Greater White Tiger Decoction

After all that trouble, Xuhui brought his father-in-law over again.

Xuhui's father-in-law examined Xuyang's condition and shook his head. "This shouldn't be Yin Arrow; it seems to be something else entirely. Or perhaps he really is ill. So we still need to find a doctor to take a look."

The "Mr." that Xuhui's father-in-law mentioned refers to a doctor.

"Okay, Dad, you can eat here before you leave."

After finishing his meal, Xuyang took another packet of fever reducer. However, two hours later, Xuyang's fever still showed no signs of subsiding.

At this moment, not only was Xuhui nervous, but Su Ziyang also felt extremely choked up, as if a lump of air was stuck in his throat.

Seeing that Xuyang was delirious from the fever, Su Ziyang suddenly remembered the fever-reducing technique that Daoist Jin had used on the child with leukemia.

So Su Ziyang quickly prepared a basin of cold water and began to perform a series of techniques on Xuyang, such as "Strike the Horse Across the Heavenly River".

After working for about half an hour, Su Ziyang's hands were sore from fatigue.

Whether it was because the treatment wasn't appropriate or because Su Ziyang's massage techniques hadn't been systematically trained, Xuyang's fever didn't subside at all.

After much desperation, Xuhui dialed the phone number of the doctor who had been Xuyang's attending physician when he was hospitalized at the city hospital.

"Hello, Doctor Liu, I'm the family member of Xuyang, the patient who was discharged before. Do you remember him?"

Xuhui spoke very politely.

Doctor Liu didn't answer immediately on the phone, but pondered for a moment, "I'm sorry, I have too many patients. I can't remember. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Doctor Liu, you mean the patient with small cell lung cancer, the one you advised us to go home? Do you remember him?"

Xuhui then explained in more detail.

"Oh, I remember now. Please tell me if you have any questions."

Xuhui's explanation made Doctor Liu remember.

"The patient is currently at home with a fever of over 39 degrees Celsius. It's quite painful. Do you have any good solutions?"

"Generally speaking, there are two possibilities for this kind of fever. One is a lung infection, in which case cephalosporin antibiotics can be used appropriately. The other is fever caused by the cancer tumor itself, which is a kind of self-protective mechanism of the body; the body will also have a fever when absorbing these growths. I judge that your family member's situation is probably a combination of both, but this situation is more difficult to manage. I still recommend that you come to the hospital for treatment."

There's a saying that's often seen online, "Hearing a word from you is like hearing a whole new set of words."

At first glance, Physician Liu's explanation seemed very reasonable and quite insightful.

But upon closer examination, you realize that he actually didn't say anything at all.

Just like a classic line from that old skit: I don't want to know how I got sick, I just want to know how I got rid of it.

Xuhui hung up the phone and threw it on the sofa. "He was the one who told us to be discharged and prepare for our funerals, and he was the one who told his mother to go back for treatment. I really just..."

Xuhui had nowhere to vent his anger. He paced around the living room, bit his lip, stomped his foot, looked around to make sure there was nothing he could destroy, then plopped down on the sofa, covered his face, and remained silent.

Seeing Xuhui looking distressed, Su Ziyang went into the bedroom to check on Xuyang.

After taking the fever reducer, Xuyang covered himself with the blanket and is now sweating profusely, his hair sticking to his scalp.

"Uncle Yang, what are you doing? Sweating so much, you'll ruin your health!"

Su Ziyang quickly advised Xuyang to loosen the blanket a little so he could get some fresh air and let the sweat on his body dry.

"I thought this would help the fever go down faster."

Upon hearing Su Ziyang's words, Xuyang quickly loosened the blanket a bit to let some heat dissipate.

The saying goes that excessive sweating damages Yin. In traditional Chinese medicine, all bodily fluids, such as saliva, sweat, tears, and urine, are considered Yin.

Excessive sweating can damage the Yin energy, leading to a series of chain reactions.

Therefore, many ancient medical books record: induce a slight sweat, but not profuse sweating.

That's the point.

Su Ziyang told Xuyang to cool off, then quickly went to the kitchen to make Xuhui a cup of honey water with a little salt added. This would help Xuyang's body fluids quickly stabilize.

After drinking a large glass of water, Xuyang's sweat had mostly subsided.

After sweating profusely, Xuyang's fever did not subside; instead, he began to experience dry mouth and a persistent cough.

After Su Ziyang checked Xu Yang's pulse again, he found that Xuyang's pulse had become strong and vigorous again.

By evening, Xuyang's consciousness had begun to blur. Although he wasn't delirious, he was no longer fully lucid.

