Stomach-Heat-Clearing Powder

Stomach-Heat-Clearing Powder

Rehmanniae Radix (Sheng Di Huang) 3 fen (6g), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Dang Gui) 3 fen (6g), Moutan Cortex (Mu Dan Pi) 0.5 qian (9g), Coptidis Rhizoma (Huang Lian) 6 fen (6g), Cimicifugae Rhizoma (Sheng Ma) 1 qian (9g)

Grind the medicinals into a fine powder. Decoct one dose of the formula with 1.5 zhan of water, and boil it until the volume shrinks to 70%. Filter the decoction and take it until the decoction cools. (Modern use: use water to decoct the medicinals.)

Drains stomach fire and cools the blood.

This formula is indicated for toothaches caused by stomach fire. The symptoms are toothache radiating to the head, aversion to heat and a preference for cold on the teeth, bad breath that is hot, heat in the face, thirst, gingival atrophy bleeding, redness, swelling, and ulcers in the gum, swelling and pain in lips, tongue, and cheeks, a red tongue with a yellow coating, and a slippery, rapid pulse.

This is a pattern of heat accumulation in the stomach, heat constraint, blood heat, and heat attacking upward along channels. The foot yangming stomach channel goes around the nose, enters the upper teeth, goes along the front of the ears, forehead, and around the lips. The hand yangming large intestine channel goes along the cheeks and connects with the lower teeth. Stomach fire and blood heat attack upward along the stomach and large intestine channels, which causes toothaches, swelling and pain in the lips, tongue, and cheeks, bad breath that is hot, thirst, and ulcers in the gum. Since the toothache is caused by heat, the pain is relieved by cold and worse with heat. Therefore, the teeth have an aversion to heat and a preference for cold. The foot yangming stomach channel goes along the hairline to the forehead, this is why the toothache radiates to the head and why the heat reaches the face. Since the stomach is rich in qi and blood, intense stomach fire burns blood vessels, which causes gingival bleeding. The red tongue with yellow coating and the slippery, rapid pulse are signs of intense stomach fire. The characteristic feature of this pattern’s pathogenesis is stomach fire, and blood heat attacking upward along the channels.

1. Essential pattern differentiation Qing Wei San is a formula used to treat the toothache and gingival atrophy caused by stomach fire and blood heat. This clinical pattern is marked by toothache radiating to the head, the teeth with an aversion to heat and preference for cold, bad breath that is hot, red tongue body with a yellow coating, and a slippery, rapid pulse. 2. Modern applications This formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders when the patient shows signs of stomach fire and blood heat attacking upward along the channels: stomatitis, periodontitis, trigeminal neuralgia, and acne. 3. Cautions and contraindications Do not use the formula for patients with a toothache caused by wind-cold and deficient kidney fire.

Xie Huang San (Yellow-Draining Powde 瀉黃散)