Common anti-inflammatory medications in daily life are mostly Western medicines, such as Amoxicillin and Cephalosporins, which many people have used.Compared to Western medicine, the side effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are generally milder. Here, I recommend an ancient formula, known as the “all-purpose” anti-inflammatory remedy in TCM.
This formula can effectively alleviate various inflammatory issues caused by heat toxins..In the TCM system, especially in modern TCM, detoxification is always combined with clearing heat. In fact, detoxification and clearing heat are not directly related, but we have carelessly adopted this terminology.For example, the most commonly used detoxifying herbs are Gan Cao (Licorice) and Lü Dou (Mung Bean).Gan Cao can detoxify because it harmonizes various herbs, reducing their individual tendencies and creating a balancing effect.Lü Dou detoxifies as well, and according to modern scientific explanations, this is because Lü Dou contains a large amount of protein, which can bind with toxic substances, thereby reducing their harm to the body.The saying goes: “When yin and yang are unbalanced, illness arises.” Human diseases can be classified as yang diseases or yin diseases.This formula specifically treats conditions of excessive yang.No matter what type of heat or inflammation, it can quickly subside in its presence.Thus, the ancients referred to it as a common formula for heat diseases.If you master this formula, you can effectively treat many ailments, as its effects are truly significant.This formula is called Huang Lian Jie Du Tang (Huang Lian Detoxifying Decoction), an ancient formula from the Tang dynasty, found in the “Wai Tai Mi Yao”, known as“Huang Lian Jie Du Tang” 9g Huang Lian (Coptis), 9g Zhi Zi (Gardenia), 6g Huang Qin (Scutellaria), 6g Huang Bai (Phellodendron).
These four herbs have strong effects in clearing heat, draining fire, and detoxifying, commonly used to treat acute inflammation caused by fever and infections in various body systems, associated with symptoms of heat toxins and fire toxins.This formula is suitable for all such conditions, with powerful effects in clearing heat and detoxifying, directly draining fire toxins.In TCM, detoxification is often a misunderstanding of toxins; the extreme presence of heat and fire is considered toxic.This is akin to pouring cold water into a pot of boiling water, which corresponds to using methods to clear heat and reduce fire.“Cheng Fang Bian Du” states: “Treat all fire evils, both exterior and interior, causing agitation, dryness of the mouth and throat, severe heat with dry vomiting, incoherent speech, insomnia, hemoptysis, epistaxis, and heat rash, etc.”Huang Lian is bitter, treating excess fire in the middle jiao, effectively clearing the heart and stomach fire.Huang Lian can detoxify because it can dry dampness and strengthen the stomach and intestines, while the addition of Huang Qin enhances Huang Lian’s effect on the stomach and intestines.Huang Qin can lower the rising fire; when the rising fire inflames the stomach qi, the combination of Huang Qin and Huang Lian reduces the likelihood of stomach qi rising.Huang Qin is bitter and cold, if Huang Lian lowers heart fire, Huang Qin focuses more on lowering lung fire.Huang Qin also has a remarkable ability to extinguish gallbladder fire; in Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction), it is used to extinguish gallbladder fire. What are the symptoms of excessive gallbladder fire?Bitterness in the mouth, dryness in the throat, and severe dizziness.Huang Bai is bitter and cold, treating excess fire in the lower jiao, effectively draining excessive kidney fire.
Additionally, Huang Bai can replenish water; the reason for fever is often excessive fire. If using cold and cooling herbs like gypsum is ineffective, it may be because “if it is not cold, it is due to lack of water.” The addition of Huang Bai enhances the formula’s ability to nourish kidney water.Zhi Zi is cold in nature, this herb is very powerful, effectively clearing the fire of the three jiaos, allowing heat evils to be expelled through urination.Zhi Zi can clear heat from the heart and lungs, clear heat from the liver, gallbladder, spleen, and stomach, and clear heat from the bladder, guiding the heat down to the water pathway, expelling turbid fire downwards, preventing it from rising and disturbing the mind, thus achieving harmony of body and mind.The three jiaos is a TCM concept, one of the “six fu organs,” divided into upper jiao, middle jiao, and lower jiao.The upper jiao generally refers to the area above the diaphragm, including the heart and lungs, as well as the head, face, and upper limbs;the middle jiao refers to the area below the diaphragm and above the navel, including the spleen, stomach, and liver and gallbladder;the lower jiao refers to the area below the navel, including the small intestine, large intestine, kidneys, bladder, lower limbs, and the reproductive systems of both genders.The three jiaos are the pathways for the movement of qi in the body and the channels for the transportation of body fluids.Fire rises as heat; for rising heat, we use cooling herbs. For toothaches caused by heat, where abscesses form in the teeth and the gums swell, Huang Lian Jie Du Tang is simply its nemesis.During festive seasons, people often indulge in fried, grilled, and rich foods, leading to gastrointestinal blockages and tooth heat swelling.Drinking one or two doses of Huang Lian Jie Du Tang can relieve constipation and reduce heat.Thus, “Nei Jing” states, “Rich and heavy foods lead to great sores.”Rich and heavy foods can accumulate heat toxins, and prolonged exposure to toxic heat can lead to sores.Therefore, a light diet is very important.
The heart opens to the tongue.We should observe whether the tongue appears like a flame, as the heart governs fire.Thus, for oral ulcers, where the tip of the tongue is red, or for acute pharyngitis, where swallowing is difficult and the throat is swollen, leading to hoarseness, Huang Lian Jie Du Tang made from these four herbs can be brewed as tea, sipped, and held in the mouth before swallowing for better effect.The liver opens to the eyes.When liver fire causes red eyes, especially from staying up late using phones or computers, leading to redness, pain, and swelling, Huang Lian Jie Du Tang can clear heat and brighten the eyes.The kidneys govern reproduction.Now, what color is fire? Red and yellow.Red and yellow indicate heat; clear and thin indicate cold.When a person has urethritis or cystitis, what color is their urine?It is yellow and red.For acute urethritis and cystitis, characterized by short, red, painful urination, some may find that even anti-inflammatory medications are ineffective.What should be used? Huang Lian Jie Du Tang.Moreover, for those who are irritable and suffer from insomnia, feeling depressed and restless, tossing and turning at night, these individuals often need to drink some cold water before sleeping to fall asleep. Huang Lian Jie Du Tang is more effective than any sleeping pill.
Let’s consider two people with insomnia; you present them with two cups of water, one hot and one cold.The one with hot water warms the meridians; the one with cold water clears heat and detoxifies, this is called following the trend.There is also a condition known as shingles, commonly referred to as “snake coil waist,” which can be extremely painful and spreads rapidly, resembling fire spreading.Shingles often occurs under the armpit, an area governed by the liver meridian.Using Long Dan Cao (Gentian) and Huang Lian Jie Du Tang together can clear the heart and liver fire, preventing the shingles from spreading further, and gradually leading to recovery.In summary, Huang Lian Jie Du Tang, as a representative formula for clearing heat and detoxifying, is also a foundational formula with a wide range of applications, addressing conditions such as great heat, agitation, and symptoms like dry throat and mouth, as well as insomnia and incoherent speech, which are characteristics of excessive heat in the qi level, and also involving blood level issues, such as hemoptysis and epistaxis.In conclusion, as long as acute inflammation is determined to be caused by heat, regardless of the diagnosis given by the hospital, as long as it fits the pattern of heat toxins, this formula can be used.There is a saying: “When the fire of inflammation burns, one becomes agitated; the heart is like still water, Huang Lian Tang.”Previous Articles:
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