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:
  1. Wind-Cold: aversion to cold (prefers warmth), runny nose with clear mucus, pale face, clear urine
  2. 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

To Prevent Infection
Common Pills (Pills of Ruffus)
Pills Against Pestilence Magistrale
Pestilential Pills of Basil
Theriac of Four Ingredients
Four Thieves Vinegar
Bezoardic Powder of Deer horn
Mithridate
Theriac

Black Camphor 4 (Gar nag bzhi thang) (Tibetan)
Influenza Pills (Lo gyon ril bu) (Tibetan)
Norbu 7 Decoction (Norbu bdun thang)

TCM Classification

To Prevent Infection
Yu Ping Feng San

1. Prevent Common Cold Tea (Yu Fang Gan Mao Cha)
Isatis Ban Lan Gen, Isatis Da Qing Ye, Wild Chrysanthemum (Ye Ju Hua), Honeysuckle (Jin Yin Hua)

To Treat Infection

Simples

See: 3A. SUDORIFICS & DIAPHORETICS

See: A. Clear the Exterior

Compounds

Acute Heat (Wind-Heat)
1. Elder flower, Peppermint
2. Yarrow, Elder flower, Peppermint

Infusion of Seven Flowers
Syrup of Lemon
Syrup of Sorrel

Tincture of Camomile
Sudorific Vinegar
Elixir of Camphor
Powder of Crabs Claw (Countess of Kents Powder)
Powder Against Toxicity and Venom (Wecker)
The Emperor’s Powder Against the Plague
The Red Hungarian Powder
Confection of Hyacinth
Troches of Camphor (Nicholas)
Electuary of Prunes (Diaprunis lenitiva) (Nicholas)
Electuary of Scordium (Diascordium)
Orvietan Antidote
Elixir of Camphor
Oil of Water Lily
Oil of Rose
Oil of Violet


Sitopaladi Powder (Ayurveda)
Influenza Pills (Lo gyon ril bu) (Tibetan)
Norbu 7 Decoction (Norbu bdun thang) (Tibetan)
Notopterygium 29 Pills (Spru nag nyer dgu) (Tibetan)


Acute Cold (Wind-Cold)
1. Long Pepper powder with Honey and Ginger juice
2. Decoction of fresh Ginger and Spring Onion
3. Trikatu: equal parts of Long Pepper, Black Pepper and Ginger powder
4. Ginger, Cinnamon, Lemongrass
5. Ginger, Cardamon, Clove
6. Fresh Ginger, Holy Basil, Lemongrass

Decoction of Bistort
Tincture of Sage
Candied Garlic root
Electuary of Eggs (Electuarium de Ovo) (Maximilian)
Electuary of Nuts
Electuary Against Poison of Frankfurt
Electuary of Juniper berries
Bezoardic Powder of Deer horn
Mithridate
Theriac of Andromachus (Venice Theriac)

Influenza Pills (Lo gyon ril bu) (Tibetan)
Inula 4 Decoction (Ma nu bzhi thang) (Tibetan) 
Eight-Limbed Electuary (Ayurveda)
Red Pony (Rta zi dmar po) (Tibetan)


To Promote Sweat in Acute Cold

Bath of Mints

Wind Heat
Fever, headache, cough, sore throat, yellow phlegm, dark urine, red tongue with a yellow coat.
1. Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua), Peppermint (Bo He)
2. Honeysuckle flower (Jin Yin Hua), Chrysanthemum flower (Ju Hua), Jasmine flower (Mo Li Hua)
3. Isatis (Ban Lan Gen), Scutellaria Huang Qin, Licorice
4. Mulberry leaf (Sang Ye), Chrysanthemum Ju Hua, fresh Pear peel. This is good for Heat-type Common Cold with dry cough.
Yin Qiao Jie Du Pian
Fang Feng Tong Sheng San
Niu Huang Jie Du Pian
Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin
Sang Ju Yin


Exterior Wind Heat with Internal Heat
Fang Feng Tong Sheng San


Wind Cold
Mild Fever, runny or congested nose with clear Phlegm, body aches, headache, feeling colds
1. Fresh Ginger, Spring Onion, Brown Sugar as an infusion
2. Notopterygium Qiang Hao, Angelica dahurica Bai Zhi, Scutellaria Huang Qin. This is called Common Cold Tea (Gan Mao Cha)
3. Schizonepeta Jing Jie, Perilla Zi Su Ye, fresh Ginger, Brown Sugar and Green Tea. This is called Five Spirits Tea (Wu Shen Cha)
4. Astragalus Huang Qi, Perilla Zi Su Ye, fresh Ginger (good for Wind-Cold with Deficiency)
Cong Chi Tang
Bai Du San
Ge Gen Tang
Gui Zhi Tang
Ma Huang Tang
Jing Fang Bai Du San
Xiao Qing Long Tang


Exterior Wind Cold with Interior Heat
Da Qiang Huo Tang
Da Qing Long Tang
Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang
Shi Gao Tang


Half Interior-Half Exterior
Xiao Chai Hu Tang


Deficiency
Qi
Yu Ping Feng San
Ren Shen Bai Du San
Zai Zao San

Yang
Ma Huang Fu Zi Gan Cao Tang
Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang


————————————————

Clear Heat from the Qi Level
Bai Hu Tang
Bai Hu Jia Ren Shen Tang
Zhi Zi Gan Cao Chi Tang


Clear Heat from the Blood and Nutritive Level
Xi Jiao Di Huang Tang
Qing Ying Tang

Meningitis

Elixir of Camphor

Red Coral 25 (Rin chen byur dmar nyer lnga)
Red Pony (Rta zi dmar po) (Tibetan)
An Gong Niu Huang Wan
Bai Hu Tang
Da Qing Long Tang
Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin
Qing Wen Ba Du Yin
Xi Jiao Di Huang Tang
Zhi Bao Dan
Zi Xue Dan




Acute Gastroenteritis

Western Tradition

Troches of Ramich (Mesue)
Electuary of Scordium
Red Hungarian Powder

Shilajit 9 (Brag zun dgu pa) (Tibetan)
Shilajit Garuda 13 (Brag Khyung 13) (Tibetan)


TCM Classification

Heat and Damp
Abdominal pain and Cramps, foul-smelling Diarrhea, red tongue with yellow coating
Bai Tou Weng Tang
Lian Po Yin
Po Chai Pills


Damp Heat with Deficiency
Fullness in the Stomach, nausea, diarrhea, greasy yellow tongue coat, wiry and rapid pulse.
Bai Zhu Shao Yao San
Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang


Liver Heat
Dizziness, constipation, dark urine, red tongue with yellow coat, big and forceful pulse
Dang Gui Long Hui Wan


Cold / Damp Blocking Stomach
Epigastric fullness, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, greasy white tongue coat, slippery or soggy pulse
Bu Huan Jin Zheng Qi San
Li Zhong Wan (Cold)
Fu Zi Li Zhong Wan (Cold)
Ping Wei San (Damp)
Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Shui (Damp)