A life of two souls traveling through time

Chapter 185 True and False Cold and Heat and Deficiency and Excess

"Today, I encountered another case of true heat and false cold, which was misdiagnosed by a quack doctor. Fortunately, the patient was sent here in time, so he escaped with no danger." In the study room at night, Sanxiu handed a medical book to his apprentice Si Yao and continued, "So, I will now explain to you in detail some evidences about true and false heat and cold, and true and false deficiency and excess."

Si Yao took the medical book and nodded seriously.

"The so-called true cold and false heat is that the yin is too strong and suppresses the yang. The yin and yang are too cold inside the body and suppress the yang outside. The yin and yang, cold and heat are in opposition, and the inside is really cold and the outside is falsely hot. The obvious symptoms are that the body is hot but the person wants to cover himself with clothes and quilts, the pulse is strong but weak when pressed, the face is red but floating like makeup, and it moves unsteadily. At the same time, there are cold limbs, diarrhea, clear urine, pale tongue with white fur, and other cold symptoms."

"If we talk about deficiency and excess, then true cold and false heat should be deficiency syndrome?"

"Well, this is mostly caused by kidney yang deficiency, true cold and false heat. If you encounter such symptoms, do you know how to use medicine?"

"Since the cold is caused by kidney yang deficiency, we should warm the yang and dispel the cold, replenish qi and strengthen the spleen. Aconite warms and nourishes the spleen and kidney, ginseng replenishes qi and benefits the spleen, white atractylodes strengthens the spleen and dries dampness, licorice harmonizes the middle and replenishes the earth, and dried ginger warms the stomach and dispels cold."

"Yeah, not bad." Sanxiu stroked his long beard and nodded with satisfaction and smiled.

Si Yao's comprehension is no less than Hui Feng's back then. She has understood everything in less than a year. With time, her medical skills will surely surpass his as a master. In this way, he won't have to worry about his Sanxiu Pharmacy a hundred years later.

"Teacher, I have explained in detail the syndrome of true cold and false heat. Next, may you extend it to true heat and false cold?" Sanxiu continued to look at Si Yao with a smile in his eyes and asked.

"To understand it the other way around - true cold and false heat - it means that Yang is strong and suppresses Yin, and the heat seems like cold. This is because the evil heat is strong inside and hidden deep inside, so the Yang Qi is suppressed and trapped inside and cannot penetrate outside, suppressing Yin outside. The Yin and Yang Qi cannot communicate with each other, resulting in true heat inside and false cold outside. The symptoms are cold limbs, deep pulse but strong when pressed, heat in the heart and chest, cold waist and knees but no desire to wear clothes, and at the same time, yellow and turbid urine and a preference for cold drinks." Si Yao thought for a moment and replied.

"Well, the external cold is actually hot, how should I use the medicine?"

"The main focus should be on clearing heat and purging fire. Phellodendron and Scutellaria baicalensis clear heat and dry dampness, Gentiana scabra clears liver and gallbladder fire, Coptis chinensis reduces heart fire, Gardenia jasminoides clears fire and relieves restlessness, and ginger relieves the exterior and dispels cold, harmonizing yin and yang."

"Ayao, your comprehension is so low that your senior brother Xiuming must be embarrassed." Sanxiu never concealed his preference for Si Yao, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart that although they were all his disciples, the gap between them was so huge.

"Everyone is good at different things. Senior brother has his own strengths. Sanxiu Medicine Store can only operate normally thanks to his management." Si Yao was used to the master's praise, but she didn't agree that the master often compared her with the senior brother. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, so why compare? But she also knew that the master was usually just joking. He had long treated Senior Brother Xiuming as his own son.

"That being said, you have a quick comprehension and learn things quickly. I see that your archery skills have improved quite a bit as well." Which master wouldn't like such an excellent and humble disciple?

Si Yao lowered her head and smiled slightly, without saying anything else. She didn't know whether it was because of her good understanding or because she was making full preparations for traveling around to find Jiang Siyao in the future.

