shanghanlun

Comparing: Major Green-Blue Dragon Decoction vs True Warrior Decoction

By Fornia ⋅ March 26, 2008 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

伤寒脉浮缓，身不疼但重，乍(zha4)有轻时，无少阴证者，大青龙汤主之。 (line 39)

Here is the line that describes a situation where Major Green-Blue Dragon Decoction (大青龙汤) is indicated. The person appears to be deficient, not too different than a Lesser Yin situation where water retention is a problem and prescriptions like True Warrior Decoction (真武汤) are used. True Warrior Decoction (真武汤) is indicated for pain and heaviness in the four limbs (”四肢沉重疼痛”), and has the added component of pain.

However, with Major Green-Blue Dragon Decoction (大青龙汤), the the pain is not there, and the pulse is floating and moderate (浮缓), not weak and faint and fine (微细), the typical Lesser Yin Pattern 少阴证 pulse. One way to look at this is that the replete exterior characterized by Major Green-Blue Dragon Decoction Pattern (大青龙汤证) no longer is.

Somehow or other, something has happened and the vexation and feeling of stuckness in the exterior has morphed into a feeling of dampness and heaviness. The person is not deficient (虚) – as in Lesser Yin-type deficiency – and so Counterflow Cold Decoction (四逆汤)-type prescriptions are contraindicated. Rather, we need something to blast away the obstructed fluids, and Major Green-Blue Dragon Decoction (大青龙汤) will do the job, not just via perspiration, but also with diuresis implemented by the Ephedra-Cinnamon Twig pair.

Popularity: 9% [?]