jinkuiyaolue
Major and Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction for Edema
病溢饮者，当发其汗，大青龙汤主之；小青龙汤亦主之。
A line from Jin Kui Yao Lue mentions that both Major and Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction can be used to treat yiyin. The treatment principle would be to sweat it out. Sweat what what out? And what is yiyin ?
饮水流行，归于四肢，当汗出而不汗出，身体疼重，谓之溢饮。
Yiyin is when fluids flow about and gather in the four limbs. We should use perspiration to get rid of these accumulated fluids, but it is difficult to induce perspiration, and the body feels both painful and heavy.
From the description above, we understand this Yiyin as a type of water retention where it’s the limbs that retain water. Whatever the etiology, the solution at the time Mr. Zhang wrote his book as either Major Green-Blue Dragon Decoction or Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction.
If we know the patterns these separate Decoctions are indicated for, then we can also infer that possibly Major is more suitable for a heat-type person with such nature of edema, while Minor is better for the cold-type person – the Minor Green-Blue Dragon constitution, if you may.
Last Words:
We know two uses for Major Green-Blue Dragon Decoction (大青龙汤):
- A very aggressive Ephedra Decoction (麻黄汤) pattern
- Bloating and heaviness in the body – otherwise called yiyin (溢饮)
Ephedra Decoction (麻黄汤) can help get rid of water via perspiration and diuresis, but in more serious situations, we can use Major Green-Blue Dragon Decoction (大青龙汤).
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[...] There is also a line in Jin Kui Yao Lue where the decoction is used not to treat Cold Damage, but there is that heaviness in the body too. And pain too. Major Green-Blue Dragon Decoction for edema in the limbs. [...]
[...] from mention in a sentence together with Major Green-Blue Dragon Decoction for treating yiyin, successful treatment using Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction is mentioned in one other place in [...]