Dryness-moistening Formulae

Classic Herbal Formulae

Dryness-moistening formulae are aimed to dispersing dryness evils or nourishing yin and moistening the body.

The dryness evil tends to consume body fluid and causes fluid loss symptoms such as dry wrinkled or withered skin, dry hair and scalp, dry mouth and cracked lips, dry and hard stools. TCM claims that the dry symptoms can be originated from external and internal sources. Externally contracted dryness tends to impair the lungs and deplete the body fluids and the associated symptoms are headache, cough, dry and sore throat, throat secretion, thirst and shortness of breath.

Internal dryness is often resulted from essence or fluid depletion of the organs, for example due to improper use of herbs, physical overstrain and over-consumption of hot and spicy foods. The patterns of internal dryness are based on the involved organs, lung dryness can have dry cough, dry throat, and spitting blood; stomach dryness can have skinny, retching and poor appetite; kidney dryness can have thirst, hungry easily, profuse urination or constipation.

TCM strategies for the dry disharmonies involve enhancing the lungs to disperse dryness evils in external cases, while nourishing yin and enhancing fluid production as well as distribution in internal cases. Since the dryness evils tend to transfer into heat or fire evils, and consume body fluids inside the body, the remedies should also be added in herbs that can clear heat or fire, promote fluid and qi productions, so as to ensure the total efficacy.

For those who already have excess dampness and phlegm inside the body, or loose bowel due to spleen deficiency, or qi (vital energy) stagnation, these remedies should be used with cautions.

 

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