Archives: Case Studies

Chronic constraint (Lv/Sp) (YTS)

Original Case: Ye Tian-Shi (叶天士）

Shen was 43 years old with a deficient and choppy pulse. The emotions had become unsmooth and the Liver and Spleen qi and blood were excessively constrained. This had persisted without relief for half a year. Giving a drastic formula was difficult [not appropriate]. Therefore giving the official prescription, Rambling Powder (xiäo yáo sân) with Tonify the Middle to Augment the Qi Decoction (bû zhöng yì qì täng) was decided upon.

Original Chinese: 沈（四三）脉虚涩。情怀失畅。肝脾气血多郁。半载不愈。难任峻剂。议以局方逍遥散。兼服补中益气。

Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang Constraint Emotional Wood / Earth Xiao Yao San Ye Tian-Shi

Abdominal Distension #2 (Wood / Earth) (FBX)

Original case by: Fei Bo-Xiong (费伯雄)

When the Spleen is deficient and dampness wins out [over physiological transformation], the momentum [of the disorder] is towards Wood seizing the position of earth. Employing [a strategy] of relaxing the movement [of the qi dynamic] while separately eliminating [the various pathogenic qi] yielded results [quickly] after [the prescriptions] was taken. However, dampness is still soaking Spleen yang disabling movement and transformation. [Therefore, I once again] employ the previous strategy in order to promote a resolution [of the disorder].

Abdominal distension Fei Bo-Xiong Wood / Earth

Flank Pain – yang wei / yin wei (YTS)

Original case by: Ye Tian-Shi

The case of Tang: Right, posterior rib pain radiating to the low back and hip producing aversion to cold and icy-cold extremities. [The patient was so cold that] it took a long time to get the patient warm. This was a lack of movement of qi and blood within the vessels and networks, culminating in congealed cold producing pain that was an obstruction pattern of the vessels and networks and is understood in the context of a yang wei and yin wei disease.

Aversion to cold Cold extremities Eight extraordinary vessels Flank pain Painful Obstruction Qing Dynasty Yang wei Ye Tian-Shi Yin wei

Abdominal Distension (Wood / Earth) (FBX)

Original case by: Fei Bo-Xiong (费伯雄)

Wood seizes the position of earth, hence only the abdomen is distended. [The appropriate strategy] is to curtail wood and support earth.

calcined Arcae Concha (wâ léng zî)
Corydalis Rhizoma (yán hú suô)
Benincasae Exocarpium (döng guä pí)
Benincasae Semen (döng guä zî)
Magnoliae officinalis Cortex (hòu pò)
Paeoniae Radix alba (bái sháo)
Codonopsis Radix (dâng shën)
Poriae Cutis (fú líng pí)
Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma (bái zhú)
Aurantii Fructus immaturus (zhî shí)
Gigeriae galli Endothelium corneum (jï nèi jïn)
Aucklandiae Radix (mù xiäng)
Zingiberis Rhizoma preparata (páo jiäng)
Angelicae sinensis Radix (däng guï)
Cinnamomi Cortex (ròu guì)

Abdominal distension Fei Bo-Xiong Wood / Earth

Eight Extra Deficiency #2 (YTS)

Orignal Case by: Ye Tian-Shi

The ren vessel and du vessel divide and travel to the anterior and posterior aspects of the body. The spontaneous appearance of a steaming fever and spontaneous [seminal] emissions without dreams indicate that all of these extraordinary channels are deficient. Acrid, moistening herbs are quite effective. Administration of Six-Ingredient Pill [with Rehmannia] (liu wei di huang wan) with the addition of Schizandrae Fructus (wu wei zi) was inappropriate.

The medicinals in this prescription would simply run through the patient [presumably causing diarrhea] and so would be unable to control the extraordinary vessels. Hence, the plan was to use methods of accumulating the essence, and securing it.

Eight extraordinary vessels Qing Dynasty Seminal emissions Steaming Fever Ye Tian-Shi