Huanglian Jiedu Tang

Huanglian Jiedu Tang

From “Wetai Mi Yao”

[Composition] Coptis chinensis: 9 grams; Scutellaria root: 6 grams; Phellodendron amurense: 6 grams; Gardenia: 9 grams

[Administration] Decocted in water and taken orally.

[Indication] Heat toxin becoming toxic.

[Indications] Abscesses, sores, cellulitis, parotitis, and all cases where heat accumulates and becomes toxic—especially when accompanied by fever, restlessness, confusion, red spots on the skin due to poison, vomiting, nosebleeds, and bloody stools.

[Function] Clear heat and detoxify.

[Explanation] When heat accumulates and becomes toxic, cases such as abscesses, sores, cellulitis, and parotitis appear; while the heat becomes toxic, it can also harm the spirit and cause blood to move abnormally—leading to confusion, red spots on the skin due to poison, vomiting, nosebleeds, and bloody stools. In this formula, Coptis chinensis clears heat and detoxifies the heart, serving as the primary remedy for the origin of the heat; Scutellaria root clears heat and detoxifies the lungs, assisting Coptis chinensis in clearing the heart and controlling the heat; Phellodendron amurense clears heat and detoxifies the lower burner, preventing heat from rising to the Mingmen, thus serving as a complementary treatment; Gardenia opens the three jiao meridians to release heat, allowing heat and toxins to be eliminated through urination—acting as a guiding agent.

[Clinical Additions and Subtractions] ① Add Forsythia flower, Forsythia fruit, Dandelion, and Purple Herb to treat boils and abscesses, with even more effective results. ② Add Citrus peel, Agarwood, Rheum, and Artemisia to treat jaundice in the flank area. ③ Add Black-rooted rehmannia, Rehmannia root, and Rheum to treat various types of bleeding caused by excessive heat.

[References] ① “It is said that this formula was originally used by Taicang Gong as a heat remedy, and Cui Shi treated Liu Huguang… Cui Shangshi said, ‘If the stomach has dry feces, it can cause speech errors; when the heat is too strong, it can also cause speech errors. If speech is confused due to hidden heat, use Chengqi soup; if speech is confused due to excessive heat, use Huanglian Jiedu Tang.’” (Chengfang Qie Yong)

② Huanglian Jiedu Tang, with additions of Barberry, Honeysuckle flower, Forsythia fruit, and Anemarrhena root, was formulated into an injection solution, 2 milliliters per vial, twice daily, with one vial per dose; a 10-day course was used to treat chronic bronchitis, with symptoms including cough, excessive phlegm, and shortness of breath—treated 228 cases, with an efficacy rate of 81.9%. (Xingtai People’s Hospital: Selected Formulas for Chronic Bronchitis)

③ Patient, male, 61 years old. First visited the clinic on September 10, 1962. He had been coughing and producing phlegm for over a month, with thick phlegm mixed with pus and blood, a foul odor, thirst, shortness of breath, fever, occasional chills, and significant pain in the left side of his chest and flank. A chest X-ray confirmed a left middle lung abscess. After taking one qian of Coptis chinensis, one and a half qian of Phellodendron amurense, three qian of Scutellaria root, one qian of Platycodon root, one qian of Honeysuckle flower, one qian of White Peony root, one qian of Herba Lysimachiae, one qian of Herba Lysimachiae, one qian of Herba Lysimachiae, and one and a half qian of Herba Lysimachiae, he took a total of nine doses, and his symptoms subsided. (Chinese Medicine Magazine, 1964.1)

[Commentary] This formula, with adjustments, can be used for acute suppurative infections such as boils, abscesses, cellulitis, and other conditions, and can also be used for septicemia, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections.

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V. Clearing Heat from the Internal Organs

When heat directly attacks the internal organs, causing imbalances in the yin and yang of the organs, it can lead to excessive heat in a particular organ. Clinically, heat accumulating in the lungs, excessive heat in the liver and gallbladder, or overheated heart fire all fall under this category. In terms of treatment, the principle is to clear heat from the relevant organs; for example, to clear lung heat, use Xie Bai San; to clear heart heat, use Dao Chi San or Xin Tang; to clear liver heat, use Long Dan Xie Gan Tang.

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