Xuhui paced anxiously in circles, while Xuhui Su Ziyang watched him with a furrowed brow.

"Uncle, if there's really no other way, I'll prescribe another medicine. It'll definitely bring the fever down."

"Okay, okay! Drive faster, quick!"

Faced with such a complex illness for the first time, Su Ziyang could only suppress his tension and calm himself down before writing the prescription.

The prescription Su Ziyang came up with was called Greater White Tiger Decoction by Ziming.

Those with a basic understanding of medicine may have heard of White Tiger Decoction, a formula used to treat Yangming heat syndrome.

The four most well-known indications are: high fever, profuse sweating, extreme thirst, and a rapid, forceful pulse.

The formula for White Tiger Decoction is as follows:

White Tiger Decoction is made with gypsum.

Anemarrhena asphodeloides, licorice, and rice are added.

Some also add ginseng.

Irritability, thirst, and a coated tongue.

The four herbs used in this formula—Anemarrhena asphodeloides, gypsum, licorice, and japonica rice—are for clearing heat.

The formula uses four herbs, which is said to be derived from the earth's four elements generating metal, and from heaven's nine elements completing the process.

The overall flavor is metallic, with a restrained quality.

The east corresponds to wood, which belongs to the Azure Dragon and represents life.

The west is associated with metal, and belongs to the White Tiger, which is associated with killing.

Gypsum: It has a pungent taste and is slightly cold in nature. It is mainly used for stroke with chills and fever, epigastric distension and shortness of breath, dry mouth, bitter taste, inability to breathe, abdominal pain, expelling evil spirits, promoting lactation, and treating metal wounds.

Anemarrhena asphodeloides: Bitter in taste, cold in nature. It is used to treat thirst, internal heat, eliminate pathogenic factors, edema of limbs, promote urination, replenish deficiencies, and invigorate qi.

Japonica rice: bitter in taste, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It mainly benefits qi, relieves irritability, and stops diarrhea.

Prepared licorice root: sweet in taste, neutral in nature. It treats cold and heat pathogens affecting the five internal organs and six bowels, strengthens tendons and bones, promotes muscle growth, increases strength, heals metal wounds, and detoxifies. Long-term use can lighten the body and prolong life.

The above is a list of the effects of the four ingredients in White Tiger Decoction. The first three ingredients are from the Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica), and the last ingredient, rice, is from the Collected Commentaries on the Classic of Materia Medica Annotations on the Classic of Materia Medica).

Although everyone knows about White Tiger Decoction White Tiger Decoction), they don't know that it is divided into two types: small and large.

The White Tiger Decoction, composed of four herbs, is also known as the Lesser White Tiger Decoction.

The Greater White Tiger Decoction is recorded in the book "Secrets for Auxiliary Practice".

The Secrets for Auxiliary Practice was written by Tao Hongjing.

Tao Hongjing had multiple identities.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang, envoys were repeatedly sent to invite Tao Hongjing to court, but Tao Hongjing resolutely refused to leave the mountains. Therefore, the court frequently consulted him on important matters, and they corresponded regularly, earning him the nickname "Prime Minister in the Mountains."

Tao Hongjing lived in seclusion on Juqu Mountain Shangqing Great Cavern Scripture and Registers (now Mount Mao Jiangsu Province), where he transmitted the Shangqing Jurong and established the Mount Mao School Daoism. He was also one of the important figures of the Mount Mao Shangqing School.

In the medical field, he made significant contributions by compiling medical books such as "Collected Commentaries on the Classic of Materia Medica" and "Secrets for Auxiliary Practice".

Therefore, in the book * Secrets for Auxiliary Practice *, Tao Hongjing recorded the Greater White Tiger Decoction:

For treating epidemic febrile disease, characterized by restlessness and heat in the chest, spontaneous sweating, dry tongue, thirst, persistent coughing, and prolonged illness:

Gypsum (one egg-sized piece, crushed), Ophiopogon japonicus (half a liter), Licorice root (roasted, two ounces), Japonica rice (six he), Pinellia ternata (half a liter), Ginger (two ounces, sliced), Bamboo leaves (three large handfuls)

Take the above seven ingredients, boil the rice in 12 liters of water, remove the rice after it is cooked, add the other ingredients, and boil down to 6 liters. Remove the dregs, take 2 liters warm, three times a day.

Therefore, Su Ziyang, based on Tao Hongjing's Greater White Tiger Decoction formula and Xuyang's condition, prescribed this formula.

Although it was nighttime, Xuhui still managed to use his connections to get the Greater White Tiger Decoction back and boil it directly.