HEAT SYMPTOM-COMPLEX WITH COLD LIMBS IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE:OBSERVATIONS AND DISCUSSION

This paper reports on the clinical observation of13 cases of serious infection in children which result-ed in circulatory failure with cold limbs.In tradition-al Chinese medicine this is called the“Heat Symptom-Complex with Cold Limbs”,the discussion of whichdates back to Zhang Zhongjing of the Han Dynasty.Such critical cases are handled according to diagnosisbased on an overall analysis as having syncope,asyndrome of tension,or that of prostration.Victimsof the disease have cold limbs but scorching hotchest and abdomen caused by centralization of blood.The cases under observation were all noted as havingthis symptom before treatment,and most were in astate of lethargy or coma,or even shock.Aftertreatment all cases were improved,with a fall in therectal temperature and a concommitant rise in theinterdigital temperature measured between the bigand the second toe(See Table).Thus clinical prac-tice has proved the theory advanced by Zhang Zhong-jing.