From 《金匮要略》：“假令瘦人，脐下有悸，吐涎沫而癫（we can treat this as [真页](pronounced chen) which means 顶）眩，此水也，五苓散主之。”
Note that in WLS is LGZGT which is indicated for 目眩, but note that WLS does not have 甘草, and we now know that 甘草 can facilitate water and sodium retention.
The debate: In the book, this decoction is made up of two herbs, 大黄 and 黄连. However, many people argue that there should be a 黄芩 in there too, since all 泻心汤s have the herb pair 黄连-黄芩.
My take: I think not. It’s only two herbs. There’s a decoction called 泻心汤 in 《金匮要略 》, also written […]
In the analysis of both these prescriptions, we see a situation where both the 太阳 and 阳明 are implicated. Let’s take a look at the original text one by one:
1. 葛根芩连汤 from 《伤寒论》:
“太阳病，桂枝证，医反下之，利遂不止，脉促者，表未解也；
喘而汗出者，葛根黄芩黄连汤主之。” (line 34)
The first part of the line tells us a situation where there is a Greater Yang disease of the Cinnamon Twig […]
The 《金匮要略》has a chapter on 痰饮 where this prescription appears twice.
1. To treat 痰饮：
“先渴后呕，为水停心下，此属呕家，小半夏茯苓汤主之。”
The explanation: Normally, you first vomit, then feel thirsty due to the lost of fluids. When you drink and then vomit, it’s because you fluids are not being transported around as they should be. Instead, they get stuck below the heart (where […]
Introduction:
“痿者萎也，如草木之萎而不荣。”
That’s from some classic, I don’t remember now. In any case, when describing the lungs, just think of a set of lungs lacking nourishment, drying up, without much vitality, like a dying leaf.
Think late-stage pulmonary disease where the patient is too weak to even cough. His sputum is bubbly and not thick. His lungs and […]
