Library

[Symptoms of Exogenous Resting Dysentery] It begins with a sudden onset of febrile dysentery, which then persists for a long time without healing. It may temporarily improve for a month or half a month, only to relapse immediately, lingering and refusing to heal, with accumulated stagnation not being eliminated. This is the symptom pattern of exogenous resting dysentery.

[Etiology of Exogenous Resting Dysentery] Pathogenic factors of the Six Evils (Wind, Cold, Summer-heat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire) invade externally, leading to dysentery. If the exterior is not resolved in time, or if cold-cooling herbs suppress the external pathogens, or if rich and greasy foods are consumed early on, aggravating the pathogenic heat, or if tonifying and astringent herbs are used too early, causing pathogens to lie dormant in the intestines and stomach, resting dysentery results.

[Pulse Patterns of Exogenous Resting Dysentery] If the pulse is choppy (Se), it indicates Qi stagnation and internal accumulation. If the pulse is deep and slippery (Chen Hua), it indicates incomplete elimination of food accumulation. If the pulse is deep and rapid (Chen Shu), it indicates internal accumulated heat.

[Treatment of Exogenous Resting Dysentery] For a choppy and stagnant pulse, use Heqi Siqu Decoction (Harmonizing Qi Seven-Ingredient Decoction). For a deep and slippery pulse, use Xingji Xianglian Pill (Move Stagnation Coptis and Phellodendron Pill). For a deep and rapid pulse, use Pohuo San (Extinguish Fire Powder). For a deep and wiry pulse, strengthen the Spleen and eliminate accumulation using Zhizhu Tang (Immature Bitter Orange and Atractylodes Decoction) combined with Baohe Wan (Preserve Harmony Pill). For chronic dysentery that does not stop, passing pure blood, use Jiamidusheng San (Family Secret Single-Holy Powder), decocted and taken as a soup.

Heqi Siqu Decoction: Treats Qi stagnation and accumulation.
Ingredients: Aurantii Fructus Immaturus (Zhike), Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex (Noupu), Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chenpi), Perillae Fructus (Zisu Zi).
If red accumulation predominates, add more Hawthorn Fruit (Shanzha Rou); if white accumulation predominates, add more Medicated Leaven (Shenqu).

Pohuo San: A formula for treating bloody dysentery caused by Fire injuring the Blood.
Ingredients: Coptidis Rhizoma (Chuan Huanglian), Paeoniae Radix Rubra (Chishaoyao), Sanguisorbae Radix (Diyu), Tangerine Green Peel (Qingpi), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gancao).

Zhizhu Wan combined with Baohe Wan can treat resting dysentery.
Ingredients: Aurantii Fructus (Chenzhishi), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Baizhu).

Baohe Wan: Treats dysentery due to food accumulation.
Ingredients: Raphani Semen (Laifuzi), Hawthorn Fruit (Zharou), Medicated Leaven (Shenqu), Hordeum Vulgare Sprout (Maiya), Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chenpi), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gancao).

Dusheng Tang: Family secret prescription, highly effective for children with red accumulation in stool and postpartum bloody dysentery.
Ingredients: One jin of Hawthorn Fruit, ground into powder. Take two liang per dose, decocted in water.

[Symptoms of Endogenous Resting Dysentery] There are no external pathogenic factors; it is not a sudden acute dysentery. Instead, it arises gradually from Spleen and Stomach deficiency, forming an accumulation-type dysentery that comes and goes, persisting for years without healing. This is the symptom pattern of endogenous resting dysentery.

[Etiology of Endogenous Resting Dysentery] It may be caused by excessive mental labor and overthinking damaging the Spleen; or by a strong Stomach and weak Spleen leading to dietary injury; or by careless exposure to cold and dampness injuring the intestines and stomach, with transmission between Spleen and Kidney, triggering endogenous resting dysentery.

[Pulse Patterns of Endogenous Resting Dysentery] A wiry and thin pulse indicates damage from overthinking. A deficient and large pulse indicates Spleen Qi deficiency. A fine and choppy pulse indicates Spleen Blood injury. A deep and wiry pulse indicates food accumulation injuring the Spleen. A slow and wiry pulse indicates damage from cold and dampness.

[Treatment of Endogenous Resting Dysentery] For Spleen damage due to overthinking, use Guipi Tang (Restore the Spleen Decoction). For Spleen damage due to diet, use Zhizhu Wan, Da'an Wan, Jiemiaoxiaojisan (Family Secret Eliminate Accumulation Powder), and Zhazhu Gao (Hawthorn and Atractylodes Paste). For uncontrollable cold diarrhea, use Lizhong Tang (Regulate the Middle Decoction) and Qianshi Yigong San (Master Qian's Extraordinary Merit Powder).

Guipi Tang: See previous section on Seven Emotions Dysentery.

Zhizhu Wan: See previous chapter.

Da'an Wan: Treats Spleen damage from diet and endogenous accumulation dysentery.
Ingredients: Hawthorn Fruit, Medicated Leaven, Pinelliae Tuber (Banxia), Poria (Baifuling), Raphani Semen (Laifuzi), Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chenpi), Forsythiae Fructum (Lianqiao), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Baizhu).

Jiemiaoxiaojisan: Highly effective for Spleen damage from diet and persistent accumulation dysentery.
Ingredients: Atractylodis Rhizoma (Cangzhu, 1 liang, steamed over rice), Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex (Noupu, 5 qian), Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chenpi, 5 qian), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gancao, 3 qian), Medicated Leaven (Shenqu, 2 liang, stir-fried), Red Yeast Rice (Hongqu, 1 liang), Hawthorn Fruit (Zharou, 4 liang), Hordeum Vulgare Sprout (Maiya, 1 liang, stir-fried).
Grind all into fine powder and take with warm boiled water.

