Indications of the Patent Medicine Sanjieling Capsule
Sanjieling Jiaonang (Nodule-Dispersing Effective Capsule) is a variant formula of Xiaojin Wan (Small Gold Pill). It is composed of Ruxiang (Olibanum, vinegar-processed), Moyao (Myrrha, vinegar-processed), Wulingzhi (Trogopterori Faeces, vinegar-processed), Dilong (Pheretima), Mubiezi (Momordicae Semen), Danggui, Shichangpu (Acori tatarinowii Rhizoma), Caowu (Aconiti kusnezoffii Radix, processed with licorice and honeysuckle), Fengxiangzhi (Liquidambaris Resina) and Xiangmo (ink). It differs by only one herb from Xiaojin Wan, the famous Qing-dynasty family formula of Wang Hongxu: Sanjieling replaces Shexiang (musk) in Xiaojin Wan with Shichangpu.
Why replace musk with Shichangpu? First, musk is extremely expensive; second, the musk deer is now a first-class protected animal in China, and the small amount of musk from farmed deer that is legally usable is far from meeting clinical need, so many former musk formulas now have variants. Shichangpu, like musk, opens the orifices and clears phlegm, so modern pharmaceutical manufacturers use it as a substitute.
The other ingredients of Sanjieling Capsule are identical to Xiaojin Wan, and Shichangpu's effects are close to musk's, so its indications are basically the same. Sanjieling Capsule dissipates nodules and disperses swelling, resolves stasis and stops pain. It treats early-stage yin welling abscess (roughly corresponding to bone tuberculosis in modern medicine), breast rock (roughly corresponding to breast cancer), breast nodularity (benign breast tumors, fibromas, etc.), scrofula (tuberculous lymphadenitis, lymphoma, etc.) and goiter (benign and malignant thyroid tumors), presenting as a locally raised mass that does not move easily and whose skin color is unchanged. In TCM these diseases all belong to yin patterns, quite unlike the red, hot, swollen, painful yang welling abscesses. TCM yang welling abscesses are mostly infectious diseases in modern medicine; Sanjieling may have the opposite effect on them, so it should be used cautiously where there is local redness, swelling, heat and pain.
It should be noted that Mubiezi and Caowu in Sanjieling Capsule are quite toxic. Clinical reports show that Xiaojin Wan and Sanjieling Capsule can cause abnormal liver and kidney function, so patients with abnormal liver or kidney function should use it cautiously. Even patients with normal liver and kidney function should recheck liver and kidney function periodically while taking it to monitor changes. The diseases treated by Sanjieling generally require long courses; particular attention must be paid to cumulative poisoning from long-term use of toxic herbs.
The Ruxiang, Moyao and Caowu in Sanjieling Capsule have significant side effects in pregnant women; Sanjieling Capsule is contraindicated during pregnancy.