The main diagnostic points of Cynanchum Dai Ochre Tang are lumps and hardness under the heart (mainly referring to the distension and discomfort of the stomach), lumps and fullness in the stomach and epigastric region, no pain when pressed, yelping (hiccups) not eliminated, or poor appetite, eructation (hiccups), nausea, or even vomiting, with a white and greasy tongue coating and a slow or slippery pulse.
This formula is from “Treatise on Typhoid Fever”. It is effective in reducing rebelliousness and resolving phlegm (correcting retrograde qi and removing phlegm from the body), benefiting qi and harmonizing the stomach, and treating the syndrome of rebelliousness of qi due to gastric deficiency and phlegm obstruction.
This syndrome is caused by stomach qi weakness and phlegm internal obstruction. After being used in the Treatise on Typhoid Fever for treating colds and sweating, the methods of inducing vomiting and draining down the body were used, which made the stomach qi impaired and the function of transporting fluid impaired, which then gave birth to phlegm evils in the middle jiao of the spleen and stomach, leading to the plumping up and hardening of the heart underneath the heart.
If the spleen and stomach are weak and phlegm and qi are intermingled, then the stomach qi will be upwardly reversed (the stomach qi rises instead of descending), and the appropriate qi will be frequent, or there will be poor appetite, eructation, nausea, vomiting, and so on. Treatment should be to lower the rebellious phlegm, benefit Qi and harmonize the stomach.
It should be noted that this formula should not be used for vomiting, eructation, belching (burping) with stomach deficiency and heat, nor should it be used for vomiting in pregnancy, and the contraindications and adverse effects are not clear. The above formula should be used by TCM practitioners after diagnosis and avoid self-medication, so as to avoid damage to the body caused by wrong medication.