Spleen Deficiency and Yin Fire with Sweet-Warm Heat Removal, November 7, 1978

Spleen Deficiency and Yin Fire with Sweet-Warm Heat Removal, November 7, 1978

This theory originated from Li Dongyuan's discussion on the spleen and stomach, and has been continuously developed by medical practitioners throughout history, providing strong guidance for clinical practice. Li stated: "If dietary habits are irregular and there is exposure to cold and dampness, the spleen and stomach will be damaged, leading to emotional fluctuations such as joy, anger, worry, and fear, which deplete vital energy. Once the spleen and stomach qi declines and vital energy is insufficient, heart fire becomes dominant, and heart fire is actually yin fire. Therefore, when spleen problems arise, people feel short of breath and have a high fever, along with headaches, excessive thirst, and skin that cannot tolerate wind and cold, resulting in alternating hot and cold sensations." Li believed that yin fire is essentially heart fire, which is an overbearing, dominant form of fire. The term "yin fire" distinguishes it from external, real fire. There are two conditions that lead to the generation of yin fire: ① Damage to the spleen and stomach due to irregular diet and exposure to cold and dampness; ② Emotional fluctuations such as joy, anger, worry, and fear, which deplete vital energy. The first condition is acquired damage to middle qi, while the second is congenital damage to kidney qi. Only under these two conditions can the situation of dominant heart fire occur. Li said: "When yin fire surges upward, people feel short of breath, experience discomfort, headaches, and excessive thirst, with a rapid and heavy pulse. The qi of the spleen and stomach flows downward, preventing grain qi from rising and floating, thus disrupting the spring growth cycle and leaving no yang to protect the body's defenses, making it unable to withstand wind and cold, resulting in alternating hot and cold sensations." This also shows that the clinical manifestations of yin fire are very similar to those of real fire. Li further said: "The symptom resembles the White Tiger, but the pulse is not long enough to distinguish it clearly. If you mistakenly take White Tiger Soup, you will die." This highlights the biggest difference between yin fire and White Tiger Soup: the pulse is not long enough to make a clear distinction. For those whose middle qi is damaged due to irregular diet, it's called qi deficiency fever, because qi is the commander of blood, and if qi is deficient, blood is also deficient, and if blood is deficient, the heart fire becomes dominant. Therefore, we use Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang to replenish qi and generate blood, which can bring down yin fire. This method is called sweet-warm heat removal. In addition to the yin fire caused by spleen qi deficiency leading to blood deficiency, there is also primary blood deficiency yin fire, which is treated with Huang Qi Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang. The Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang used in the former case not only replenishes qi and generates blood, but also helps to lift the clear and sink the turbid. When qi is sufficient and blood is generated, the heart's virtual fire naturally decreases; when the clear rises and the turbid sinks, the stomach's virtual fire also calms down. Therefore, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang is the main formula for sweet-warm heat removal.