Heart and it dries Blood. This drying effect can lead to further derangement of Body Fluids and
therefore aggravate oedema.
Excessive drinking also weakens the Kidneys. Many people erroneously believe that drinking
large amounts of fluid "flushes" the Kidneys. All that it does is to put an extra strain on the
Kidneys; eventually this weakens them. Drinking in excess, especially drinking cold fluids, will
weaken the Kidneys and may aggravate oedema. Of course, the opposite is also true. Some
people following certain diets advocate drastically cutting down the amount of fluids ingested.
This is also mistaken and can be dangerous.
Rest
No method of treatment is more obvious and yet more ignored than simple rest. This means short
periods of resting, preferably lying down, alternated with periods of work. In the particular case
of the Kidneys, lying down increases the flow of blood through the glomeruli and therefore helps
the kidney function. From a Chinese viewpoint, resting is essential to restore the Kidney and
Liver energy. If a person with a Kidney deficiency leads a very hectic life and overworks, no
therapy will ever be completely successful without adequate rest. For a complete discussion of
this question see the chapter on "Tiredness" (Chapter 12).
"Painful Obstruction Syndrome" indicates pain, soreness or numbness of muscles, tendons and
joints from invasion of external Wind, Cold or Dampness. It is probably the most universal of all
diseases affecting practically everyone at some time or another of one's life in all parts of the
globe. Due to exposure to climatic factors, it is probably also one of the oldest afflictions of
mankind. Painful Obstruction Syndrome is called "Bi", which evokes the idea of "obstruction".
In Chinese medicine it means pain, soreness or numbness due to obstruction in the circulation of
Qi and Blood in the channels caused by invasion of exterior Wind, Cold or Dampness. The
"Origin of Complicated Diseases" (1773) says:
Bi means obstruction. The three evils [Wind, Cold and Dampness] invade the
body, obstruct the channels, Qi and Blood cannot circulate ... [so that] after some
time Painful Obstruction Syndrome develops.1(441)