Menstruation-Smoothing Decoction

傅青主女科

When a woman, one or two days before menstruation has not yet begun, suddenly has abdominal pain and vomits blood, people take it to be extreme fire-heat; who would know it is the reversal of liver qi? Now the liver's nature is most urgent; it should be smoothed, not reversed. When smoothed, qi is calm; when reversed, qi moves. Blood follows qi in moving and stopping; when qi is calm, blood is calm; when qi moves, blood moves—do not be surprised this is so. Some say the menstrual reversal lies in the kidney, not in the liver. Why does it move wildly with blood, even emerging upward from the mouth? Is it because the liver does not store blood? Or is it because the kidney does not grasp qi? Little do they know that the fire of lesser yin is urgent like a galloping horse; when it gets liver fire, it rushes straight upward, its force being swiftest. Reversing the menses and becoming blood is also most readily done. It is not necessarily that the liver fails to store blood before the condition of vomiting blood arises. However, this kind of hematemesis differs from hematemesis of the various channels. Hematemesis of the various channels is caused by internal damage; hematemesis from reversed menstruation is due to internal overflow being stirred up. The symptoms are utterly different, but their qi reversal is one. The treatment method seems suitable to calm the liver and smooth qi, and it is not necessary to enrich essence to tonify the kidney. Nevertheless, in reversed menstruation with hematemesis, although it does not greatly damage the blood, the repeated inversion inevitably greatly injures kidney qi; one must, within tonifying the kidney, use the method of smoothing qi—only then is it appropriate.

Angelica sinensis, washed with wine, 5 qian; Prepared Rehmannia, steamed nine times, 5 qian; White peony, fried with wine, 2 qian; Moutan cortex 5 qian; White Poria 3 qian; Adenophora root 3 qian; Black Schizonepeta spike 3 qian.

One dose daily, decoct in water; take warm in two divided doses, morning and evening.

湯劑

Nourish the kidney and soften the liver, supplement water to control fire, descend reversal and stop bleeding.

When a woman, one or two days before menstruation is due, suddenly has abdominal pain and vomits blood.