Gui Zhi Presentation:

1. Fever or a subjective feeling of fever; easily sweating, even to the point of spontaneous sweating; aversion to wind, sensitivity to cold, joint pain
2. A subjective feeling of upward movement or pulsations in the abdomen; palpitations, being easily startled, feeling flushed, insomnia.

Gui Zhi Constitution:

External Distinguishing characteristics:

• Thin body (usually), skin is fair, flesh is moist and firm.
• Abdomen is usually flat and abdominal muscles tight
• Tongue is soft and pale
• Pulse is often floating and large

Predisposition of the patient:

• Sweats easily
• Spontaneous sweating
• Night sweats
• Sweaty palms and soles
• Emotional or physical sensitivity to cold temperatures
• Frequent colds
• Tendency to abdominal pain
• Palpitations
• Shallow or dream filled sleep
• Muscle spasms

Running Piglet Qi (Ben Tun)

Running Piglet (Ben Tun) tells us there is an imbalance between Yin and Yang in the body. In health, the F
ire of the Heart* (Yang) contains and controls the Water of the Kidneys* (Yin). If Heart Fire becomes weak, or if Kidney Water becomes excessive, a state of imbalance arises. The Heart Fire can no longer control the Kidney Water, which begins to rebel upwards, encroaching on the abdomen and chest and causing uncomfortable pulsations or palpitations that can be quite alarming. If the Kidney Water cannot be contained, it will threaten the Heart Fire, resulting in the sense of panic. As the organ ruled by Fire, the Heart will panic when it feels that it will drown in all that Water. 

Depending on the severity of the sensation, we can use Gui Zhi to tonify the heart Yang Qi and warm the circulation, to descend and warm the kidney water. Then help drain the ‘cold water’ accumulated in the lower body with warming diuretics such as Sheng Jiang, Fu Zi, Gan Jiang, etc.

How is Yang damaged or ‘blown away’?

From Arnaud Versluys’s presentation on ELotus: Shang Han Lun in “Non-Cold” situations.

5 Damages to Yang

 Wind Disperses Yang
 Cold Chills Yang
 Damp Suppresses Yang
 Warmth Exhausts Yang
 Heat Consumes Yang
– Therapeutic Objective of Clearing Heat is to preserve Yang and prevent exhaustion of Yang

5 Formulas for the Five Types of Cold Damage

 Wind Strike: Guizhi Tang
 Cold Damage: Mahuang Tang
 Damp Warmth: Ma Xing Xi Gan Tang
 Warm Disease: Gualou Guizhi Tang, Gegen Tang
 Heat Disease: Baihu Jia Renshen Tang