Chronic diarrhoea with abdominal distension, belching, flatulence, fluctuating with the
emotional state indicates that Liver-Qi is invading the Spleen.

Diarrhoea with frequent bowel movement and stools sometimes like water indicates long-term
deficiency of Stomach and Spleen.

Early-morning diarrhoea with abdominal pain and borborygmi during the bowel movement with
a feeling of cold indicates Kidney-Yang deficiency.

Pale-yellow stools indicate Liver and Gall-Bladder Damp-Heat.

Very dark stools indicate Heat. Very watery stools indicate Cold. Foul-smelling stools indicate
Heat, whilst absence of a strong smell may indicate Cold (or of course, normality). A burning
sensation in the anus during the bowel movement indicates Heat.

Abdominal pain which becomes worse after diarrhoea indicates a Deficiency condition, whilst if
it lessens after diarrhoea it denotes an Excess condition.

Differentiation and Treatment

According to the diagnostic guidelines given above, the most important differentation to make is
that between Excess and Deficiency and Cold and Heat.

As for the methods of treatment used to treat diarrhoea with herbal medicine the "Essential
Readings of Medicine" (1637) by Li Zhong Zi lists nine methods:

• lightly draining Dampness for diarrhoea from invasion of external Dampness in the
  beginning stages: e.g. Fu Ling Sclerotium Poriae cocos


• raising Qi for diarrhoea from Spleen-Qi sinking: e.g. Huang Qi Radix Astragali
  membranacei


• expelling Cold for acute diarrhoea from Cold: e.g. Gan Jiang Rhizoma Zingiberis
  officinalis and Gao Liang Jiang Rhizoma Alpiniae officinari


• moving Qi for diarrhoea from Liver-Qi stagnation: e.g. Xiang Fu Rhizoma Cyperi rotundi


• moderate with sweet herbs for acute diarrhoea with increased frequency and abdominal