08.20.08
The Herbal Recipe for Healing Inflammation and Infections: The General Anti-Toxin Decoction (Puji Xiaodu Yin)
In traditional Chinese medicine, some herbal recipes are effective for a variety of infections. For example, The General Anti-Toxin Decoction (Puji Xiaodu Yin) is a recipe that is very useful for healing many infectious diseases. These diseases include carbuncles, furuncles, boils and swelling on the face and head, epidemic parotitis, acute tonsillitis, acute otitis media (ear infection), mumps, and acute submaxillary lymphadenitis.
According to Chinese medicine, the herbal recipe The General Anti-Toxin Decoction (“Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin” in Chinese) can expel wind, clear heat, and remove toxic materials. It has good effects for treating epidemic febrile diseases, including those with reddish swollen face and head caused by exogenous pathogenic heat and other toxic factors.
This herbal recipe was originally from Dongyuan’s Effective Prescriptions (“Dongyuan Shi Xiao Fang” in Chinese), a classical Chinese medicine book written by a well-known physician Dongyuan Li (1180-1251) in the Song Dynasty. It can be used for relieving epidemic diseases with symptoms such as fever, chills, reddish swollen face and head, swollen eyes, sore throat, thirst, dry throat, red tongue with yellow coating, and superficial, rapid and forceful pulse.
This herbal recipe or formula is composed of 14 herbs. They are:
Scutellaria Root (Huangqin) 15 g, Coptis Root (Huanglian) 15 g, Citrus Peel (Jupi) 6 g, Licorice (Gancao) 6 g, Scrophularia Root (Xuanshen) 6 g, Bupleurum Root (Chaihu) 6 g, Platycodon Root (Jiegeng) 6 g, Forsythia (Lianqiao) 3 g, Isatis Root (Banlangen) 3 g, Puff-Ball (Mabo) 3 g, Arctium Fruit (Niubangzi) 3 g, Mentha (Bohe) 3 g, White Stiff Silkworm (Jiangcan) 2 g, Cimicifuga (Shengma) 2 g.
The herbs can be cooked to make an herbal decoction through boiling and simmering them in water. In this recipe, Scutellaria (Huangqin) and Coptis (Huanglian) are used to clear heat and remove toxic materials from the head and face. Puff-Ball (Mabo), Isatis root (Banlangen), and Scrophularia (Xuanshen) can help alleviate sore throat and ease pain. Platycodon (Jiegeng), Arctium fruit (Niubangzi), Mentha (Bohe), Forsythia (Lianqiao), and White stiff silkworm (Jiangcan) can expel wind and heat in the head and the upper warmer (jiao). Bupleurum (Chaihu), Cimicifuga (Shengma), and Citrus peel (Jupi) can help regulate qi, and relieve swelling and nodules.
Current studies have shown that this herbal recipe can help reduce inflammation, relieve fever, calm the mind, and stop pain. It has good antibacterial and antivirus effects. Because most of the herbs in this recipe have bitter and pungent tastes and cold properties, those with yin-deficiency should not use this recipe, or they should use it with caution.
