Original Address: The 27th Section of Mr. Tang Yi's Exposition on the Treatise on Cold Damage from Folk Chinese Medicine, Taoren Chengqi Decoction, Author: Li Xiaoyu
The 27th Section of Mr. Tang Yi's Exposition on the Treatise on Cold Damage from Folk Chinese Medicine, Taoren Chengqi Decoction
Taoren Chengqi Decoction from "Treatise on Cold Damage"
- Peach Kernel (Taoren): 50 pieces
- Rhubarb (Dahuang): 4 taels (approx. 12g)
- Licorice (Gancao): 2 taels (approx. 6g)
- Cinnamon Twig (Gui Zhi): 2 taels (approx. 6g)
- Mirabilite (Mang Xiao): 2 taels (approx. 6g)
[Method]: Boil all herbs except Mirabilite in water first, then add Mirabilite and dissolve slightly over low heat before serving warm.
[Indications]: For unresolved Taiyang syndrome with heat accumulation in the bladder causing a person to behave as if mad, spontaneous bleeding leads to recovery. If the exterior is not resolved, it should not be attacked yet but the exterior should be resolved first. After resolving the exterior, if there is only lower abdominal urgency and constriction.
[Formula Analysis]: Peach kernels promote blood circulation, rhubarb expels old blood and generates new blood, mirabilite clears heat and disperses stasis, licorice tonifies the middle energizer, and cinnamon twigs invigorate qi movement, thereby promoting blood flow.
[Application Development]: Adjustments to Zhang Zhongjing’s original formula can treat various diseases (including personal insights and case studies from other doctors).
1. Mania Syndrome - Often caused by psychological factors. This refers specifically to mania caused by falls or external injuries, where patients often have a history of trauma. Traditional Chinese medicine believes this to be due to stagnant blood transforming into heat and disturbing the heart spirit, leading to manic behavior. Symptoms include restlessness, cursing without regard for kinship, discarding clothes and running, climbing high places and singing, or having oily black stools after an injury. This formula can be used to break up stagnant blood, clear heat, and regulate qi.
2. Shoulder Pain - Also known as periarthritis in Western medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is also called “leaking shoulder wind.” It is common among manual laborers. Symptoms include difficulty raising the shoulder or elbow joint, limited flexion and extension, pain like needle pricks, worse at night than during the day, or numbness and swelling. Besides invasion by wind-cold-damp-heat pathogens, it can also result from excessive strain, improper force application, or trauma causing extravasated blood which blocks the meridians. This formula can be effective for shoulder pain caused by blood stasis.
3. Rosacea - Also known as lung wind, red nose, or alcohol-induced rosacea. Caused by damp-heat from the spleen and stomach rising to the lungs. Treatment involves clearing heat, dispersing nodules, and cooling the blood. Internally, Cool Blood Four Ingredients Decoction is often used, while externally, inverted powder is applied. However, some cases are due to stagnant blood and heat obstructing the meridians and rising to the face, commonly seen in young women. Symptoms worsen before menstruation and improve afterward, indicating lower-jiao blood stagnation. This formula can be effective.
4. Chronic Skin Fungus - Including dry fungus, wind fungus, psoriasis, and scaly fungus. Traditional Chinese medicine attributes this to wind, dampness, heat, parasites, and disharmony of qi and blood. Symptoms start with skin itching, followed by light brown papules that gradually enlarge, merge, and form thickened lesions. Persistent scratching causes discomfort. This formula can be adjusted for treatment.
5. Urticaria - Similar to hives in Western medicine. Lesions protrude above the skin, appearing intermittently. Initial lesions are bright red, itchy, and hot, attributed to wind-heat in the blood. Mismanagement may lead to chronic urticaria due to blood stagnation. Symptoms include irregular outbreaks, bright red lesions, slight fading under pressure, oozing blood when scratched, worsening at night, thirst, dry mouth, fever, and hard pulse. This formula can clear heat, activate blood, and resolve stasis.
6. Pterygium - Also known as wing-like pterygium. Causes include external pathogenic factors and internal emotional stress leading to fire transforming from stagnation. Fire being a yang pathogen tends to rise upward, causing heat to accumulate in the blood and disturb the eye system, leading to vascular congestion and stasis forming pterygium. Symptoms include raised pterygium extending from the corner of the eye, resembling insect wings, crossing the white of the eye, even obscuring the pupil, causing discomfort and affecting vision. This formula can activate blood and resolve stasis.
7. Hematuria - Refers to hematuria caused by real heat accumulating in the lower jiao or excessive heart fire moving downward to the small intestine, even accumulating in the bladder, disturbing the blood and damaging the vessels. Real cases require clearing heat and purging fire, resolving stagnation, and resolving stasis. This formula can be adjusted for treatment.
***Case Studies***
Case One: Ms. Pan, female, born in 1985. On September 14, 2009, her menstrual period included dark clots, was scanty, but regular in timing. She had severe rosacea and acne, especially noticeable before her period on her face and chin. She suffered from chronic constipation, with stool sometimes resembling sheep droppings, and was thirsty. Her tongue was dark and purple with wrinkles, and her coating was white and greasy. Initially treated with dozens of doses of Guizhi Fuling Pill plus Danggui Shaoyao Powder, her menstrual condition improved, but her rosacea and acne continued to fluctuate. From September 30 to October 22, 2009, she was given 10 doses of Taoren Chengqi Decoction:
(Peach kernel 10g, Rhubarb 15g, Mirabilite 9g, Fried Licorice 6g, Cinnamon Twig 6g) combined with external use of inverted powder, achieving basic recovery and normalizing bowel movements.
Case Two: Mr. Su, male, born in July 1949. On Thursday, January 27, 2011, he complained of coughing after catching a cold, followed by right back pain radiating to the front chest, frequent belching, mainly after eating. Diagnosed with right lung cancer by Western medicine, during a biopsy, the left lung was accidentally punctured. Since leaving the hospital yesterday, his bowels have been difficult to move, producing dry, hard stools resembling sheep droppings. Today, he has not defecated, feels bitter and dry in the mouth, and experiences pain in the upper abdomen. His tongue was pale, cracked, with a thick, greasy, wet coating. Right pulse was floating, fine, and rapid; left pulse was floating, taut, fine, and rapid. Blood Stasis Removing Decoction and Major Chaihu Decoction were administered without success.
On Saturday, February 26, 2011, both legs were swollen without ankle indentation upon pressing. A Western medical examination revealed enlarged prostate causing urinary difficulties, currently requiring a catheter. At night, he experienced pain in the left supraclavicular fossa radiating to the left anterior chest, right hypochondriac pain, leg cramps, no bowel movement for 4-5 days, poor appetite, and poor sleep. Yesterday afternoon at 7-8 PM, he had a fever of 39°C, which subsided after taking antipyretics and sweating. An ultrasound showed deep vein thrombosis in the left leg. His tongue was dark and purple, with a thick, greasy, wet coating. All six pulses were floating, fine, and tight, with normal frequency. He was prescribed Taoren Chengqi Decoction:
Peach Kernel 12g, Rhubarb 12g, Licorice 6g, Cinnamon Twig 10g, Ligusticum 6g, Angelica 10g, Red Peony Root 10g, Mirabilite 9g, four doses.
On April 9, 2011, his nephew reported that after taking the previous medication, the bilateral leg swelling disappeared, and urination normalized. Subsequent hospital treatment led to his current inability to walk.
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