Written By Jun Heo(許浚, 1539~1615), Translated by Namil Kim, Wung Seok Cha et al., Published by Ministry of Health & Welfare (Korea)
15 To Stop Sweating 止汗法 땀을 멎게 하는 법
① If continuous sweating is about to cause a yang collapse, rub the body with Warm Powder and Calomelas (汞粉). Also, fill the umbilicus up with Unaccompanied Successful Powder.
② Or grind the same amounts of Ostreae Testa (牡蠣), white bran, Ephedrae Radix (麻黃根), Angelicae Tenuissimae Radix (藁
本), waxy rice, Saposhnikoviae Radix (防風), and Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (白芷) into powder and rub on the whole body.
③ If misusing Ephedrae Herba (麻黃) has caused continuous sweating that leads to a yang collapse, soak the patient’s head with water, mix Fossilia Ossis Mastodii (龍骨) or Ostreae Testa (牡蠣) powder with waxy rice powder, and rub the body with it.
- Warm Powder 溫粉 온분: Stops spontaneous sweating. Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba (白朮), Angelicae Tenuissimae Radix (藁本), Cnidii Rhizoma (川芎), and Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (白芷) all the same amounts. Grind these into powder, mix 1 nyang with millet powder 1 nyang evenly, wrap it with a cotton ball, and sprinkle over the body.
- Red Powder 紅粉 홍분: Used for as mentioned above. Ephedrae Radix (麻黃根) and Ostreae Concha (牡蠣粉) 1 nyang each, and Halloysitum Rubrum (赤石脂) and Fossilia Ossis Mastodii (龍骨) 5 don each. Grind these into powder, mix it evenly, wrap it with a cotton ball, and sprinkle over the body.
- Unaccompanied Successful Powder 獨勝散 독승산: ① Used for spontaneous and night sweating. Grind Galla Rhois (五倍子) and Alumen (白礬) (baked) into the same amounts of powder, mix it with saliva evenly, fill the umbilicus up, and bind it with silk. Then it will be efficacious soon. ② Or grind Polygoni Multiflori Radix (何首烏) into powder, mix it with saliva, and apply it to the umbilicus. It will be effective.
16 Absence of Sweating 無汗 무한
① Sweat is another name of blood. Divine Pivot (靈樞) says, “A person with profuse bleeding should not sweat and a person with much sweating should not bleed.”
② During summer, if one does not sweat despite taking a bath or eating, it is because of exterior excess. In the case of exterior excess, one does not sweat.
③ One does not sweat in the case of the excess three yang and deficient three yin; one does not stop sweating in the case of
excess three yin and deficient three yang.
④ One cannot stop sweating if there is diminished genuine qi and exuberant Fire in the stomach. One will not sweat and will stay dry if there is genuine qi exhaustion and debilitated yin Fire. In the case of the debilitation of both yin and yang, one will not sweat all the year round and may die in a short time.
⑤ There is no sweating in the case of Cold Damage yin syndrome. [The details are in the chapter on Cold Damage].
⑥ If there is excess yang qi, one’s body will be hot and there will be no sweating. If there is excess eum qi, one’s body will be cold, and there will be lots of sweating.
17 Expiration of Sweating 絶汗 절한
① Expiry sweating means sweating that’s like beads; it does not flow but rather dries up soon.
② It is due to a six yang qi collapse. If it starts in the morning, one will die in the night. If it starts in the night, one will die in the morning.
18 Gentle Sweating 柔汗 유한
The Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases (傷寒論) of Zhongjing says, “Gentle sweat with jaundice is due to the spleen qi collapse.” The comment says, “Yu (柔, Gentle) means Eumyu (陰柔, yin gentle), while Han (汗, sweat) means Naenghan (冷汗, cold sweat).” Sometimes, it is also called Yuhan (油汗, oily sweat) which indicates sticky sweat.
19 Ominous Signs When Sweating 汗出凶證 땀이 날 때의 좋지 않은 증상
① The first is febrile disease from Cold Damage inducing sweat so as to wet the hair. Second is sticky sweat like oil. Third is clotted sweat like beads.
② In the case of febrile disease from Cold Damage, sweat which forms like beads but does not flow is due to a yang collapse. One may die in this case.
③ In the case of Cold Damage, these are all incurable: sweat wetting the hair, sticky sweat that’s like oil, and clotted sweat that’s like beads attached to the body.
④ These signs indicate death is imminent: floating and surging pulse with oil like sweat, a damp head and continuous dyspnea.
⑤ In the case of yang diseases that belong to Cold Damage, there are 9 types of spontaneous sweating and they are all curable. Yin diseases do not involve sweating except a yin toxic illness, which induces cold sweating from the forehead and the back of the hands to wet the body. In severe cases, the body will be wet just like after taking a bath. This is a yang deficiency and yin exuberance becoming a yang collapse: death is inevitable.
20 Contraindication 禁忌 금기
① During winter, heaven and earth close down and blood qi is kept inside. Hence, never induce much sweating in spite of illness.
② The reason for forbidding the use of Zingiberis Rhizoma Crudus (生薑) for spontaneous sweating is that it opens interstices.
③ Never eat the five pungent spices and other spicy food in the case of spontaneous sweating.
