Coptis Toxin-Resolving Decoction

Coptis Toxin-Resolving Decoction

Coptidis Rhizoma (Huang Lian) 3 liang (9g), Scutellariae Radix (Huang Qin) 2 liang (6g), Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex (Huang Bai) 2 liang (6g), Gardeniae Fructus (Zhi Zi) 14 pcs (9g)

Grind the medicinals into crude powder. Decoct one dose of the formula with six sheng (1200 ml) water, and boil it until the volume shrinks to about two sheng (400 ml). Take one dose per day in two times. (Modern application: use water to decoct the medicinals.)

Drains fire and resolves toxins.

This formula is indicated for fire toxins in the sanjiao. The symptoms are fever, vexation, delirious speech, sleeplessness, dry mouth and throat, dark urine, spitting of blood, nosebleed, rashes, fever with dysentery, jaundice caused by epidemic toxins, rashes, abscesses, ulcers, boils, a red tongue with yellow coating, and a forceful rapid pulse.

This is a pattern of fire toxins in the sanjiao. The intense fire toxin harasses the mind, which causes fever, vexation, delirious speech, and sleeplessness. Fire consumes fluids, which causes a dry mouth and throat. Fire forces the blood to ascend causing spitting of blood and nose bleeding. Fire burns vessels and forces the blood to flow out of vessels to the skin to produce rashes. Fire toxins distress the large intestine to cause a fever with dysentery. Epidemic toxins distress the liver and gallbladder and force the bile to flow to the skin causing jaundice. Fire toxins accumulate in the skin causing abscesses, ulcers, and boils. A red tongue body with a yellow coating and a forceful rapid pulse are signs of intense fire toxins. The characteristic feature of this pattern’s pathogenesis is rampant fire toxin in the sanjiao. Therefore, the therapeutic method is to clear fire toxins from the sanjiao with bitter-cold medicinals.

1. Essential pattern differentiation Huang Lian Jie Du Tang is a common formula used for the method of direct repulsion with bitter-cold medicinals, and a fundamental formula for draining fire and resolving toxins. This clinical pattern is marked by fever and vexation, dry mouth and throat red tongue body with yellow coating, and a rapid and forceful pulse. 2. Modern applications This formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders when the patient shows signs of fire toxin: blood poisoning, pyemia, acute icteric hepatitis, acute bacillary dysentery, pneumonia, acute urinary tract infection, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, epidemic type B encephalitis, and other infectious diseases. 3. Cautions and contraindications Since this formula includes many bitter-cold medicinals, the spleen and stomach can be damaged from long-term use or an overdose of the formula. Do not prescribe this formula for patients who do not have intense fire pathology.

1. Xie Xin Tang (Heart-Draining Decoction, 瀉心湯)