Cold Diseases

Cold Disease of the body are of 2 kinds: the first is from excess exposure to cold, either internally or externally. Internal exposure is from the intake of cold food or drinks. External is exposure to Cold environment, either Cold, Rain and Wind, or air conditioning, for example.

The second type of Cold disease is due to waning of the Innate Heat, or Yang. Old age, weak digestion, excess sex or excess use of cold food and drink weakness the Innate Heat, thereby producing Coldness.

In practice, the treatment is similar. For excess exposure to Cold is only relative to the strength of the body Heat. So that someone with ample Innate Heat (Yang) can be outside in cold weather without detriment. Yang deficiency is regarded in TCM as a deeper degree of Coldness and requires Warming and strengthening medicines, medicines which activate the Yang. However, many of these are medicines that Warm the body, such as Cinnamon.

In TCM, the primary clinical difference is the use of Aconite for severe Yang deficiency, nearly all of the Yang tonic formulas relying on Aconite.

Western Tradition

Cold Diseases in General

Cinnamon Wine
Hippocras Wine
Tincture of Cinnamon
Tincture of Nutmegs
Tincture of Pepper
Cumin Powder Greater (Diacyminum)
Aromatic Clove Powder (Aromatic Caryophyllatum)

Galangal Powder Compound (Diagalanga) (Mesue)
Cinnamon Powder Compound (Diacinnamonum)

Powder of Nutmeg Compound
Powder of Three Peppers (Diatrionpipereon) (Mesue)
Powder to Stimulate Venery (Wecker)
Troches to Heat (Trochiscus Thermopoeus)
Electuary of Ginger (Dia Zingiber) (Nicholas)
Electuary of Calamus (Diacorum) (Mesue)
Diacameron Minus (Nicholas)
Diacameron Magna (Diathamaron) (Nicholas)

Theriac
Mithridate


TCM Classification

Internal Cold
Gan Cao Gan Jiang Tang
Li Zhong Wan
Fu Zi Li Zhong Wan


Yang Deficiency
Shen Fu Tang
Si Ni Tang
Zhen Wu Tang
Tong Mai Si Ni Tang