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◎The Fu Yang (Foot Yang) pulse is tight and rapid; rapid indicates heat, heat leads to the consumption of grains, tight indicates cold, and food leads to fullness. The Chi pulse (Wrist pulse) is floating, indicating kidney damage, while the Die Yang (Dipping Yang) pulse being tight indicates spleen damage. When wind and cold collide, eating grains leads to dizziness, grain qi is not digested, the stomach is filled with bitterness and turbidity, turbid qi flows downward, urination is obstructed, and cold invades the yin, heat flows to the bladder, causing the body to turn yellow, known as Gu Dan (Grain Jaundice). A black mark on the forehead, slight sweating, heat in the hands and feet, and sudden onset at dusk, with urgency in the bladder and self-initiated urination, is known as Nu Lao Dan (Female Labor Jaundice). If the abdomen appears water-like, it is untreatable. The heart feels vexed and hot, unable to eat, with a desire to vomit, known as Jiu Dan (Wine Jaundice).
【Summary】This section discusses the classification, main symptoms, and pathogenesis of jaundice. Gu Dan is characterized by a tight and rapid Fu Yang pulse. Generally, rapid indicates heat, and tight indicates cold; heat consumes grains and promotes muscle growth, while cold leads to bloating upon food intake. The text emphasizes that a tight Fu Yang pulse indicates spleen damage, with poor spleen function leading to dampness and turbidity obstructing internally, and is related to the invasion of pathogens, manifesting as damp-heat or damp-turbidity accumulation, with symptoms such as dizziness after eating grains, obstructed urination, and yellowing of the body.
◎When Jiu Dan is purged, it can lead to Hei Dan (Black Jaundice) over time, with blue eyes and a black face, the heart feels like it is filled with garlic paste, the stool is black, and the skin and nails are numb; the pulse is floating and weak, though it may appear black with slight yellow, thus it is known.
【Summary】This section discusses the causes and pulse symptoms of Hei Dan. If Jiu Dan is improperly purged, it can lead to deep-seated damp-heat over time, with blood stagnation, manifesting as blue eyes and a black face, skin that is black yet yellow, and numbness upon scratching; the stool is black. The heart feels burning discomfort, indicating that the damp-heat has not alleviated. A floating and weak pulse indicates a deficiency.
This article is selected from ‘Essential Readings of TCM Classics’ and ‘Interpretations of TCM Classics’, published by the China Traditional Chinese Medicine Publishing House, organized by the Department of Education of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
– First Clinical Medical College –
Text: Wang Yiran
Editor: Huang Yifen
Review: Xiao Qin, Zhang Wei