Huaihuang Wan (Sophora and Coptis Pill) for Treating Blood in the Stool
The formula Huaihuang Wan comes from the Gujin Yijian (Ancient and Modern Medical Mirror). It consists of Huanglian (Coptis) and Huaihua (Sophora flower), each four liang (120 g). Preparation: grind the herbs into powder; take a pig large-intestine end, stuff it full of the medicinal powder, tie it shut; add 1500 g of Chinese chives and water, and boil until soft; remove the chives, take the intestine and medicine, pound them into pills the size of a parasol tree seed (about the size of a soybean). If too wet, add some batter to form the pills. Method: twice daily, 80 pills each time, taken on an empty stomach with rice water.This formula can treat intestinal wind, abdominal toxin, blood in the stool, and hemorrhoids with fistula, namely ulcerative colitis, radiation colitis and hemorrhoids in modern medicine, characterized by diarrhea accompanied by blood in the stool.This formula is very simple, using only two herbs. One is Huanglian (Coptis), which clears heat and detoxifies, and dries dampness and stops diarrhea; the other is Huaihua (Sophora flower), which cools blood and stops bleeding. Combined, they both clear heat, detoxify, dry dampness and stop diarrhea, and cool blood to stop bleeding. The formula logic is also very simple.This formula has some effect on cancer patients who have had abdominal radiotherapy and have after-effects such as radiation colitis. Radiation colitis often recurs, so if the patient obtains diarrhea-stopping and bleeding-stopping effect after taking it, Huaihuang Wan should be taken regularly. This formula also has some effect on damp-heat type intestinal cancer, enteritis and ulcerative colitis, but for intestinal cancer patients this formula should not be used alone; it must be combined with other formulas that have anticancer action.The berberine hydrochloride (berberine) contained in the Huanglian of Huaihuang Wan has broad-spectrum antibacterial action, but it also damages intestinal probiotics; therefore prolonged use of this medicine easily causes constipation, which should be noted.Huaijin San comes from the Shengji Zonglu. Its composition is Huaihua (Sophora flower, stir-fried) and Yujin (Turmeric root tuber), each one liang (30 g), made together into a powder. Take two qian (6 g) each time, washed down with Mutong (Akebia) decoction, regardless of meals. This formula has the action of cooling blood and stopping bleeding, and chiefly treats bleeding in the urine.In this formula Huaihua cools blood and stops bleeding; Yujin activates blood and stops pain, moves qi and resolves constraint, clears the heart and cools blood, and promotes gallbladder function and relieves jaundice. Combined, they have some effect on hematuria and painful urination.