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During pediatric rounds in August, it was observed that most children with respiratory infections had a white and greasy tongue coating, indicating spleen deficiency with abundant dampness (which indeed confirms the predominance of dampness in summer). Lacking much clinical experience, I could only think of Poria and Atractylodes. After seeing several teachers often use aromatic dampness-resolving herbs like San Ren Tang (Three Seeds Decoction), I wondered about the differences among the many dampness-resolving herbs. For example, the difference between mild diuretic dampness-resolving (such as Poria), heat-clearing and damp-drying (such as Coptis), and aromatic dampness-resolving herbs (such as Amomum villosum).
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Thirteen Methods for Treating Dampness
Dampness is one of the six pernicious influences (liuyin). Damp pathogenic factor is clinically common. Its causes include several aspects: first, the human body often encounters damp pathogens, such as living in a humid environment, sweating and being exposed to wind, getting rained on or wading through water, exposure to fog and dew, as well as overeating greasy, raw, cold fruits, and melons, all can lead to dampness disease. Second, dampness can combine with other pathogens, for example, dampness being yin pathogenic factor often coexists with cold to form cold-dampness; wind is the leader of all diseases, dampness combined with wind forms wind-dampness; dampness obstructs qi mechanism, when qi stagnates and transforms into heat, it becomes damp-heat; summer heat and dampness combine to form summer-dampness, etc. Third, dampness can invade multiple body parts, such as surface muscle dampness forming superficial damp syndrome; invasion of dampness to spleen and stomach and internal organs forming internal damp syndrome; dampness invading meridians causing Bi syndrome; dampness affecting the skin causing eczema, sores, and other diseases. Fourth, dampness is heavy and turbid, lingering and difficult to cure quickly. Prolonged disease course may develop into phlegm, retained fluids, or water retention. Hence, comparatively, dampness-related diseases are more numerous.
The clinical manifestations of dampness syndrome are diverse. Due to dampness’s characteristics of heaviness, turbidity, downward tendency, stagnation, and uncleanliness, its basic symptoms can be summarized as the following ten points:
① Tongue coating slippery and greasy, either white or yellow; pulse slow, soft, or hesitant;
② Heaviness in head and body, feeling of tightness or heavy pressure on the head, joint pain and swelling;
③ Sweating that is not thorough, such as only sweating on the neck or waist;
④ Edema in limbs or face, especially manifested in the lower limbs or “lying silkworm” under the eyes;
⑤ Facial complexion dull yellow or dark, or jaundice;
⑥ No thirst, or thirst but little water intake, preference for warm drinks, feeling uncomfortable after drinking;
⑦ Chest tightness, fullness in the epigastrium or abdomen, loss of appetite or no hunger;
⑧ Skin itching or eczema, dampness and rash on scrotum, athlete’s foot;
⑨ Urinary difficulty or cloudy urine with sediment, or leukorrhea;
⑩ Loose stools, unformed, difficult defecation.
Of course, not all these points need to be present; seeing one or two or three or four should alert one to the presence of damp.
There are many methods to treat dampness. Based on literature, clinical reports, and personal experience, the following thirteen methods are summarized.
Release Exterior and Disperse Dampness
This method targets dampness pathogen on the exterior, commonly using herbs such as Notopterygium (Qiang Huo), Angelica pubescens (Du Huo), Ledebouriella (Fang Feng), Ephedra (Ma Huang), and often combined with other exterior-releasing and wind-dispelling herbs. Representative formula: Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang, suitable for exterior dampness presenting with aversion to cold and fever, headache with heaviness, body ache, no sweating, floating pulse, white or greasy tongue coating. If there is interior heat, switch to Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang.
