title | Medical Cases of Zhao Shouzhen |
Wei Fu, a 45-year-old woman, was working in the fields during the severe winter of 1958. She sweated and removed her clothes, thus catching a cold. Upon returning home, she felt unwell and went to bed before finishing dinner, experiencing extreme fear of cold. By midnight, she was shivering uncontrollably, and even with two quilts, she could not get warm. Soon after, her limbs became cold and stiff, with difficulty in bending and stretching. She had cramping pain in the lower abdomen and nausea with a desire to vomit. About half an hour later, her vaginal orifice contracted and tightened inward, with frequent urination and profuse sweating. She felt a void in her vaginal orifice and occasionally experienced cold Qi rushing out from ST30, causing extreme discomfort. In the morning, her husband came to seek medical help. Her pulse was fine and weak, her tongue coating was white and moist, and she felt physically exhausted and mentally fatigued. Her appetite was normal, but the other symptoms remained as described. Based on this, it was identified as a deficiency-cold condition caused by liver-kidney depletion, suddenly invaded by Zefeng, leading to cold stagnation of Qi and blood, and constriction of meridians and collaterals, resembling a direct attack of the three yin. The affected area was similar to the retracted genital disease in men, and the treatment was presumed to be the same. However, it is commonly believed that retracted genital disease in women often refers to the retraction of breasts, while vaginal orifice convulsion and pulling are rare. The treatment should focus on warming the meridians and dissipating cold. Therefore, Angelica Cold-Extremities plus Evodia and Fresh Ginger Decoction was prescribed to dispel wind-cold, warm the liver and kidneys, and nourish the meridians and blood, thereby curing the illness. She took three large doses of the decoction daily and fully recovered without needing additional medication.