Forum - Article 7 / 6 days - 7 days

Translated by Dr. Lim Siow Jin @ 2014 all rights reserved.

7. Exo-yang disorder, if feverish and aversion to cold, the sickness is in the yang meridian. If aversion to cold without fever, the sickness is in yin meridian. Sickness in yang meridian is normally cured in seven days and sickness in yin meridian is six days. Because the count of seven belong to yang and six belong to yin.

Notes:

Before applying the herbs, you should understand whether the disorder is yin or yang in nature. If there is no fever and the patient feels cold, it is yin in nature and we can apply warm herbs. With fever it is yang in nature. In exo-yang we need to study whether the pulse is soft or tense, float or sink, sweat or without wet skin etc. to determine whether it is a weak yang metabolism or excessive yang metabolism.

Six days for yin and seven days for yang is just a general indication. Yin and yang disorders can get well in any number of days. However, if yang disease does not get well in seven days and yin disease is not well in six days, you should worry that the disease may advance into the body. You should check the condition of the patient carefully to prevent complication.

Predicting the time of healing is another aspect in Shanghan Lun. We will learn more of it when studying more articles.