In Jin Gui Yao Lue (Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet), for treating exterior dampness, Ma Huang is combined with dampness-discharging herbs rather than typical exterior-releasing and dispersing herbs, to release exterior and resolve dampness. For example, for cold-damp exterior with body vexation and pain, use Ma Huang Jia Zhu Tang (Ephedra with Atractylodes Decoction), where Ma Huang disperses cold and Atractylodes removes dampness. Ma Huang combines with Atractylodes so that although sweating is induced, it’s not excessive; with Atractylodes, Ma Huang can treat both exterior and interior dampness. For wind-damp exterior with symptoms of whole-body pain, fever worsened in the afternoon, use Ma Xing Yi Gan Tang (Ephedra, Apricot Kernel, Coix, Licorice Decoction); in this formula, Ma Huang releases exterior, Coix removes dampness, Apricot Kernel directs lung qi downward to move dampness, and Licorice supplements the middle.
This method requires careful control of sweating; excessive sweating is not beneficial. Jin Gui Yao Lue states: “If sweating is profuse, wind evil is going but damp evil remains, so it does not heal. When treating wind-dampness, inducing slight sweating as if about to sweat will expel both wind and damp.” Because dampness is sticky and lingers, medicines must penetrate and unblock dampness, allowing slight sweating to facilitate removal of dampness.
Moreover, there is another method of dispelling wind and overcoming dampness, suitable for wind-damp Bi syndrome affecting meridians with predominant joint pain. Herbs such as Qin Jiao, Mulberry Twig, Cinnamon Twig, Qiang Huo, Du Huo, Mulberry Mistletoe, Eleutherococcus, Spiny Hairy-clustered Golden-silk, and Siegesbeckia are used.
Aromatic Dampness-Transforming
Like the methods of pungent-cool exterior releasing, sweet-cold yin nurturing, and pungent aromatic opening orifices, aromatic dampness-transforming is a development in the warm disease school of traditional treatment. It uses aromatic herbs to penetrate and transform damp pathogens, suitable for symptoms of damp stagnation with qi dysfunction, with disease locus biased to the upper burner. This is the so-called method of transforming the upper burner, drying the middle burner, and promoting urination in the lower burner. Common herbs include Agastache (Huo Xiang), Eupatorium fortunei (Pei Lan), Acorus (Chang Pu), Curcuma (Yu Jin), Mint (Bo He), Amomum villosum (Bai Kou Ren), etc.
For example, in external pathogen invasion with interior and exterior dampness manifesting with chills and fever, body pain, vomiting, diarrhea, sticky mouth, greasy tongue coating, Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San (Agastache Rectify Qi Powder) is used; for early-stage damp-warm disease with pathogen in the qi aspect, Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan (Sweet Dew Toxin-Dispelling Pill) applies not only to warm diseases but also to jaundice caused by damp-heat stagnation in miscellaneous diseases with appropriate syndrome differentiation; for prolonged damp-warm disease invading Ying and blood layers obstructing clear orifices with greasy tongue coating and unclear consciousness, Chang Pu Yu Jin Tang (Acorus and Curcuma Decoction) is used, which differs from formulas like An Gong and Zhi Bao to clear the heart and open orifices for heat invading the Pericardium.
Clinically, patients with prolonged fever often caused by damp restraining heat should use aromatic herbs to promote dampness transformation and release heat; transforming dampness allows heat to clear; the main focus is not just clearing heat but making heat accessible to be cleared. Using cold herbs at first fever worsens heat stagnation and leads to prolonged fever and slow recovery.
Bitter-cold Damp-drying
The Inner Classic (Nei Jing) points out that when dampness invades internally, it should be treated by bitterness to dry it, but there is a difference between bitter-cold and bitter-warm. Bitter dries dampness and cold clears heat. Using bitter and cold herbs to dry dampness and clear heat is called bitter-cold damp-drying, mainly used for damp-heat accumulation in the stomach and intestines with symptoms like thick greasy tongue coating, bitter and sticky mouth, epigastric distension, and poor appetite.
