Alternating cold and heat is not a commonly used idiom; it is a term in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) used to describe symptoms.
It refers to the human body experiencing alternating fever and chills, feeling hot at one moment, as if in a steamer, and cold at another, as if falling into an ice cellar. At this time, the person’s subjective feelings and physical signs are consistent.
In other words, when feeling hot, touching the body also feels hot. When feeling cold, touching the body feels cool.
“The Difference Between
Common Cold and Alternating Cold and Heat
In the early stages of a common cold, a person may experience both fever and chills simultaneously. When measuring the patient’s temperature with a thermometer, it is very high, and the body or forehead feels extremely hot, yet the patient feels cold and afraid of the cold. Even a slight draft can be felt, and this aversion to cold is characterized by the need for clothing and blankets, which do not help; no matter how much one wears or covers, it remains cold. Some may experience shivering and trembling.
If the constitution is strong or treatment is appropriate, using some pungent-warm dispersing herbs can induce sweating, and the fever will subside, along with the chills. This is the righteous qi overcoming the pathogenic factors.
If the body is weak or treatment is inappropriate, it will enter a stage of contention between the righteous and the pathogenic, where both have victories and defeats, leading to alternating cold and heat.
A common cold may also present with symptoms such as bitterness in the mouth, dryness in the throat, dizziness, and a tendency to vomit. It is necessary to take some herbs that tonify the righteous qi, along with Chai Hu (Bupleurum) and other herbs that soothe the liver and regulate qi, which will lead to “the upper jiao being unblocked, the fluids have descended, the stomach qi is harmonized, and the body sweats and feels relieved.”
If treatment is inappropriate or the infection is not caused by bacteria or viruses but by malaria parasites, leading to malaria or even severe malaria, then this alternating cold and heat can persist for a long time and may even worsen. The chills and fear of cold can turn into severe shivering, and the body may continue to tremble. Some individuals may finish shivering and then sweat, leading to symptom relief or recovery.
However, for many, after shivering, the body remains weak, and the condition does not improve but rather worsens. The cycle of alternating cold and heat repeats, sometimes occurring several times a day, or once every other day, or every few days.
Due to the invasion of malaria parasites, there can be metabolic dysfunction of the liver and spleen, leading to symptoms such as jaundice, hepatosplenomegaly, ascites, anemia, and even death.
Modern people understand that malaria is caused by malaria parasites, which are transmitted through mosquito bites via the blood.
“Ancient People Used Mountain Miasma
to Generalize the Conditions Leading to Epidemics in the South”
In the previous discussion about the miasma, it was mentioned that the southern climate is hot and humid, with steam rising, and the plains are crisscrossed with water networks, while the mountains are dense with forests, creating conditions for the breeding of mosquitoes and flies.
Many people have encountered small woods; those with rich experience may have encountered artificial forests, but most have not been in true primeval forests. At most, they have seen Bear Grylls’ “Man vs. Wild” and jokingly looked at the tropical rainforests of South America.
When truly entering a primeval forest, one should feel fear and a sense of danger. This danger does not come from large wild carnivorous animals but from the plants themselves.
Underfoot is a thick, soft layer of humus made up of accumulated branches and leaves, and the air is filled with various strange smells. Although one may not directly consume animals like the pitcher plant or the Venus flytrap, one can feel that if one cannot survive out, they will become a pile of fertilizer nourishing the plants.
Ancient people migrating to the south faced mountains and rivers with a sense of awe and fear. Moreover, upon arrival, seeing people around them constantly falling ill and spreading infections intensified this fear.
Regarding microorganisms, since they are invisible to the naked eye, ancient people could only rely on abstract thinking to confirm their existence and study their survival and developmental laws, thus achieving the goals of prevention, suppression, extermination, and utilization of microorganisms.
Thus, ancient people used mountain miasma to generalize the conditions leading to epidemics in the south.
“What is the TCM Approach to Treating Malaria?”
In “Journey to the West,” the names given by Tang Seng to his three disciples are very meaningful; the one with the least skill is Sha Seng, whose Dharma name is Wu Jing.
As the saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind”; what appears clean and clear to the naked eye may contain many microorganisms, which must be understood deeply, rather than assuming cleanliness and hygiene.
Chinese people are accustomed to drinking boiled water, which embodies the concept of disease prevention and health maintenance. After an injury, one should avoid water, especially not wash the wound with water, which is also a TCM experience to prevent microbial infection.
From a preventive perspective, the breeding of mosquitoes is inseparable from water, especially stagnant water. Flowing water or water with fish and shrimp is not conducive to the growth of mosquito larvae. In fact, exterminating mosquitoes is unrealistic, and avoiding mosquito bites is also impossible.
From a treatment perspective, inventing a drug that directly kills malaria parasites is the most direct and effective method. However, clinical practice has proven that these drugs have strong efficacy but also significant side effects.
Moreover, malaria parasites are extremely clever; every new anti-malarial drug soon develops resistance and ceases to be effective, while the side effects remain unchanged.
Another approach used in TCM is indirect treatment, using herbs or acupuncture and moxibustion methods to tonify the righteous qi, enhance immunity, and reduce excessive immune responses to achieve anti-malarial effects.
Ancient Daoists often practiced in sparsely populated mountains, inevitably battling malaria and other miasmas, accumulating rich experience.
Ge Hong of the Eastern Jin Dynasty recorded in “Zhou Hou Fang” that when malaria occurs, during fever, using Qinghao (Artemisia annua) soaked in water and squeezed for juice can treat malaria.
“A Small Experience with Professor Tu Youyou”
In the 1970s, the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, led by Professor Tu Youyou, extracted artemisinin from Qinghao, creating a TCM that is very effective in treating malaria.
It is especially effective against severe malaria in Africa, with minimal side effects and little resistance, saving many lives.
In 1994, I worked in the office of Dongzhimen Hospital, participating in the establishment of the foreign patient outpatient department.
At that time, Dr. Dawood, working at the World Bank in China, handed me an English brief regarding artemisinin. Their church was suffering greatly from malaria while preaching in Africa and wanted to purchase a batch of artemisinin. I searched for relevant information and first contacted Professor Tu Youyou, explaining my intentions. Professor Tu invited me to her office before the end of the workday.
Dongzhimen Hospital and the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine were originally one unit, both located in Haiyun Warehouse. I went to the office of Professor Tu as agreed, and she gave me two boxes of artemisinin tablets and provided me with the manufacturer’s contact information.
I passed the samples and contact information to Dr. Dawood, and they successfully purchased the medication.
In 1997, when I visited the United States, Dr. Dawood had already left and returned to the World Bank headquarters in Washington. He invited me to stay at his home, and I was fortunate to meet their religious leader visiting the United States.
They also thanked me for helping to purchase artemisinin, which greatly benefited their clergy and congregation.
It is interesting to think that initially, when Western missionaries came to China, they opened the market with Western medicine, subsequently establishing many church hospitals and schools.
We hold the golden key; why not use it to spread Chinese civilization? Using the artemisinin invented by Daoists to spread other religions, I wonder what Ge Hong would think if he knew?
Xu Wenbing
Tuesday, June 30, 2020