Shaoyin disease, when it first occurs, presents with fever, and a deep pulse. Ephedra, Asarum and Aconite Decoction is the main treatment.

bubble_chart Note

• Shaoyin disease refers to a condition where the patient only desires to sleep.
• A deep pulse indicates that the pulse is not faint and thin but deep.
• Now, at the onset, there should be no fever, but instead, there is fever, which is due to the interior cold of Shaoyin, combined with the exterior heat of Taiyang.
• Therefore, Ephedra, Asarum and Aconite Decoction is appropriate, warming the middle and promoting sweating, taking care of the yang, so that the cold pathogens of double invasion can be resolved.

bubble_chart Collected Annotations

• Fang You-zhi said: "Fever indicates that the pathogen is in the exterior, and a deep pulse indicates that Shaoyin is in the north and resides in the interior. Because it resides in the interior, the pathogen is in the exterior and causes fever, hence it is called 'reverse'. Since the pathogen is in the exterior and not in the interior, Ephedra is used to expel the pathogen from the exterior. Because its root is yin and its manifestation is cold, Aconite Lateral Root is used to warm it. Asarum, pungent and warm, connects to Shaoyin and is used to assist the main treatment, as it specifically guides the meridian."
• Cheng Zhi said: "The method of treating the exterior in the three yin is different from that in the three yang. The three yin must use warming meridians as the exterior, and Shaoyin is particularly critical. Therefore, a formula that disperses pathogens and warms the meridians is used, so that deeply invading external pathogens can be expelled, and the internal yang is not forced out."
• Cheng Yingmao said: "Fever at the onset of illness, combined with the absence of sweating in the yin meridians, leads some practitioners to use Ephedra but avoid Aconite Lateral Root based on the day count and symptoms. They do not realize that a deep pulse is due to the patient's inherent kidney cold, where the interior yang cannot respond, hence the pulse is deep and cannot float. A deep pulse belongs to Shaoyin, and sweating should not be promoted, but fever at the onset of illness indicates the involvement of Taiyang, making sweating necessary. Aconite Lateral Root must be used to warm the meridians and support yang, holding it in the interior, so that yang does not escape with sweat, and then Ephedra can be combined with Asarum."
• Lin Lan said: "Both transmitted pathogens and pudendal coldness can present with a deep pulse. A deep pulse only indicates that the disease is in the interior, and cannot be solely attributed to cold. In Shaoyin pattern, a faint, thin, and deep pulse, and a thin, rapid, and deep pulse, indicate significant differences between cold and heat."

bubble_chart Formula

Ephedra, Asarum and Aconite Decoction Formula
Ephedra 2 liang (remove nodes), Asarum 2 liang, Aconite Lateral Root 1 piece (processed, remove skin, break into 8 pieces)
The above three ingredients are boiled in 1 dou of water, first boil Ephedra until reduced by 2 sheng, remove the foam, add the other ingredients, boil until 3 sheng remain, strain, and take 1 sheng warm, three times a day.