Representative herbs include Coptis (Huang Lian), Scutellaria (Huang Qin), Phellodendron (Huang Bai), Gardenia (Zhi Zi), and Cortex Qin Pi. Regarding formula applications: damp-heat dysentery treated by Bai Tou Weng Tang (Pulsatilla Decoction); severe damp-heat constipation with red tongue and yellow greasy coating, and severe jaundice treated by Zhi Zi Jin Hua Tang (Gardenia and Golden Flower Decoction); damp-warm disease with sweating and recurrent fever treated by Huang Qin Hua Shi Tang (Scutellaria and Talc Decoction); damp-heat or phlegm-heat accumulated in gallbladder and stomach manifesting as bitter mouth, yellow coating, dizziness, nausea, irritability, insomnia treated by Huang Lian Wen Dan Tang (Coptis Gallbladder-Warming Decoction); damp-heat descending to lower limbs causing pain and muscle atrophy treated by Er Miao Wan (Two Marvel Pill).
Bitter-cold damp-drying is close to heat-clearing and dampness-resolving; sometimes hard to distinctly differentiate, and often formulas contain both bitter-cold damp-drying and heat-clearing dampness-resolving herbs—examples include Long Dan Xie Gan Tang and Yin Chen Hao Tang. The difference is: one applies to damp-heat in the middle burner with prominent GI symptoms; the other applies to damp-heat in the lower burner with prominent urinary symptoms; one herb is bitter and cold, the other is sweet and mild cool. Also, careful distinction must be made between bitter-cold herbs and sweet-cold herbs: sweet-cold suits heat without dampness, heat injuring yin, or constitutional yin deficiency, which differs from bitter-cold herbs used for damp-heat syndrome.
Bitter-warm Damp-drying
This method uses bitter and warm herbs to dry dampness, according to Su Wen: “When dampness invades internally, treat with bitter heat.” It is suitable for dampness abundant internally or cold-damp abundant internally, often marked by white greasy tongue coating, sticky mouth, fullness and distension of abdomen, fatigue, poor appetite, cold limbs, and chills.
Main herbs include Atractylodes (Cang Zhu), Magnolia bark (Hou Po), Pinellia (Fa Xia), and Tangerine peel (Chen Pi). Representative formula: Ping Wei San (Calm the Stomach Powder). For dampness accumulating into phlegm or excessive phlegm-dampness, Er Chen Tang (Two-Cured Decoction) is appropriate. For damp-warm diseases where damp-heat accumulation or dampness outweighs heat, one or two bitter-warm damp-drying herbs are usually added to heat-clearing dampness-resolving formulas, such as Hou Po and Ban Xia in Huo Po Xia Ling Tang. In combination of bitter-cold damp-drying and bitter-warm damp-drying for treating damp-heat, such as Er Miao Wan in which Huang Bai combines with Cang Zhu to treat lower burner damp-heat, is an example.
The spleen governs dampness; middle burner diseases are often linked to dampness, so Ping Wei San is a common formula for regulating spleen and stomach. For dampness in middle burner presenting as epigastric distension and pain, added with Mu Xiang and Sha Ren, it is called Xiang Sha Ping Wei San; for diarrhea and dysentery, combined with Xiang Lian Wan, it is Xiang Lian Ping Wei San; accompanied by spleen deficiency, added with Dang Shen and Poria, it is Shen Ling Ping Wei San; with phlegm-damp cough, combined with Er Chen Tang, named Ping Chen Tang; for severe dampness with scanty urine, diarrhea or edema, combined with Wu Ling San, called Wei Ling Tang; for malaria with alternating chills and fever and dampness, combined with Xiao Chai Hu Tang, named Chai Ping Jian; for dampness or summer-damp internal stagnation with vomiting and anorexia, added with Huo Xiang and Ban Xia, named Bu Huan Jin Zheng Qi San, etc.
Mild Diuretic Dampness-Resolving
This is the method of using sweet bland herbs to promote urination to drain dampness via urine. It is the method of “using bland to drain” according to Nei Jing. Dampness stagnates inside the body, one main symptom is urinary difficulty; unobstructed urination allows dampness to be expelled naturally. Jin Gui Yao Lue points out: “When damp Bi syndrome has urinary difficulty and quick defecation, one should promote urination”; He Jian Liu Shu also states: “If urination is not facilitated, it is not the proper treatment for dampness.” Although mild diuretic dampness-resolving mainly suits dampness obstructing the lower burner, it is often combined with other dampness-resolving methods and has become the most commonly used and widespread method for dampness treatment.
