Heat-toxin

When patients suffer from chronic liver or kidney disease, the selection of the herbs and their dosages should be determined carefully to avoid placing an unnecessary workload on these weakened organs. At the same time, herbs that protect these organs and promote their function should also be included. For instance, acute or chronic liver diseases are mainly differentiated into a syndrome consisting of Spleen-Qi deficiency, damp-heat and heat-toxin accumulation, and herbs that treat this syndrome can be used. Chronic kidney diseases are mainly differentiated as Kidney-Yang and Spleen-Yang deficiency, dampness accumulation and heat-toxin in the blood. Herbs that treat this syndrome should be used in appropriate doses to help restore kidney function. 

If patients are on antibiotics, which are considered cold substances that reduce heat and heat-toxin, formulas which strongly reduce fire and which are cold and bitter in nature should be used with caution. 

These therapies are mainly used for cancer treatment and are considered as heat-toxin in TCM. When the cancer cells are killed, the body is severely injured too. The Yin and the Qi in particular are seriously depleted and weakened by the extreme heat. Moreover, these therapies can cause further disturbances in the body such as deficiency of Kidney-essence and blood, blood stagnation, bleeding,... 

For treating psoriasis, UVB phototherapy and PUVA are effective treatments that permit rapid control of the disease, but their side effects are similar to those of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. While these treatments can suppress the pathogenic change and rapidly improve the skin lesions, the heat penetrates into the blood, consumes the blood and Yin, and generates heat-toxin. Once the therapy is finished, the heat quickly arises and the skin lesions appear again, even worse than before the treatment, and the skin becomes more sensitive in general. In herbal treatment, one needs to reduce the heat-toxin, cool the blood, promote blood circulation and nourish the Yin. 

The heat can become so strong that it produces heat-toxin and leads to sore throat. 

When heat-toxin accumulates in the Upper-Jiao, red, painful and swollen eyes may result. 

Deputy Clear heat and heat-toxin in the Upper-Jiao regulate, stimulate and strengthen the Lung-Qi so as to expel the wind and heat... 

Sore throat add Ma Bo (Lasiosphaera), She Gan [Belamcandae rhizoma) and Ban Lan Gen [Isatidis/Baphicacanthis radix) to dissipate the swelling and reduce heat-toxin. 

Lu Gen serves as assistant it nourishes the fluids of the Lung and relieves thirst. Gan Cao is another assistant it can reduce heat-toxin and swelling of the throat. When it is used with Jie Geng, the function of reducing pain and swelling becomes stronger. 

Niu Bang Zi can assist the chief to reduce heat-toxin and swelling and to benefit the throat. 

Jie Geng and Gan Cao can reduce swelling caused by heat-toxin to treat a sore throat. 

This is a very effective and commonly used formula. Its function of reducing heat and heat-toxin is stronger than that of Sang Ju Yin (Mulberry Leaf and Chrysanthemum Decoction), yet it is weaker in regulating the Lung-Qi. This formula, devised by Dr Wu Ju Tong, treats a common case of wind-heat syndrome. 

Pestilence is a type of virulent infectious disease caused by heat-toxins, such as epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, poliomyelitis and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The warm-febrile diseases develop in the body at four levels, referred to as Wei, Qi, Ying and Xue. In pestilence cases,... 

These three herbs are cold in nature. They can strongly clear the heat at the Qi level and remove the heat-toxin. As they also have a dispersing tendency in action and can disperse the constrained heat and Qi, they can clear heat effectively. 

This formula is able to clear heat in the Upper-Jiao, the Heart, the Lung and the diaphragm. It is used in the syndrome in which heat-toxin affects these organs and regions. The symptoms are fever, restlessness, dry mouth and throat, thirst, swollen and sore throat, ulcers in the mouth or on the tongue, red face and red eyes, scanty urine and constipation, a red border on the tongue, which is particularly dry in the middle and has a yellow coating, and a rapid and forceful pulse. 

Da Qing Ye is bitter, salty and very cold, and enters the Heart and Stomach meridians. Salt enters the blood and bitter and cold can clear heat. This herb can strongly clear the heat, remove heat-toxin and cool the blood. Sheng Ma can be used with Da Qing Ye in a ratio of 1 10 to disperse the heat and protect the Stomach-Qi and Spleen-Qi, which become constrained by the downward-moving herbs. 

