LONICERA & WILD CHRYSANTHEMUM COMBINATION
Wu Wei Xiao Du Yin

 

‘Five Herb Toxin Eliminating Drink’
Source: Golden Mirror of the Medical Tradition (Yi Zōng Jin Jian, 1742)

Keywords
localised pyogenic sores, Toxic-Heat

Ingredients
Lonicera japonica (Jin Yin Hua, lonicera)
Taraxacum mongolicum (Pu Gong Ying, dandelion)
Chrysanthemum indicum (Ye Ju Hua, wild chrysanthemum)
Viola yedoensis (Zi Hua Di Ding, viola)
Begonia fimbristipulata (Zi Bei Tian Kui, begonia)

Major therapeutic action
Eliminates infections, cools, reduces swellings.

 Biomedical action
Broad-spectrum anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, disinfectant.

Indications
*  Used for a wide variety of superficial pyogenic sores, including abscesses, boils, carbuncles and furuncles, erysipelas, cellulites, paronychia, mastitis, otitis, tonsillitis, lymphangitis, conjunctivitis.
*  Provided the appropriate key symptoms are present this formula can also be used as a general anti-toxic formula (or as an addition to a guiding formula) for disorders like acute urinary tract infection, acute pelvic inflammatory disease, orchitis, appendicitis.

Key symptoms for use
*  localised suppuration, redness, swelling and pain
*  may be systemic symptoms—malaise, nausea, fatigue
*  yellow tongue coat
*  rapid pulse

Combinations
*  For acute mastitis, combine with Xiao Chai Hu Tang.
*  For acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), add Hong Teng & Bai Xian Pi.
*  For deep rooted lesion with fever, combine with Huang Lian Jie Du Tang.
*  For painful lesions, add Ru Xiang & Mo Yao.
*  For itchy lesions, add Ku Shen & Bai Xian Pi.		 Dosage
The typical dose is three grams 3-5 times daily, before meals. In severe cases this can be increased by 50- 100%. The dose should be spread out evenly, and in very acute cases may be taken every two hours.

Cautions and contraindications
Caution in patients with digestive problems.
Contraindicated for boils and swellings that have white edges, that do not break the plane of the surface of the skin, or are filled with clear fluids.

Differentiation
Huang Lian Jie Du Tang: Best for infective patterns affecting the heart and stomach and for those with significant systemic heat (fever, thirst, red tongue). Can also be used for superficial infections, and may be combined with Wu Wei Xiao Du Yin for deep-rooted lesions.

Commentary
Herbs that eliminate infections do so not only by exerting a direct antibiotic effect, but also by stimulating host immunity. By acting with the affected individual immune system rather than overriding it, the familiar side effects associated with repeated use of pharmaceutical antibiotics is avoided. Formulas such as this preserve the beneficial microorganisms of the gastrointestinal system.