Representative herbs for mild diuretic dampness-resolving include Poria (Fu Ling), Polyporus (Zhu Ling), Alisma (Ze Xie), Coix seed (Yi Yi Ren). Representative formulas are Si Ling San (Four Miracle Powder); if dampness obstructs bladder qi transformation, WU Ling San is more suitable; if dampness stagnated with concomitant yin deficiency, Zhu Ling Tang is better used.
Mild diuretic herbs are generally sweet, bland, and mild; heat-clearing damp-resolving herbs lean toward bitter cold. This is their difference.
Heat-Clearing and Dampness-Resolving
When damp-heat stagnates inside especially in the lower burner causing short, red, burning, painful urination or dribbling difficulty, heat-clearing and damp-resolving methods should be applied. Representative herbs include Imperata cylindrica (Bai Mao Gen), Plantain seed (Che Qian Zi), Talc (Hua Shi), Bamboo Leaf (Zhu Ye), Artemisia capillaris (Yin Chen Hao), Large Thistle (Da Ji), Small Thistle (Xiao Ji), Lysimachia (Jin Qian Cao), Lygodium (Hai Jin Sha), and Akebia (Mu Tong), mostly sweet, bland, and somewhat cold, clearing heat and promoting urination.
Representative formulas: Da Cheng Qi San for red urination with heart vexation, insomnia, and red tongue tip; Liu Yi San for summer heat with painful red urination; Gui Ling Gan Lu Yin for serious dampness; Ba Zheng San for dribbling difficulty with yellow greasy tongue and rapid pulse; with stones (sand) add Hai Jin Sha, Jin Qian Cao or substitute with Shi Wei San; Xiao Ji Yin Zi for bloody, dribbling painful urination; Yin Chen Hao Tang for damp-heat jaundice with urinary difficulty; Long Dan Xie Gan Tang for liver channel damp-heat downward, urinary dribbling, vulvar itching, or leucorrhea; Xuan Bi Tang for damp-heat accumulation in meridians with joint pain and heat, also clears heat and unblocks channels; Chi Xiao Dou Dang Gui San for intestinal damp-heat with blood in stool.
The lower burner is the location of liver and kidney. Liver governs blood, kidney governs yin; prolonged damp-heat in lower burner can cause yin-blood deficiency; hence, heat-clearing damp-resolving is sometimes combined with nourishing yin and blood, different from bitter-cold damp-drying mainly targeting the middle burner and sometimes combined with spleen-stimulating herbs.
Qi-Regulating and Dampness-Transforming
Water damp metabolism in the body relates closely to the lung, spleen, and kidney. If lung qi fails to regulate and spleen qi fails to transport, and kidney qi fails to control, water-damp metabolism is disturbed, accumulates inside, and causes disease. Treatment should use qi-regulating herbs to regulate qi mechanism, remove stagnation and transform dampness, achieving the effect that “qi transforms, so damp transforms; qi moves, so damp moves.” This is very important among dampness treatment methods.
Representative herbs include Tangerine peel (Chen Pi), Citrus aurantium (Da Fu Pi), Apricot kernel (Xing Ren), Amomum villosum (Bai Kou Ren), and Curcuma (Yu Jin). Although pure qi-regulating and damp-transforming formulas are less common, many formulas combine this method, for example, the famous San Ren Tang (Three Seeds Decoction) for treating damp-warm disease uses Apricot kernel to open lung qi to release upper burner, Bai Kou Ren to awaken spleen and stomach and open middle burner, ensuring smooth qi and easy damp expulsion. Wu Ju Tong’s Wu Ge Jia Jian Zheng Qi San uses Chen Pi, Da Fu Pi, and Xing Ren to regulate qi; Wu Pi Yin’s Sang Bai Pi lowers lung qi, Chen Pi regulates qi and harmonizes middle, Da Fu Pi promotes qi and removes stagnation; Xuan Bi Tang for upper burner lung stagnation has the function of lung qi regulation and dampness transformation; Er Chen Tang uses Chen Pi for qi-regulating and damp-transforming and is a commonly used clinical prescription.
