Common cold (influenza)

This is a common infectious disease caused by an attack of external wind pathogens. Differential diagnosis: Patients with common cold due to wind and cold pathogens may suffer from nasal obstruction, dull voice, sneezing, running nose with clear discharge, itching in throat, cough with profuse thin sputum, severe chills, low fever, headache, pain in body, no sweating, thin and white tongue coating, and slow pulse. Patients with colds due to wind and heat pathogens may suffer from high fever, mild chills, sweating, headache or dizziness, nasal obstruction, running nose, flushed face, red eyes, thirst and dryness in mouth, sore throat, cough with yellow sticky sputum difficult to spit out, chest distress, thin and yellow tongue coating, and rapid pulse. Patients with colds due to dampness may suffer from chills, fever, body heat not relievable by sweating, heaviness and body fatigue, dizziness, cough with white sticky sputum, distension of chest and abdomen, loose stool, scanty and yellow urine, white and greasy or yellow and greasy tongue coating, and soft and rapid pulse. Treatment: Foot massage: Foot massage is applied on head (1), cerebellum (3), throat (48), tonsil (45) and nose (6) reflecting areas (Fig. 33). Foot acupuncture: Meridianal acupoints: At Kunlun (BL 60), Jiexi (ST 41), Zutonggu (BL 66), Zhaohai (KI 6) and Rangu (KI 2), the reducing technique is applied and the needles are retained for 20 minutes; moxibustion is applied after acupuncture in patients with cold or damp pathogens. Extra acupoints: At Dazhi Jumao (EX-F 14), Zuxin (EX-F 18) and Bafeng (EX-F 22), the reducing technique is applied and the needles are retained for 20 minutes; moxibustion is applied after acupuncture in patients with cold or damp pathogens. Foot acupoints: At Head and face (FA-P 1), Kidney (FA-P 14) and Heart pain (FA-D 8) acupoints, a moderate twisting stimulation is applied and the needles are retained for 20 minutes.

External application of drugs: 1) The powder of Baijiezi (white mustard seed) 9 gm is mixed with the whites of two eggs to prepare a paste for application over the sole.

2) The powder of Tiannanxing (raw Jack-in-the-pulpit tuber) 31 is mixed with vinegar to prepare a paste for application over the central area of both soles. 3) An adequate amount of Baifan (alum) and wheat flour is mixed with vinegar or boiled water to prepare a paste for application over yongquan (KI 1) acupoint.