Zhu, male. Thin and weak in constitution, has long suffered from seminal emission, and does not take care of himself, indulging in alcohol and various other vices, further depleting his vitality. He has a particularly strong aversion to cold, and even slight exertion causes panting and rising of qi, clearly indicating a deficiency of yang qi and a depletion of kidney essence. One winter day, after getting drunk and overeating, he was invaded by wind-cold. The next day, he felt unwell, no longer had an aversion to cold, but had mild fever, sweating, and distending pain throughout his body. He self-medicated by decocting and consuming a soup of scallion, fermented soybean, and fresh ginger rhizome, but the illness did not subside. He felt listless, had a bland taste in his mouth, and no appetite. His pulse was thin and weak, lacking strength. Considering the previous symptoms, this was a case of yang deficiency common cold, and the prescriptions of Ephedra, Asarum and Aconite Decoction and Ephedra, Aconite, and Liquorice Decoction were not suitable for his condition of yang deficiency with sweating. Therefore, he was prescribed a modified version of Cinnamon Twig Decoction with Peony Root, Fresh Ginger Rhizome, and Ginseng, with the addition of Aconite Lateral Root, adjusting the quantities to better fit his condition:
Tangshen 15g, Cinnamon Twig, Peony Root, Liquorice Root, each 9g, Fresh Ginger Rhizome 4.5g, Chinese Date 5 pieces, Aconite Lateral Root 9g
Follow-up: After taking 3 doses, all symptoms were relieved, and he had a slight appetite, though his spirit was still somewhat sluggish, and his pulse remained weak. His yang qi had not yet recovered, and warming and tonifying were still necessary. He was prescribed Aconite Decoction with added Morinda Root, Barbary Wolfberry Fruit, Deer Antler Glue, and Fenugreek, along with other kidney-tonifying ingredients, to regulate and consolidate his recovery.