Dao Chi San

When the heart channel has heat, heart fire follows the channel to flame upwards and damages yin, causing vexing heat in the heart and chest, thirst and red face, and sores of the mouth and tongue. If heart fire spreads to the small intestine, there will be reddish, hot, and painful urination. Because the pathomechanisms involved include heart fire flaming upward and damaging kidney water, as well as heart fire spreading downward into the small intestine and inhibiting the waterways, the suitable treatment is to clear the heart and foster yin while disinhibiting water and abducting heat to move downward.


Sheng di huang (Rehmanniae Radix) is the sovereign because it cools the blood and enriches yin to control heart fire. Mu tong (Akebiae Caulis) clears heat from the heart channel in the upper body. In the lower body, it abducts small intestine fire downward; it disinhibits water and frees strangury. Zhu ye is often considered as dan zhu ye (lophatherum), but was quite likely originally zhu ye (black bamboo leaf) at the time of the source text. It clears the heart and eliminates vexation while freeing urination; thus, it helps to abduct heat. Raw gan cao shao (fine licorice root, Glycyrrhizae Radix Tenuis) is the courier because it harmonizes all the medicinals, and it is an assistant because it directly relieves the pain of strangury while also clearing heat and resolving toxin.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEART FIRE EFFULGENCE INCLUDE

vexation & agitation
restlessness
insomnia
a red tongue with especially red tip
sores on the tip of the tongue
possible heart palpitations
a surging, rapid pulse in the inch position


SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT BEING TRANSMITTED FROM HEART TO SMALL INTESTINEBLADDER INCLUDE

urinary frequency & urgency
burning urinary pain
difficult urination
possible hematuria
dark colored urine