Six Evils - Dampness

Dampness hindering heat to spread over is marked by sweating without fever declining. Owing to dampness the head is like wrapped, which is marked by feeling heavy of head. The disturbance of qi to ascend and descend, which is marked by chest distress, epigastric distention, scanty urine. Yang of spleen is easily besieged by dampness, leading to poor appetite, nausea, loose stool. The orifice of spleen is tongue, which is marked by greasy taste in the mouth.

The spleen has the function of nourishing limbs, but dampness turbid is retained in body, which is marked by heavy limbs. Dampness obstructs the circulation of blood, leading to numbness, ulcer, pain skin. Dampness is turbid and heavy, resulting in fixed pain. If dampness moves down into lower-jiao, which is marked by whitish and turbid urine of man and leukorrhea in woman. Thick tongue coating and soft pulse mean dampness is retained in the body.Pathogenic Characteristics of Dampness Evil:
A. Dampness is a yin evil which tends to obstruct functional activities of qi and impairs yang qi. So attacked by dampness, there are symptoms of feeling just like wrapped head, covered eyes, numbness, edema heavy limbs, chest distress, vomiting and/or nausea.

B. Dampness is viscous and lingering. Onset of the disease is slow but it is difficult to cure.

C. The symptom of turbid excreta and secreta can usually appear because of the heaviness and turbidity of dampness.

Key Words: six evils, dampness