half hours, starting from when the water boils, only adding boiling water if more is needed, never cold water, and the second decoction must also use boiling water.

Additionally, pay attention to compatibility when using this medicine, generally pairing with baked licorice and ginger, which can reduce its heat toxicity.

Furthermore, the supply source of Aconite must be reliable; improper processing of Aconite or adding too much gall base will reduce efficacy while significantly increasing the risk of administration.