Puji Disinfection Drink

Puji Disinfection Drink

(Li Dongyuan)

[Composition] Coptis chinensis: 15 grams; Scutellaria root: 15 grams; Indigofera tinctoria: 3 grams; Black-rooted rehmannia: 6 grams; Burdock seed: 3 grams; Mophead: 3 grams; Forsythia fruit: 3 grams; Orange peel: 6 grams; Licorice root: 6 grams; Silkworm moth: 2.4 grams; Chai Hu: 6 grams; Mint: 3 grams; Platycodon root: 6 grams; Plumbago indica: 2.4 grams

[Administration] Grind the herbs into powder, then dissolve in hot water and take; alternatively, form the herbs into pills and dissolve them in saliva.

[Indication] Heat toxin attacking the upper part of the body.

[Indications] Mumps and parotitis, head and face lymphadenitis, facial cellulitis; accompanied by chills and fever, sore throat; in severe cases, the patient may experience severe fever, thirst, a yellow tongue, and a rapid pulse.

[Function] Clear heat and detoxify, disperse wind.

[Explanation] This formula is a common remedy for heat toxins affecting the head and face. When heat accumulates and becomes toxic, it can appear in various parts of the body; only when combined with wind can it ascend to the head and face (to the top of the head, where only wind can reach). For cases such as mumps, parotitis, head and face lymphadenitis, and facial cellulitis, heat toxins are often driven upwards by wind; when chills and fever accompany these conditions, it is also due to wind-heat. In this formula, Coptis chinensis and Scutellaria root clear heat and detoxify the upper burner, serving as the primary remedies. Burdock seed, Forsythia fruit, Mint, and Silkworm moth disperse wind-heat from the head and face as supporting agents. Black-rooted rehmannia, Plumbago indica, Indigofera tinctoria, Platycodon root, and Licorice root clear the throat and detoxify, while Orange peel promotes Qi flow to relieve congestion—creating a complementary treatment. Plumbago indica and Chai Hu raise Yang and disperse heat, guiding the herbs upward to the head and face, acting as a guiding agent.

[Clinical Additions and Subtractions] ① Reduce the amount of Plumbago indica, Chai Hu, Orange peel, Coptis chinensis, and Scutellaria root; add Forsythia flower, Perilla, and Reed Root to treat sore throat. (Wenbing Tiao Bian) ② Remove Mint and add Ginseng and Rheum to treat patients with deficiency and excess. ③ Add Chinese plum and Gentian to treat mumps combined with orchitis.

[References] ① “In the past, when people were sick with head and face ailments, relatives would not visit each other, and many patients died. Many people in Taihe suffered from these conditions; doctors would prescribe Chengqi with Blue Root to help them, and after a while, the condition would improve, but then it would recur, and eventually, the patient would die. Dongyuan observed that ‘Above the midsection of the body is the energy of Heaven; below the midsection is the energy of Earth. This heat resides between the heart and lungs; using Chengqi to cleanse the stomach means we are fighting against the disease.’ (Chengfang Qie Yong)”

② This formula, with additions and modifications, was used in conjunction with Liu Shen Wan and externally applied with Jin Huang San to treat 100 cases of epidemic mumps. (Chinese Medicine Magazine, 1958.7)

③ Puji Disinfection Pill was used to treat 74 cases of wind toxins. This disease was common among southern farmers, often occurring in the spring. Its symptoms included swelling, burning pain, numbness, and itching on exposed areas such as the face, hands, and dorsum of the feet; in severe cases, skin swelling could develop into red patches and blisters, even ulcerating. The pill used was identical in composition to the formula’s decoction, made into pills with honey, each pill weighing exactly one qian. The treatment results showed complete recovery in all cases; 52 cases were cured in a single course, 19 cases were cured in two courses, and 3 cases were cured in three courses. Each course lasted three days, with the patient taking one pill four times a day. (Shanghai Chinese Medicine Magazine, 1963.2)

[Commentary] This formula, with adjustments, can be used to treat epidemic mumps, acute submandibular lymphadenitis, cellulitis, and other suppurative infections of the head and face.

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