Wu Buwei no longer dwelled on the use of aconite and continued with his previous question, "Why use Ephedra, Aconite, and Asarum Decoction?"
"Ephedra promotes sweating and relieves the outer symptoms; aconite warms the meridians and supports yang, allowing the evil to be expelled. These two act as the primary herbs; their combination warms and dispels cold evil and restores yang qi. Asarum then assists by unblocking the superficial aspects of the sun and dissipating the cold of the lesser Yin. It can help ephedra promote sweating and relieve the exterior, and it also assists aconite in warming the meridians and dispersing cold. When these three medicines are used together, they supplement and disperse at the same time."
Du Heng explained this not only for Wu Buwei but also for himself. "However, I should probably add a few more herbs."
Wu Buwei asked in confusion, "What herbs will you add?"
"We'll see. We'll wait for the patient to recover a bit before deciding."
