↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.
Clinical manifestations: Flatulence smelling like rotten eggs; sour, rotten-smelling belching; upper abdominal bloating and pain worse after eating; nausea or vomiting of undigested food.
Tongue: Normal, thick greasy or curd-like coating, thickest at the centre. Pulse: Slippery and full, most prominent at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Breaks down undigested food, relieves bloating and descends rebellious Stomach Qi.
Note: no moxa.
Clinical manifestations: Foul-smelling gas with a sticky or bitter taste; upper abdominal bloating; a heavy, foggy head and body sensation; thirst without a desire to drink; loose, sticky stools feeling incomplete.
Tongue: Red, possibly swollen with teeth marks, thick yellow greasy coating at the centre and root. Pulse: Soggy and rapid, often slippery.
Treatment principle: Clears Heat and drains Dampness in the Middle Burner, resolving the turbid Damp-Heat that produces foul gas.
Note: no moxa.
3. Bright Yang Fire in Stomach and Intestines
Clinical manifestations: Constipation with dry, hard stools; abdominal pain worsening with pressure; intense thirst for cold drinks; afternoon tidal fever; bad breath; foul flatulence with a hot, pungent odor.
Tongue: Red with prickly thorns, thick yellow dry coating, possibly cracked. Pulse: Deep, forceful, rapid, often slippery.
Treatment principle: Vigorously purges intense Heat accumulation from the bowels, removes blocked waste and stops foul flatulence.
Note: no moxa. Linked to this site's own Heat-in-the-Large-Intestine slide as the closest general match.
Clinical manifestations: Burning pain in the upper stomach; constant hunger; foul breath; thirst for cold drinks; constipation with dry, hard stools; a feeling of heat in the stomach area; nausea.
Tongue: Red, possibly with central prickles, thick dry yellow coat. Pulse: Rapid, slippery, forceful, especially strong at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Clears Stomach Heat that scorches food and fluids, reducing putrefaction and foul gas production.
Note: no moxa.
Clinical manifestations: Sour or bitter-smelling gas; a bitter taste in the mouth; pain or distension under the ribs, especially on the right side; irritability and restlessness.
Tongue: Red with red sides, thick yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Wiry, slippery, rapid.
Treatment principle: Drains Damp-Heat from the Liver and Gallbladder, restores smooth Qi flow to digestion and eliminates foul-smelling gas overflow.
Note: no moxa.