Gualou Powder (Trichosanthes Powder) for Breast Lumps
Gualou Powder (Trichosanthes Powder) comes from Collected Tested Prescriptions for Abscesses (Ji Yu Bei Ju Fang). It is composed of gualou (Trichosanthes fruit, also called kelou), danggui (Angelica sinensis), moyao (Myrrh), ruxiang (Frankincense), and gancao (Licorice root). When decocting, equal parts yellow wine and water are used. It treats breast abscess (ru yong) and breast rock (ru yan, i.e., breast cancer) and other diseases characterized by breast lumps. Nowadays it is mostly used for acute suppurative mastitis, breast tuberculosis, breast fibroadenoma, mammary gland hyperplasia, and breast cancer presenting with the pattern of phlegm-stasis mutual binding. For those allergic to alcohol and for breast cancer patients, yellow wine should not be used when decocting.The main effects of Gualou Powder are harmonizing the nutritive aspect and resolving phlegm, dispersing lumps and reducing swelling. The adult dosage is: whole gualou 30g, danggui 15g, ruxiang 6g, moyao 6g, gancao 6g, decocted in water; here the licorice is sheng gancao (raw licorice). For liver qi stagnation with breast distending pain, xiangfu (Cyperus rhizome) 10g, chaihu (Bupleurum) 10g, and yuanhu (Corydalis) 10g may be added to soothe the liver, move qi, and stop pain. For hard, poorly mobile lumps, sanleng (Sparganium) 10g, ezhu (Curcuma zedoaria) 10g, and zaojiaoci (Gleditsia thorn) 10–30g may be added to reduce swelling and break hardness. For advanced breast cancer with both qi and blood deficiency, this formula may be combined with Renshen Yangrong Decoction (Ginseng Nutrition Decoction).Gualou is also called kelou; it is the fruit of Trichosanthes kirilowii and Trichosanthes rosthornii of the Cucurbitaceae family. Kelou is an important herb for treating breast lumps; kelou alone can be used to treat breast lumps.Pearl Bag Supplement: Nature and Flavor of Medicinals (Zhen Zhu Nang Bu Yi Yao Xing Fu) records that kelou can "treat breast abscess"; breast abscess refers to diseases like acute mastitis in modern medicine. Compendium of Materia Medica (Ben Cao Gang Mu) records that kelou "benefits the large intestine, dissipates abscesses and sores." Kelou has the effect of moistening the intestines and relaxing the bowels, making it especially suitable for those with constipation plus abscesses and sores, but should be used cautiously in those with loose stools. Changsha Yaojie records that kelou "dispels throat pain, treats lung atrophy, washes out phlegm and drool, stops cough, unblocks breast milk, expels the afterbirth, regulates nipple sores, harmonizes breast abscess, resolves wasting-thirst, treats jaundice, unblocks urination, moistens the large intestine, stops vomiting blood, lifts prolapsed anus, pacifies abscesses, and treats sores." It can be seen that kelou has been a fine TCM external medicine for treating abscesses and sores since ancient times, especially for treating swollen and painful breasts.There are also many formulas named kelou powder. For example, the Gualou Powder in Wei Ji Bao Shu specifically treats breast abscess; its composition and usage are: "one liang of kelou, one qian of ruxiang; grind both into a fine powder; take one qian each time, mixed with warm wine." The Wanjin Powder in Surgical Essentials (Wai Ke Jing Yao) is also similar in composition to kelou powder: "one kelou (crushed coarse), two qian of large licorice node, one qian of moyao (ground powder). Use two bowls of wine, decoct to one bowl, strain, add moyao and take. Treats all carbuncles, whether ulcerated or not."The anti-cancer effect of kelou has been confirmed by modern pharmacology; a 1:5 kelou decoction can kill mouse ascites cancer cells in vitro.The ruxiang and moyao in this formula are also commonly used blood-activating and swelling-reducing herbs, frequently used in TCM oncology and are main ingredients in the famous TCM anti-cancer formula Xihuang Pills. Danggui has the effect of activating blood and nourishing blood; gancao both clears heat and resolves toxin and harmonizes the other herbs.