"Okay, let's talk about the true and false symptoms of deficiency and excess." Seeing that his disciple Si Yao didn't say anything, Sanxiu knew that he had gone off topic, so he returned to the main topic: "Although the true and false symptoms of deficiency and excess are both real symptoms, they can also cause some symptoms of deficiency and weakness, which is the so-called weakness in the case of great excess. For example, people with excessive excess evil will also feel tired, lazy to speak, and have a deep and thin pulse. This is because of the accumulation of evil qi such as heat, phlegm and dampness, damp heat, or blood stasis, which leads to the blockage of tendons and veins and poor blood circulation."

After Sanxiu finished speaking, he raised his hand and pointed at the medical book in front of Siyao and continued, "This book is a record of medical cases about true and false cold and heat, true and false deficiency and excess symptoms that I have recorded over the years. One of the patients is an old lady with swollen face and head, loss of appetite, and fatigue. These are all symptoms of deficiency, but they are also accompanied by symptoms of excess, such as short and dark urine, dry stool, deep and solid pulse, and chest tightness that prevents her from sleeping at night. The cause of the disease is phlegm in the chest, and phlegm blocking the lungs is an excess symptom."

Sanxiu finished speaking, drank the tea at hand, and spoke again: "Although the true and false real symptoms are deficiency symptoms, they can also show symptoms of excess. The so-called extreme deficiency has excess symptoms. For example, those with severe internal deficiency of vital energy will have abdominal distension and pain, blocked bowel movements and stringy pulses. The pathological changes are caused by the deficiency of internal organs, insufficient qi and blood, and poor qi movement. Although the abdomen is bloated and full, it will be relieved from time to time, and although it hurts, it will be relieved by pressing, unlike the refusal to press of real symptoms. Such deficiency patients may be accompanied by fatigue, dull complexion, and tender tongue."

After finally finishing explaining the true and false cold and heat, as well as the deficiency and excess, Sanxiu breathed a long sigh of relief. He had to admit that he was old.

"Master, can these so-called true and false cold and heat and emptiness and fullness also be explained by the transformation of yin and yang? It is said that the negative pole gives birth to the positive pole, and the positive pole gives birth to the negative pole. Everything will turn to its opposite when it reaches its extreme. That is why extreme cold gives birth to heat, and extreme heat seems like cold. Great fullness can give birth to weakness, and extreme emptiness can give birth to great fullness."

"Of course, everything in the world can be yin and yang. The way of heaven and earth is to create all things with yin and yang. Humans are in harmony with heaven and earth, and correspond to the sun and the moon. They are nourished by the two energies of yin and yang. The occurrence of any disease is the imbalance of yin and yang in the human body, resulting in a partial prosperity or decline."

Si Yao didn't say anything else, but just looked at the medical book in front of her in a trance, frowning slightly. Her master's words about Yin and Yang made her think of Senior Brother Huifeng again. It was he who first explained the Yin and Yang to her.

"What's wrong?" Seeing his apprentice looking sad, Sanxiu asked nervously.

"It's okay. Maybe I'm a little tired because I walked too much on the mountain today." Si Yao shook her head and smiled at her master. Of course, she couldn't mention Senior Brother Huifeng in front of her master.

"You never listen to advice. I just asked you to go up the mountain to pick herbs and identify them. Why do you always leave early and come back late? Aren't you afraid of tiring yourself out?" Sanxiu felt so distressed that he deliberately frowned and scolded her. Even he couldn't stand his apprentice's seriousness sometimes.

"I forgot the time for a moment when I got on the mountain." Si Yao naturally knew that Master's number was just out of concern for her, so she just lowered her eyes and smiled.

"Okay, now that you're tired, take a rest early. Save the medical book for tomorrow." Sanxiu snatched the medical book that Si Yao was about to pick up and said in a serious tone.

Si Yao had no choice but to stand up, bid farewell to his master, and leave the study.

It is late autumn when the White Dew arrives. The nights are chilly and biting. Si Yao stands on the corridor, looking down at the lake under the moon, with a hint of melancholy in her cold eyes.