This formula is able to clear heat-toxin from the Heart and can nourish the Yin. It is used when the mind is disturbed by heat, and high fever, loss of consciousness and delirium are present. 

Treatment principle Clear heat-toxin, cool the blood, stop bleeding and disperse the congealed blood... 

First, ingredients that are salty and cold, can cool the blood and eliminate heat-toxin should be used in large dosage. 

This is the most critical stage of the warm-febrile diseases. At this stage, the Qi and Yin are seriously injured, and the heat-toxin has already entered the blood and consumed the blood. At the same time, the heat severely disturbs the blood circulation and causes bleeding. 

This is a patent formula to intensively and quickly reduce heat-toxin and open the orifices. It is used when the heat is at the Xue level and when the mind is disturbed. Since the heat at the Xue level is dangerous and ordinary herbs are not sufficient to remove the heat-toxin quickly, this patent formula can be used promptly in acute conditions. 

Xi Jiao, Sheng Di Huang, Mu Dan Pi and Chi Shao Yao, the ingredients of Xi Jiao Di Huang Tang (Rhinoceros Horn and Rehmannia Decoction), are used to cool the blood and remove heat-toxin from the blood. Together they are considered to be the chief part of the formula. 

Xuan Shen can nourish the Yin, drain the fire, cool the blood and reduce heat-toxin. It also serves as a deputy, in particular to enhance the ability of Sheng Di Huang. 

Zhu Li and Lian Zi Xin are very cold and enter the Heart meridian. They can be used if the Heart-shen is disturbed by heat or heat-toxin. They can clear the heat, open up the orifices and revive the spirit. Zhu Li can eliminate phlegm-heat, open the Heart meridian, and treat loss of consciousness, delirium and restlessness. 

Sheng Gan Cao, the raw Gan Cao that has not been processed with honey, has a quite different function from Zhi Gan Cao in that it can reduce heat-toxin. Sheng Gan Cao Shao is very thin in shape and is believed to enter the urinary tract in particular, it can reduce painful, burning and distending sensations in the urinary tract. 

Sheng Gan Cao Shao, the assistant, can reduce heat-toxin and stop the pain and irritation in the urinary tract. 

In this formula, a strategy is used to drain heat-toxin and eliminate the intense heat in the Heart by purging the intestines and promoting bowel movement. 

Sheng Gan Cao, the raw Gan Cao, has a quite different function from Zhi Gan Cao. It can reduce heat-toxin and is often used in a fire-toxin syndrome. 

Sheng Gan Cao is able to reduce heat-toxin and can also harmonize the herbs in the formula. 

Since all of the procedures presented in the formula precisely match the pathogenic changes, it can effectively drain the heat-toxin of the Liver and Gall Bladder meridians. 

Sheng Ma has the function of clearing heat and removing heat-toxin, and is more suitable for use in the condition of heat in the head and face, such as toothache and mouth ulcers. Mai Ya is able to promote digestion and is useful when patients suffer from poor appetite as a result of injury to the Qi and Yin of the Stomach. 

This formula is able to clear heat, eliminate heat-toxin, cool the blood and stop diarrhea. It is used to treat heat-toxin and dampness accumulation in the intestines however, it obstructs Qi and injures the blood. The manifestations are abdominal pain, tenesmus, a burning sensation around the anus, diarrhea containing more blood than pus, and thirst. Patients often have a red tongue with a yellow coating, and a wiry and rapid pulse. In this syndrome, heat predominates and is manifested in the amount of blood in the stool and the burning sensation around the anus. In this formula ... 

Bai Tou Weng is chosen as chief to directly reduce the heat and cool the blood. As it enters the Large Intestine meridian, it can effectively clear heat-toxin there. 

This formula can regulate Qi and blood, clear heat-toxin and eliminate dampness in the intestines. It treats the damp-heat-toxin accumulation in the intestines. The Qi and blood are injured and obstructed. The manifestations are abdominal pain, tenesmus, difficult defecation, diarrhea containing mucus and blood in equal amounts, and a burning sensation around the anus. Patients have a red tongue with a yellow, sticky coating and a rapid pulse. In this syndrome, the heat and dampness are equal in strength and are manifested in the equal... 

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