Cyclic Movement of Yin Yang and Gui Zhi Tang

In a past blog post it was proven by none other than my father, that the sun revolves around the earth.  It is this cyclic movement of Yang that is the foundation of the physiology described in the Shang Han Lun.  I’ve described this relationship of the Sun’s movement around the earth to the Shang Han Lun structure in a past post.

In this post I am sharing two case studies that describe the cyclic movement of Yin and Yang in relation to the Ying and Wei and Gui Zhi Tang.  I hope you enjoy!

Case 1: One sided sweating

Dr. Liu Du-Zhou  刘渡舟

Mr. Sun, age 39.  This patient had spontaneous sweating on the left side of his body while the right side of his body had no sweating at all.  The demarcation line was very clear.  Otherwise he did not feel unwell.  Hi pulse was moderate and slightly floating.  His tongue moss was thin and white.  This was a lack of harmony of the left and right, Yin and Yang and Qi and blood.  One should harmonize the Yin and Yang.  This will harmonize the Qi and blood and there will be a cure.  Gui Zhi Tang is used.

After 3 packages taken with hot gruel, he sweat slightly and was cured.

From: 经方临证指南 1993: 2

Discussion: The Su Wen chapter on Yin and Yang states: “The left and right are the avenues of Yin and Yang.”  Ying and Wei, Yin and Yang all move in circles throughout the whole body, circling again and again.  In this case there was sweating on one side of the body.  The means that the Ying and Wei were not harmonized.  This is a case presentation in which the Yin and Yang were not regulated.  If treatment does not happen in a timely way, the Ying and Wei go in opposite directions and the Yin and Yang are not safeguarded.  This probably explain hemiplegia pattern.  The Su Wen 生气通天论 says “sweating on one side of the body leads to hemiplegia.  This is what it means.  This illness often arises due to exposure to wind and cold. explain the sweating on one side of the body.  Gui Zhi Tang will dispel wind, resolve the muscles and allow Yin and Yang to flow around their cycle as they should.  This is the correct treatment method as it corresponds to the presentation.  Therefore, after 3 packages there was a cure.

Case 2: Somnolence after Eating

Dr. Xie Fu-Jin 谢富晋

Ms. Deng was 18 years old.  She came for her first visit with Dr. Xie on February 6, 1987.  Since July of 1986 she began to feel very sluggish after eating with a desire to sleep.  Gradually this became somnolence after eating.  Each time she had to sleep more than 1/2 an hour.  When she woke up, she felt like a normal person.  She came to the hospital for treatment but the results were not obvious.  Her somnolence was accompanied by dizziness, weak lethargic spirit, cold limbs with occasional fever and spontaneous sweating. Her facial complexion was pale, her tongue was pale red with white and slightly sticky moss.  Her pulse was weak and moderate.  I used Cinnamon Twig Decoction plus Cinnamon (guì zhī jiā guì tāng)

After taking the above formula, she found that she would awaken after putting her head on her desk after only 20 minutes.  She took another 5 packages and was able to not sleep after eating.  However she still felt weak and wanted to sleep after eating.  I gave her 8 more packages and she was all better.  A check up after 1 year revealed no return of her symptoms.

Discussion: There is a close relationship between waking and sleeping and the movement of Wei Qi and the rise and fall of the Yang Qi.  The Ling Shu: Da Huo Lun says “The Wei Qi normally moves toward the Yang during the day and at night moves toward the Yin.  This is why there is somnolence when the Yang Qi is lacking and wakefulness when the Yin Qi is lacking.”  This was a case in which there was somnolence after eating with a return to normal upon waking.  This was due to the spleen Yang insufficiency.  The spleen Yang has a relationship to and influences the movement of the Wei Qi.    How do we know that the spleen Yang is the culprit?  We know because there is dizziness, pale complexion, weak spirit, lethargy, cold four limbs, spontaneous sweating and a pale red tongue with white moss.  Cinnamon Twig Decoction plus Cinnamon (guì zhī jiā guì tāng) stimulate the Yang Qi while regulating and harmonizing the Ying and Wei. And so there was a cure.