Zhazhu Gao: Treats Spleen deficiency failing to transform and transport, assisting the Spleen to eliminate accumulation.
Ingredients: Hawthorn Fruit, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Baizhu), Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chenpi), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gancao).

Lizhong Tang: See previous section on Seven Emotions Dysentery.

Qianshi Yigong San: Treats insufficient Spleen Yuan Qi, presenting with dysentery but no accumulation, persisting for a long time.
Ingredients: Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Baizhu), Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen), Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chenpi), Poria (Baifuling), Prepared Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Zhigancao), Aucklandiae Radix (Muxiang), Terminalia Chebula Retzii Fructus (Hezi), Myristicae Semen (Rouguo).

In all cases of dysentery, the first priority is to abstain from meat and fish. For exogenous dysentery, regardless of duration, the first priority is to dissipate the exterior pathogen. If Wind-Cold or Cold-Damp presents with Taiyang exterior symptoms, use Qianghuo Baidu San (Notopterygium and Toosendan Dispel Toxin Powder); if Yangming and Shaoyang symptoms are also present, use Qiangfang Chaige Tang (Notopterygium, Saposhnikovia, Bupleurum, and Kudzu Decoction). If the chest feels constrained, combine with Pingwei San (Regulate the Stomach Powder) and Baohe Wan. For endogenous dysentery without external invasion, exterior-resolving herbs should not be used. If passing pure red blood, treat with Jiemiaidusheng San (Family Secret Single-Holy Powder) or decoct and take frequently. If red and white are mixed, use Jiemiaoxiaojisan (Family Secret Eliminate Accumulation Powder). If accumulation remains but Spleen Qi is already deficient, use Da'an Wan as a powder, mixed with warm boiled water. Generally, diseases have distinct differences. For example, in coughing blood, edema, painful obstruction, muscle spasms, and paralysis, exogenous causes are mild while endogenous causes are severe. However, in diarrhea and dysentery, endogenous causes are mild while exogenous causes are severe. Therefore, dysentery accompanied by fever is often incurable. External pathogens must exit through the hair follicles. Whenever exterior pathogen signs appear, one must first dissipate the exterior pathogen. If endogenous dysentery is complicated by external pathogens, the exterior must still be dissipated first. Dysentery originates from endogenous deficiency, but epidemic dysentery in summer and autumn is caused by epidemic toxins. Endogenous disease is like self-inflicted karma; epidemic disease is like natural disaster. The ancients created Baidu San to treat exogenous epidemic toxins, which is a brilliant method. In the year Yiyi, during summer and autumn, there was much rain and consecutive wind tides, followed by an outbreak of epidemic dysentery with symptoms of aversion to cold, body pain, fever, and vomiting. The conditions were similar, but taking cold-natured herbs led to complications. I formulated a prescription: for severe exterior symptoms, heavily use Baidu San assisted by Cangzhu and Houpo, named Baidu Pingwei San; for severe interior symptoms with chest constraint, heavily use Pingwei San assisted by Qianghuo, Duhuo, and Chaihu, named Pingwei Baidu San, yielding immediate results. This is Cold-Damp invading the muscle layer and entering the intestines and stomach, creating epidemic dysentery with exterior symptoms. In the year Dingmao, during summer and autumn, there was drought and scorching sun, causing widespread red accumulation dysentery, frequent abdominal pain, burning anus, and difficult expulsion of accumulation. Using Xianglian Wan aggravated the condition. I realized that Dry-Fire injuring Blood differs from Wet-Fire treatment. Xianglian Wan treats Wet-Fire injuring Qi. Thus, I modified Danggui Dahuang Tang (Angelica and Rheum Decoction) to clear Dry-Fire in the Blood level, allowing blood accumulation to dissolve quietly and restoring peace instantly. This is Dry-Fire invading via mouth and nose, directly entering the intestines and stomach, creating epidemic dysentery without exterior symptoms. Both are exogenous, yet one has exterior symptoms and the other does not—a world of difference. Both involve Fire, but Wet-Fire and Dry-Fire injure Qi and Blood respectively, requiring different treatments. Again, in the year Yiwei, rain and dampness persisted through three seasons, turning hot weather cold. Late autumn saw many cases of headache, body pain, chest fullness, and alternating chills and fever. Early use of cold-natured raw foods caused chest condensation, preventing sweating, leading to many deaths. I used the Yiyi dysentery method, applying Baidu Pingwei San, resulting in chest relief, sweating, and recovery. Treating dysentery caused by rain-damp-cold with Baidu Pingwei San achieves efficacy through exterior dispersion. This method was derived from seasonal exogenous cold-heat diseases. Now, treating exogenous cold-heat diseases with background rain-damp-cold, we use Baidu Pingwei San to disperse the exterior. This is because natural disasters involve exterior pathogens entering via hair follicles and nose/mouth, which must exit via the same route. Although dysentery and cold-heat differ in presentation, the principle of dispersing exterior pathogens allows mutual application. Therefore, for seasonal Summer-heat and Dry-Fire with interior heat but no exterior pathogen, clearing interior methods can be adapted to treat seasonal dysentery caused by Summer-heat and Dry-Fire. From this, I realized that macules/rashes result from Evil-Fire injuring Blood. When Wet-Fire injures Blood, stools are loose; my family secret uses Huanglian, Zhike, and Mutong to separate the two bowels. When Dry-Fire injures Blood, stools are dry; formularies use Danggui Dahuang Wan to clear Fire from Blood and moisten constipation. I now apply this formula to treat bloody dysentery with abdominal pain, clearing Dry-Fire from Blood, which surprisingly stops the dysentery. These mutually generating effects bloom everywhere, sharing this profound insight with future generations.