Chapter 21: External causes of disease, Maciocia's Questions & Answers

• If a person’s Defensive Qi is strong, how might they become ill through climatic causes?

If the weather were particularly excessive, even a person with strong Defensive Qi would be relatively weaker, and an external invasion may occur. This may also happen if the weather changed rapidly.

• Which organ and season are associated with the climatic factor of Dryness?

The Lungs and autumn.

• List the Four Levels as formulated by Ye Tian Shi. Which of these levels are classed as being on the Exterior, and which are on the Interior?

The Four Levels are Defensive Qi (Wei), Qi, Nutritive Qi (Ying) and Blood (Xue). The Defensive-Qi level is on the Exterior; the rest are on the Interior.

• A person with a tendency to Heat gets caught in the wind and rain in the middle of winter. What pattern are they likely to manifest?

Because they have a tendency to Heat, the invading Wind is likely to combine with this to manifest a pattern of Wind-Heat, despite it being the middle of winter.

• How are Wind-Cold and Wind-Heat said to enter the body?

Wind-Cold is said to penetrate via the skin and Wind-Heat via the nose and mouth.

• How would you distinguish whether a patient who was averse to cold was presenting with an exterior pattern of Wind-Cold or Yang deficiency?

Aversion to cold from an exterior invasion arises suddenly and is not relieved by covering oneself. The cold feeling from Yang deficiency is chronic and is relieved by covering oneself.

• How would you tell if a patient was manifesting ‘fever’, or ‘fa re’?

By palpating the patient’s forehead and back of hands, which would feel hot to the touch.

• Give three symptoms of Wind invading the space between the skin and muscles and the Lung’s Defensive-Qi portion.

Three of the following: aversion to cold, fever, sore throat, sneezing, runny nose, occipital stiffness, and Floating pulse.

• Give three examples of exterior Cold directly penetrating the body without causing an exterior pattern.

Cold invading the Stomach, Cold invading the Intestines, Cold invading the Uterus.