Qi-Strengthening and Dampness-Transforming
Qi stagnation causing failure to distribute fluids and dampness, combined with qi deficiency and insufficient qi transformation, spleen deficiency with failed transportation is a frequent cause of dampness disease. Treatment should strengthen qi and spleen to promote dampness removal; this is qi-strengthening and dampness-transforming (also called spleen-strengthening and damp-transforming).
Main herbs include Astragalus (Huang Qi), Codonopsis (Dang Shen), Atractylodes (Bai Zhu), and Poria (Fu Ling). Representative formula: Fang Ji Huang Qi Tang (Stephania and Astragalus Decoction), originally for wind-damp exterior deficiency syndrome with “floating pulse, body heaviness, sweating, and aversion to wind”. This formula uses Huang Qi to tonify qi and transform dampness, Bai Zhu strengthens spleen and removes dampness, Fang Ji dispels damp and promotes urination. It can be used not only for exterior deficiency with dampness but also for general qi deficiency with severe dampness or edema patients, such as chronic nephritis with qi deficiency showing edema; use may achieve edema subsiding and nephropathy recovery.
Moreover, Li Dong Yuan’s Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang (Clear Summer-Heat and Benefit Qi Decoction) uses Huang Qi, Dang Shen, Licorice, and Jujube to strengthen spleen and qi; Huang Bai, Ze Xie, Cang Zhu, Bai Zhu to clear summer heat and transform dampness, suitable for summer-dampness syndrome with fever, bitter mouth, yellow greasy tongue coating, yellow urine, fatigue, shortness of breath, sweating, and weak pulse. It differs from Wang Meng Ying’s method of treating summer-heat injury to yin; Wang Meng Ying criticized Li’s decoction as “named clearing summer heat but lacking actual clearing,” which is biased. Also, formulas like Shen Ling Bai Zhu San for spleen deficiency diarrhea, Wan Dai Tang for spleen deficiency leucorrhea, are common qi-strengthening and spleen-strengthening dampness-transforming formulas.
Warm Yang and Expel Dampness
Warm yang to dispel dampness is using pungent-warm or sweet-warm herbs to treat dampness pathogen, mainly suitable for yang deficiency with internal cold-dampness. Such cases avoid cold-cool herbs with diuretic effects. Yi Men Fa Lü states: “For treating damp diseases, generally urination should be promoted; however, for yang deficiency, promoting urination in all cases is a medical error.”
Key herbs include Aconite (Fu Zi), Dried Ginger (Gan Jiang), Cinnamon Twig (Gui Zhi), Atractylodes (Bai Zhu). Representative formulas include the three Fu Zi decoctions in Jin Gui Yao Lue for prominent yang deficiency with dampness: Gui Zhi Fu Zi Tang for yang deficiency exterior dampness using cinnamon twig and aconite to support exterior yang and dispel dampness; Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang for yang deficiency interior dampness using Atractylodes and aconite to strengthen interior yang and dry dampness; Gan Cao Fu Zi Tang for exterior and interior yang deficiency with abundant dampness, using licorice, aconite, cinnamon twig, and Atractylodes to warm yang and dispel dampness. This strict selection of herbs according to different syndromes is very instructive. Also, Shen Zhu Tang for cold-dampness retention in the waist uses licorice, ginger, poria, and Atractylodes, a well-known warm yang damp-drying formula. In jaundice caused by yang deficiency with cold-dampness causing yin jaundice, Yin Chen Si Ni Tang and Yin Chen Zhu Fu Tang fall into warm yang dampness-expelling methods.
