Cold Wrapping Fire / Han Bao Huo

CORE DEFINITION

Han bao huo describes a mixed cold-heat pattern: a person with latent internal heat catches wind-cold, and the cold closes the pores so the internal heat has no route out. The result is a shell of cold signs, such as aversion to cold and absence of sweat, around a core of heat signs, such as high fever and sore throat. The qualifier is that neither half can be treated alone: dispersing cold alone feeds the fire, and clearing heat alone leaves the cold shell sealed.