Yin-Nourishing and Lung-Clearing Decoction « Common Medicinal Formulas

Diphtheria. White, decaying patches in the throat that are difficult to remove, swollen and painful throat, initial fever or absence of fever, dry nose and lips, with or without cough, audible breathing, panting with counterflow of qi, even flaring of the nostrils, and a rapid pulse.

bubble_chart Formula Principles

Diphtheria is mostly caused by inherent yin deficiency with accumulated heat, compounded by exposure to epidemic toxin, leading to scorching of body fluids and steaming of heat toxin upwards. Treatment should focus on enriching yin and clearing the lung, supplemented by removing toxin. In the formula, Unprocessed Rehmannia Root nourishes yin and clears heat; Scrophularia Root and Ophiopogon Tuber enrich yin and produce fluid, clear heat and remove toxin; Moutan cools blood and reduces swelling; Peony Root nourishes blood and benefits yin; Fritillaria resolves phlegm and dissipates masses; Mint releases the exterior and benefits the throat; raw Liquorice Root harmonizes the various herbs.

bubble_chart Formula Modification

For those with fever and chills exterior pattern, add Pueraria Root15g, Mulberry Leaf10g, Lonicera12g.
For those with severe heat toxin, add Dyers Woad Leaf10g, Isatis Root12g, Forsythia10g.
For those with a lot of white membrane in the throat, add Reed Rhizome18g.
For those with severe throat swelling, add Puff-Ball9g, Prunella15g

bubble_chart Documentation

Anti-diphtheria Bacillus "Fujian Chinese Medicine" 1964(5):1-12

The experimental results indicate that this formula has a high bacteriostatic and bactericidal ability against diphtheria bacillus, and also exhibits a high neutralizing effect on diphtheria bacillus in vitro, destroying both the toxicity and antigenicity of the toxin. Among the ingredients, Unprocessed Rehmannia Root, Moutan Bark, and Liquorice Root have stronger antibacterial properties; while Scrophularia Root, Ophiopogon Tuber, and Fritillaria Bulb have stronger toxin-neutralizing capabilities; Peony Root is notably effective in both aspects; whereas Mentha is less effective in both. The antibacterial strength and toxin-neutralizing strength appear to be two independent properties. Removing any single ingredient from the original formula results in lower antibacterial activity compared to the original formula, while the toxin-neutralizing ability is not significantly affected.

bubble_chart Modern Application

It is commonly used in modern times to treat conditions such as diphtheria, acute tonsillitis, acute and chronic pharyngitis, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma that are characterized by yin deficiency and dryness-heat.