Li Xu continued, "If it were a case of 'excess fire,' it would usually mean your stomach fire is flaring up. But that's not your problem."
"Because if it were really just a simple case of excessive stomach fire, why didn't you see any results from all the Huang Lian Shangqing Tablets, chrysanthemum tea, and other cooling, fire-purging medicines you took? In fact, why did you feel even worse the more you took them?"
"That right there is the key."
"It's because you were overworking your mind and body during that period. In Chinese medicine, we say 'overtaxing the mind depletes the blood.' This depleted your heart-yin, causing a deficient fire to be generated internally. On top of that, you were going out for business, drinking a lot of alcohol, and eating rich, greasy foods. Alcohol creates damp-heat, and rich meats create phlegm. When you overindulge, you're bound to accumulate damp-heat and phlegm-turbidity in your body."
