↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.
Clinical manifestations: A sallow or pale complexion; poor appetite; bloating after eating; loose stools; fatigue; weak limbs.
Tongue: Pale, puffy, teeth-marked, thin white coating. Pulse: Weak, soft, forceless at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Tonifies Spleen Qi, strengthens digestive function and drains Dampness.
Note: moxa is appropriate, gentle technique in children.
Clinical manifestations: Sour or rotten-smelling belching; epigastric fullness worsening after eating; vomiting of undigested food that brings relief; aversion to food.
Tongue: Normal body with thick, greasy, curd-like coating, thickest centrally. Pulse: Slippery and full at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Promotes digestion, resolves food stagnation, harmonizes the Stomach and descends rebellious Qi.
Note: no moxa.
Clinical manifestations: A low-grade, persistent fever despite sweating; sticky, incomplete stools; irritability and restless behavior; thirst with little desire to drink; heavy, tired limbs.
Tongue: Red, possibly swollen with teeth marks, thick yellow greasy coating at the centre and root. Pulse: Soggy and rapid, slippery at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Clears Heat, transforms Phlegm and resolves Dampness from the Stomach and Spleen.
Note: no moxa.
4. Phlegm-Dampness in the Middle-Burner
Clinical manifestations: A heavy sensation in the body and limbs; bloating after eating; excessive drowsiness; a greasy, sticky mouth without thirst.
Tongue: Pale, swollen with scalloped edges, thick white greasy moist coating. Pulse: Slippery and soggy at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Dries Dampness, transforms Phlegm, regulates Qi and harmonizes the Middle Burner.
Note: no moxa. This site's decks have no Phlegm-Dampness-in-the-Middle-Burner slide, confirmed absent again — no pattern link is given here.
Clinical manifestations: Severe emaciation; dry, withered skin and hair; night sweats with heat in the palms, soles and chest; irritability and restless sleep; a dry mouth and throat with thirst.
Tongue: Red, thin, cracks, little or no coating, dry surface. Pulse: Fine, rapid, wiry.
Treatment principle: Nourishes Kidney Yin, supplements Liver and Spleen Yin, and benefits Essence and marrow.
Note: no moxa (Yin deficiency with heat signs).
Clinical manifestations: Palpitations; insomnia with excessive dreaming; a pale complexion, lips and nails; poor appetite with post-meal fatigue; forgetfulness and poor concentration.
Tongue: Pale, puffy, teeth-marked, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine, weak, especially feeble at the left front and right middle positions.
Treatment principle: Tonifies Heart Blood, strengthens Spleen Qi, calms the spirit and restores the appetite.
Note: moxa is appropriate. Linked to the closest slide (Spleen- and Heart-Blood deficiency); it names Blood only, so treat as a partial match.