Exploring the Mysteries of Fever and Wind Disorders: Ancient Insights

The Yellow Emperor inquired: “People suffering from warm diseases often sweat profusely, but instead of feeling better, their bodies heat up further. Their pulses become erratic, and their mental state deteriorates, with delirium and a refusal to eat. What kind of illness is this?”

Qi Bo replied: “This condition is called ‘Yin-Yang Intersection,’ and it is a fatal disease.”
The Yellow Emperor asked, “Please explain the reasoning behind this.”
Qi Bo continued: “Sweating occurs because the food and water we consume are transformed into essential nutrients by the stomach. When evil energy fights within the bones and muscles, causing sweating, it means that the evil energy has been repelled and the vital essence has prevailed. If the vital essence is strong enough, the person should be able to eat and stop the fever. But fever is caused by evil energy. Sweat, on the other hand, reflects the power of vital essence. If the body is sweating but still feverish, it indicates that the evil energy has overpowered the vital essence. The refusal to eat is a sign of insufficient vital essence, which allows the heat to become more intense. As long as sweating continues without relief from the heat, the patient’s life is in grave danger. In fact, the ‘Treatise on Heat’ states: if sweating continues but the pulse remains vigorous and chaotic, death is inevitable. Now, the pulse does not match the sweating, which clearly indicates that the vital essence cannot overcome the disease, signaling an imminent death. The delirium stems from a disturbed mind, and when the mind is disturbed, death is likely. With three signs of imminent death and no sign of recovery, even if there are slight improvements, death is still certain.”

The Yellow Emperor asked: “What about patients who are sweating with fever and a persistent sense of discomfort that doesn’t ease with sweating? What is this condition?”
Qi Bo responded: “The sweating and fever are caused by wind evil; the discomfort is due to the rising of Qi, a condition known as ‘Wind Seizure.’”

The Yellow Emperor asked: “Please explain the reasoning behind this condition.”
Qi Bo explained: “The Sun Meridian governs all yang energy and controls the body’s surface, making it vulnerable to external pathogens. The Shaoyin and Sun Meridians are mutually connected—when Shaoyin is affected by the Sun’s heat and rises, it results in a seizure-like condition.”

The Yellow Emperor inquired: “How should this be treated?”
Qi Bo answered: “Acupuncture on the Sun and Shaoyin meridians, accompanied by internal herbal medicine.”

The Yellow Emperor asked: “What about ‘Fatigue Wind’? What kind of disease is this?”
Qi Bo replied: “Fatigue Wind starts in the lungs. Its symptoms include stiff neck and shoulders, blurred vision, sticky phlegm, and a tendency to catch chills easily.”

The Yellow Emperor asked: “How should this be treated?”
Qi Bo answered: “First, limit physical exertion and ensure plenty of rest. Second, use herbs to invigorate the yang energy of the Sun Meridian and expel the trapped evil. With this approach, young adults can recover in three days, middle-aged individuals in five days, and the elderly, with weakened vitality, in seven days. These patients often cough up thick, yellow phlegm, which resembles pus and is the size of a bullet. This thick phlegm must be expelled through the mouth or nose; if not, it can damage the lungs, which could lead to death.”

The Yellow Emperor asked: “What about patients with Kidney Wind? Their faces and feet are swollen, and the area beneath their eyes appears puffy, like the ‘sleeping silkworm.’ They also have difficulty speaking. Can they be treated with acupuncture?”
Qi Bo replied: “The kidneys are severely weakened, and acupuncture should be avoided. If acupuncture is used, the disease will worsen after five days.”
The Yellow Emperor asked: “What will happen when the disease worsens?”
Qi Bo explained: “When the disease flares up, the patient will experience shortness of breath, fever, sweating, hand warmth, excessive thirst, yellowish urine, swollen eyelids, rumbling in the abdomen, and a sense of heaviness in the body, making movement difficult. If the patient is a woman, menstruation will cease, she will feel chest tightness, and be unable to eat or lie down without severe coughing. This condition is called Wind Water, as detailed in the ‘Needling Methods’ section.”

The Yellow Emperor asked: “Please explain the cause of this condition.”
Qi Bo explained: “The gathering of evil energy is due to insufficient vital energy. When Kidney Yin is deficient, the Yang evil energy enters and accumulates. This leads to shortness of breath, fever, sweating, and yellow urine, indicating internal heat. The inability to lie down is due to a disharmony in the stomach. When the patient lies down, coughing worsens as water pressure forces the lungs. Those with water retention show signs of mild swelling below the eyes. The stomach and water energies are imbalanced, causing discomfort and a lack of appetite. Difficulty swallowing occurs due to obstructions in the stomach. The feeling of heaviness and difficulty moving comes from the downward flow of the stomach’s energy. In women, the cessation of menstruation happens when water retention disrupts the heart and prevents the blood from flowing down to the uterus.”

The Yellow Emperor nodded: “Understood.”