Raise Yang and Remove Dampness
The raising yang and removing dampness approach is emphasized in Li Dong Yuan’s “Spleen and Stomach Treatise.” He believed that using diuretic dampness methods is generally effective, but in patients with prolonged spleen-stomach decline and failure of clear yang to rise, using mild diuretic herbs to clear dampness may stop the disease but at the cost of suppressing yang further; this leads to worsening yang deficiency and further reduction of spirit. He advocated the use of herbs that raise yang and dispel wind, called “raising yang wind herbs.”
Raising yang wind herbs include Qiang Huo, Du Huo, Chai Hu, Sheng Ma, Fang Feng, sometimes combined with Huang Qi. Wind herbs overcome dampness; clear yang rising causes dampness to be expelled, forming a different treatment strategy for dampness. This method is seen repeatedly in “Spleen and Stomach Treatise,” such as Chufengshi Qiang Huo Tang for damp-heat with atrophy; Sheng Yang Chu Shi Fang Feng Tang for damp-heat diarrhea; Sheng Yang Tang and Sheng Yang Chu Shi Tang for diarrhea. All contain Fang Feng, Sheng Ma, and Chai Hu, reflecting the raising yang and removing dampness method. Yu Jia Yan’s treatment of invasion of exterior pathogens entering interior causing dysentery used Ren Shen Bai Du Yin (Ginseng Detoxification Drink) to “heave upstream” and pull back the boat; also previously mentioned Li’s Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang contains raising yang and removing dampness functions.
Bitter-pungent Drain Damp
This uses pungent opening and bitter descending herbs to discharge damp pathogens. As ancient saying goes: “For damp-heat pathogen, pungency is needed to open and bitterness to descend.” It mainly treats dampness obstructing middle burner with disrupted spleen-stomach ascending and descending functions, manifesting as epigastric fullness and distension, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, borborygmus, loose stools or diarrhea.
On one hand, pungent and ascending herbs like fresh ginger, dried ginger, Acorus, fermented soybeans (Dou Chi), Curcuma (Yu Jin) are used to disperse dampness, raise clear yang, and awaken the spleen. On the other, bitter descending herbs like Coptis, Scutellaria, Magnolia bark dry dampness and descend rebellious qi.
Pinellia (Ban Xia) is also often used, pungent and descending, harmonizing the middle, drying dampness, dissipating nodules, and relieving fullness, frequently used in this method. In miscellaneous diseases with lingering dampness, alternating chills and fever and disordered ascending descending, presenting with epigastric fullness and pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea symptoms, Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang (Pinellia Heart-Draining Decoction) is common. This formula combines dried ginger and Pinellia for pungent opening and nodules dispersing; Coptis and Scutellaria for bitter descending and heat clearing; also contains ginseng, jujube, and licorice to tonify middle and harmonize. It is often clinically effective in treating gastroenterological diseases.
In warm disease, with damp-heat blocking the middle burner, fullness and nausea symptoms, Wang’s Lian Po Yin uses Pinellia, Acorus, and fermented soybeans to disperse dampness pungently; also uses Coptis and Magnolia bark to dry dampness and harmonize the stomach. This is a common formula for damp-warm disease in the middle burner.
This bitter-pungent dampness-draining method both raises and descends, opening and draining, effectively treating middle burner damp-heat and restoring spleen-stomach ascending and descending function with well-matched herb combinations. The most common combination is Coptis with pungent herbs, such as with Evodia to form Zuo Jin Wan for liver-stomach qi rebellious with damp-heat; with Mu Xiang to form Xiang Lian Wan for damp-heat dysentery; with Perilla leaf to make Su Lian Wan for pregnancy damp-heat vomiting; and Coptis also being the main herb in other bitter-pungent dampness-draining formulas. Additionally, Coptis combined with Cinnamon to make Jiao Tai Wan treats heart-kidney disharmony insomnia. The ratio is generally more bitter than pungent but can be flexibly adjusted according to the condition.
