Acute, Epidemic and Infectious Diseases
Acute, Epidemic & Infectious Diseases
Due to the fact that the TCM system of Acute and Infectious Diseases (Wen-Re Bing) is so well organised, we will give special attention here. TCM regards acute diseases as an attack from an external pathogen, usually Heat or Cold, which is moved into the body by Wind; therefore, Wind-Heat or Wind-Cold. In the beginning, the surface of the body is attacked, there is an aversion to Wind and Cold or Heat. The body surface aches, there maybe mild fever and chills, and light sweating. The Throat will be itchy and the pulse is superficial (felt on the surface but not down deep).
As the pathogen penetrates, symptoms are more severe. Sore Throat, Cough, Headache and Fever. This is seen in Colds, Flus, and the beginning stages of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections. If the pathogen penetrates deeper, High Fever, Convulsions, Bleeding and Rashes may occur. At this stage, the pathogen has penetrated the Blood level. This may be seen in Pneumonia, Measles, Meningitis etc.
Cold, Influenza, Acute Fever, Beginning of Infectious Diseases
Because the beginning of External Diseases is initiated by Wind, these are classed as Acute Wind diseases in TCM and is divided into 2 broad categories, Wind-Heat and Wind-Cold. Both types may have fever, headache, body aches, sore throat etc. Differentiation:
- Wind-Cold: aversion to cold (prefers warmth), runny nose with clear mucus, pale face, clear urine
- Wind-Heat: aversion to heat, yellow mucus, red, swollen, sore throat, higher fever, red face, fast pulse, irritable or restless, high colored urine.
In all Traditions, acute diseases are “thrown off” by sweat-promoting medicines. Any method that promotes sweating is useful at the beginning of an acute disease.
|
Western Tradition |
TCM Classification |
To Treat Infection
Simples
Compounds
| Acute Heat (Wind-Heat) | Wind Heat |
| 1. Elder flower, Peppermint | Fever, headache, cough, sore throat, yellow phlegm, dark urine, red tongue with a yellow coat. |
| 2. Yarrow, Elder flower, Peppermint | 1. Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua), Peppermint (Bo He) |
| Infusion of Seven Flowers | 2. Honeysuckle flower (Jin Yin Hua), Chrysanthemum flower (Ju Hua), Jasmine flower (Mo Li Hua) |
| Syrup of Lemon | 3. Isatis (Ban Lan Gen), Scutellaria Huang Qin, Licorice |
| Syrup of Sorrel | 4. Mulberry leaf (Sang Ye), Chrysanthemum Ju Hua, fresh Pear peel. This is good for Heat-type Common Cold with dry cough. |
| Tincture of Camomile | Yin Qiao Jie Du Pian |
| Sudorific Vinegar | Fang Feng Tong Sheng San |
| Elixir of Camphor | Niu Huang Jie Du Pian |
| Powder of Crabs Claw (Countess of Kents Powder) | Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin |
| Powder Against Toxicity and Venom (Wecker) | Sang Ju Yin |
| The Emperor’s Powder Against the Plague | Exterior Wind Heat with Internal Heat |
| The Red Hungarian Powder | Fang Feng Tong Sheng San |
| Confection of Hyacinth | Wind Cold |
| Troches of Camphor (Nicholas) | Mild Fever, runny or congested nose with clear Phlegm, body aches, headache, feeling colds |
| Electuary of Prunes (Diaprunis lenitiva) (Nicholas) | 1. Fresh Ginger, Spring Onion, Brown Sugar as an infusion |
| Electuary of Scordium (Diascordium) | 2. Notopterygium Qiang Hao, Angelica dahurica Bai Zhi, Scutellaria Huang Qin. This is called Common Cold Tea (Gan Mao Cha) |
| Orvietan Antidote | 3. Schizonepeta Jing Jie, Perilla Zi Su Ye, fresh Ginger, Brown Sugar and Green Tea. This is called Five Spirits Tea (Wu Shen Cha) |
| Elixir of Camphor | 4. Astragalus Huang Qi, Perilla Zi Su Ye, fresh Ginger (good for Wind-Cold with Deficiency) |
| Oil of Water Lily | Cong Chi Tang |
| Oil of Rose | Bai Du San |
| Oil of Violet | Ge Gen Tang |
| Sitopaladi Powder (Ayurveda) | Gui Zhi Tang |
| Influenza Pills (Lo gyon ril bu) (Tibetan) | Ma Huang Tang |
| Norbu 7 Decoction (Norbu bdun thang) (Tibetan) | Jing Fang Bai Du San |
| Notopterygium 29 Pills (Spru nag nyer dgu) (Tibetan) | Xiao Qing Long Tang |
| Acute Cold (Wind-Cold) | Exterior Wind Cold with Interior Heat |
| 1. Long Pepper powder with Honey and Ginger juice | Da Qiang Huo Tang |
| 2. Decoction of fresh Ginger and Spring Onion | Da Qing Long Tang |
| 3. Trikatu: equal parts of Long Pepper, Black Pepper and Ginger powder | Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang |
| 4. Ginger, Cinnamon, Lemongrass | Shi Gao Tang |
| 5. Ginger, Cardamon, Clove | Half Interior-Half Exterior |
| 6. Fresh Ginger, Holy Basil, Lemongrass | Xiao Chai Hu Tang |
| Decoction of Bistort | Deficiency |
| Tincture of Sage | Qi- |
| Candied Garlic root | Yu Ping Feng San |
| Electuary of Eggs (Electuarium de Ovo) (Maximilian) | Ren Shen Bai Du San |
| Electuary of Nuts | Zai Zao San |
| Electuary Against Poison of Frankfurt | Yang- |
| Electuary of Juniper berries | Ma Huang Fu Zi Gan Cao Tang |
| Bezoardic Powder of Deer horn | Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang |
| Mithridate | ———————————————— |
| Theriac of Andromachus (Venice Theriac) | Clear Heat from the Qi Level |
| Influenza Pills (Lo gyon ril bu) (Tibetan) | Bai Hu Tang |
| Inula 4 Decoction (Ma nu bzhi thang) (Tibetan) | Bai Hu Jia Ren Shen Tang |
| Eight-Limbed Electuary (Ayurveda) | Zhi Zi Gan Cao Chi Tang |
| Red Pony (Rta zi dmar po) (Tibetan) | Clear Heat from the Blood and Nutritive Level |
| To Promote Sweat in Acute Cold | Xi Jiao Di Huang Tang |
| Bath of Mints | Qing Ying Tang |
Meningitis
Acute Gastroenteritis
|
Western Tradition |
TCM Classification |
