Cangqin Pill for Damp-Heat Type Fever

The Yixue Rumen (Introduction to Medicine) contains a formula called Cangqin Wan (Atractylodes-Scutellaria Pill). Its composition: Cangzhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma) 5 qian (15 g), Pianqin (i.e. Huangqin, Scutellariae Radix) 3 qian (9 g), Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix) 1.5 fen (4.5 g). Preparation: grind the three herbs together into powder, moisten with water and mix with steamed cake to form pills the size of a parasol tree seed. Take 1-2 qian (3-6 g) each time with warm water, three times daily.

This formula dries dampness and clears heat. It treats damp-heat fever that lingers and will not resolve, with lassitude and lack of strength, oppressive fullness in the chest and epigastrium, and a yellow greasy tongue coating. Damp-heat patterns are the hardest to treat; TCM describes them as "like oil mixed into flour"—once oil has blended into wet dough, the two can hardly be separated. Treating damp-heat is therefore the most complex task, yet this formula is extremely simple, with only three ingredients.

In the formula, Cangzhu dries dampness and fortifies the spleen; Huangqin clears heat and drains fire; Gancao both clears heat and drains fire, and fortifies the spleen and boosts qi, while moderating the dryness of Cangzhu and neutralizing the bitter-cold nature of Huangqin. The three herbs together therefore dry dampness and fortify the spleen, clear heat and drain fire, and fortify the spleen and boost qi; the side effects of each herb offset one another, making the combination exquisite and effective.

From a modern pharmacological perspective, both Cangzhu and Huangqin have antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antitumor effects, while Gancao not only antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial but also has hormone-like effects. What TCM calls damp-heat fever resembles chronic fever persisting after bacterial or viral infection, as well as tumor fever; TCM formulas for damp-heat patterns often work well against these two fevers. This formula may be used as adjunctive treatment for chronic fever in the late stage of viral infection and for cancer-related fever.

However, Cangqin Wan is not available as a ready-made patent medicine. If a patient's symptoms match its indications, the pills may be self-made according to the recipe, or the formula may be converted to a decoction taken as herbal slices. If used as a decoction, the adult dosage is: Cangzhu 10 g, Huangqin 6 g, Sheng Gancao (raw licorice) 3 g; reduce for children according to body weight.