Dry Dampness and Transform Turbidity
This method treats damp turbidity that has accumulated internally. Damp turbidity represents a further development of dampness with two main meanings: one, dampness deeply entrenched inside, hard to cure with ordinary dampness medicines; two, where dampness coagulates into forms with clinical signs such as oily skin, dull dark complexion, abdominal distension, greasy and thick tongue coating, very dark and dirty stools, cloudy or turbid urine with sediment or deposits. These symptoms differentiate it from simple dampness or water dampness.
Treatment examples: when damp turbidity is deeply embedded with warm pathogen invading membrane source, manifesting with high fever, chills, alternating hot and cold, greasy tongue coating, chest tightness, nausea, vomiting, use Da Yuan Yin (Reach the Membrane Source Decoction) which includes Huang Qin and Zhi Mu for heat clearing plus bitter and penetrating herbs like Bing Lang, Cao Guo, and Hou Po to attack dirty turbidity; if damp turbidity predominates, Lei’s membrane source dispersing method applies. If damp turbidity sinks causing turbid urine or milky urine, Bi Xie Fen Qing Yin is recommended with Bi Xie as chief herb clearing turbidity. For bladder damp-heat accumulation with red and white turbid urine, Yi Xue Xin Wu’s Bi Xie Fen Qing Yin formula using Bi Xie, Poria, Che Qian Zi, Huang Bai to clear damp turbidity applies.
Detoxifying and Drying Dampness
Detoxifying and drying dampness treats damp toxic diseases. Damp toxicity can be interpreted in two ways: first, when dampness is accompanied by prominent heat/fire signs, also called damp-heat toxicity, symptoms include yellow greasy tongue coating, sore throat, cloudy and painful urination, burning pain on perineum like fire, women’s leukorrhea sticky and foul-smelling. Treatment uses bitter-cold dampness-drying herbs with increased doses and added heat-clearing detoxifying herbs.
Second, when dampness accumulates in skin causing dermatological diseases such as herpes zoster, eczema, contact dermatitis, impetigo, etc., with blisters, erosion, exudation, itching, often with long course and difficult healing. Treatment emphasizes drying dampness and detoxifying, using formulas like Long Dan Xie Gan Tang, Bi Xie Shen Shi Tang, Qing Jie Pian, Xiao Feng San. Representative herbs include Tu Fu Ling, Ku Shen, Huang Bai, Cang Zhu, Bai Xian Pi, Zi Jing Pi, Di Fu Zi, etc.
In addition to topical ointments, external wash using decoctions of She Chuang Zi, Alum, Ai Ye, Huang Bai, Cang Zhu, Ku Shen, Fang Feng, Bai Bu or fumigation of lesions to dry damp and detoxify, dispel wind and kill insects can achieve effects faster than oral medicine alone.
Though the above thirteen dampness treatment methods have their own characteristics and indications and can be used independently, combined application is common. Many formulas cited contain multiple actions; for example, Zhong Man Fen Xiao Wan for abdominal fullness from damp-heat accumulation shows combined bitter-cold damp-drying, mild diuretics, qi-regulating and dampness-transforming, bitter-warm damp-drying, and spleen-strengthening dampness removal actions, proving that in complicated cases combining methods is necessary.
Dampness treatment methods have been widely used in hepatitis, dysentery, typhoid, gynecological inflammation, and skin disease treatment, as well as acute abdomen, urinary tract infections and stones, rheumatoid arthritis, gastroenteritis, prolonged fever, and myasthenia gravis, with some degree of efficacy seen in most cases. This reflects the characteristic of traditional Chinese medicine treating different diseases with the same method, which may imply common pathological bases or that dampness medicines have different roles in different diseases. We believe with deeper integration of Chinese and Western medicine, these issues will be progressively clarified.
This article is excerpted from “Yang Zhiyi’s Medical Theories and Cases Collection,” published by People’s Medical Publishing House, author/ Yang Zhiyi.