A Commonly Used Chinese Patent Medicine for Gynecological Tumors: Chushi Baidai Pills
Chushi Baidai Pills (Dampness-Expelling Leukorrhea Pills) are a commonly used Chinese patent medicine for treating leukorrheal diseases in women, mainly for leukorrhea due to spleen deficiency with excessive dampness. Symptoms include profuse leukorrhea that is white, thin and clear, or yellow and viscous, or curd-like, accompanied by poor appetite, abdominal distension and loose stools.
Chushi Baidai Pills are composed of 17 Chinese herbs including Dangshen (Codonopsis Radix), Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), Shanyao (Dioscoreae Rhizoma), Cangzhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), Cheqianzi (Plantaginis Semen), Qianshi (Euryales Semen), Chenpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium), Chaihu (Bupleuri Radix), Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Baishao (Paeoniae Alba Radix), Qiancao (Rubiae Radix), Jingjitan (Carbonized Schizonepetae Herba), Huangbai (Phellodendri Cortex), Haipiaoxiao (Sepiae Endoconcha), Duanmuli (Ostreae Concha Usta) and Baiguoren (Ginkgo Semen). This is a modern patent formula assembled from the prescribing logic of the famous late-Ming/early-Qing TCM physician Fu Qingzhu's "Wandai Decoction," "Xiaoyan Powder" and "Yihuang Decoction" for the five-colored leukorrheas.
Fu Qingzhu was a renowned gynecologist in China. He held that women's leukorrheal diseases are all damp patterns, caused by injury to the belt vessel (daimai), which can no longer restrain discharge. Therefore, in treating leukorrhea, Fu Qingzhu mainly used herbs that fortify the spleen, disinhibit water, drain dampness and secure astringency.
According to the color of the discharge, Fu Qingzhu divided leukorrhea into five types: white, green, yellow, black and red leukorrhea; hence women's leukorrheal diseases are also called "five-colored leukorrhea."
For white leukorrhea, Fu Qingzhu used "Wandai Decoction" (Baizhu, Shanyao, Renshen, Baishao, Cheqianzi, Cangzhu, Gancao, Chenpi, Heijiesui, Chaihu); for green leukorrhea, modified Xiaoyan Powder (Fuling, Baishao, Gancao, Chaihu, Yinchen, Zhizi); for yellow leukorrhea, "Yihuang Decoction" (Shanyao, Qianshi, Huangbai, Cheqianzi, Baiguo); for black leukorrhea, "Lihuo Decoction" (Dahuang, Baizhu, Cheqianzi, Fuling, Wangbuliuxing, Huanglian, Zhizi, Shigao, Liujinu); for red leukorrhea, "Qinggan Zhilin Decoction" (Baishao, Danggui, Shengdi, Ejiao, Danpi, Huangbai, Niuxi, Xiangfu, Hongzao, Xiaoheidou).
The modern patent medicine Chushi Baidai Pills combine Fu Qingzhu's approaches to white, green and yellow leukorrhea, so their indications are broad; most leukorrheal diseases can be treated with them. The five-colored leukorrhea arising in gynecological tumors such as ovarian cancer, cervical cancer and endometrial cancer, as well as other female reproductive-system diseases, may all be considered for treatment with Chushi Baidai Pills.
Fu Qingzhu's approaches to black and red leukorrhea can also be applied in treating gynecological tumors, because many gynecological tumor patients present with "black" and "red" discharge.
According to Fu Qingzhu, both "black" and "red" leukorrhea are "heat patterns": black leukorrhea is a "stomach-heat pattern," and red leukorrhea is a "liver-heat pattern." Therefore, to treat black leukorrhea one should clear stomach fire, while to treat red leukorrhea one should clear liver fire and support spleen qi. Hence "Lihuo Decoction" is used for black leukorrhea and "Qinggan Zhilin Decoction" for red.
From a modern medical viewpoint, women with "red" and "black" discharge mostly have bleeding in the reproductive tract; this may be due to gynecological inflammation, to benign or malignant gynecological tumors, or to other conditions such as adenomyosis.
By distinguishing the various leukorrheal conditions, we can more accurately choose formulas and medicinals. Gynecological tumor patients at different stages develop different leukorrheal patterns; based on the color of discharge, we can follow Fu Qingzhu's logic and give the corresponding treatment.
Patent medicines have the advantages of convenience and low cost. When a patient's leukorrhea is mild, choosing Chushi Baidai Pills can resolve the problem more easily. But if the patient has complex symptoms, we must carefully differentiate the pattern and choose formulas and medicinals reasonably.
Gynecological tumors are major diseases in gynecology; they are hard to treat with a single medicine. Whether Chushi Baidai Pills or Fu Qingzhu's various formulas for the five-colored leukorrhea, they can only partially relieve the patient's symptoms. We must also combine Western-medicine findings with appropriate anti-tumor treatment. Only by integrating pattern differentiation with disease differentiation can we best help the patient.