Esoteric Meanings of the Grotto Heavens, Vol. 5

By clearing the heat of the meridians and supplementing the insufficiency of water original: 水 (shuǐ); in Chinese medicine, "water" refers to the cooling, moisturizing Yin fluids of the body to dissipate the excess of fire—this is the brilliance of the Clearing Cinnabar Beverage original: 淸丹飲 (Qīngdān Yǐn).

For the white type, one must resolve heat in the Spleen Meridian original: 脾經 (Pí Jīng); the energetic pathway associated with digestion and fluid metabolism and facilitate the movement of dampness and "watery Qi" so that it exits downward through the Bladder. It is not necessary to try to expel the illness through the exterior "skin and fur" original: 皮毛 (Pímáo); the body's outermost layer and its first line of defense. This is because the abundance of damp Qi resides in the Spleen rather than the Lungs. This is why the Mulberry Bark Resolving Powder original: 桑白分解散 (Sāngbái Fēnjiě Sàn) is so effective.

Furthermore, there is a variety called Red and White Wandering Wind original: 赤白遊風 (Chìbái yóufēng); a migrating rash similar to hives or certain types of dermatitis which comes and goes unpredictably; children suffer from this condition most often. This ailment resembles "eruptive macules" original: 發斑 (Fābān), but while those macules have a fixed "root" meaning a localized point of origin or a stable base, Red and White Wandering Wind has no fixed color or location.

This condition is caused by constrained heat from "Stomach Fire" that has not been resolved; therefore, it also forms sores that do not heal. The method of treatment must focus on clearing heat, and clearing heat, in turn, requires cooling the blood original: 涼血 (Liángxuè); a therapeutic method used when heat has penetrated deep into the body’s circulatory system. If the blood is cold and stagnant, it will not flow; while the fire may be met by the blood and halted, it can never be fully dissipated without proper movement. This is why the Fire-Clearing Cinnabar-Disperser original: 淸火消丹 (Qīnghuǒ Xiāodān) is so wonderful. If these three conditions are distinguished and treated individually, there will naturally be miraculous results. One must not confuse them.