Lingyang Qingfei Wan: A Patent Medicine for Fever Reduction, Lung Clearing, and Cough Relief

The Chinese patent medicine "Lingyang Qingfei Wan" (Antelope Lung-Clearing Pills) is made according to the recipe in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (Part I, 2005 edition). The recipe is: Zhebeimu (Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus) 40 g; Sangbaipi (Mori Cortex, honey-fried) 25 g; Tianmendong (Asparagi Radix) 25 g; Tianhuafen (Trichosanthis Radix) 50 g; Shengdihuang (raw Rehmanniae Radix) 50 g; Xuanshen (Scrophulariae Radix) 50 g; Shihu (Dendrobii Caulis) 100 g; Jiegeng (Platycodi Radix) 50 g; Pipaye (Eriobotryae Folium, honey-fried) 50 g; Kuxingren (bitter Armeniacae Semen, fried) 25 g; Jinguolan (Tinosporae Radix) 25 g; Jinyinhua (Lonicerae Flos) 50 g; Daqingye (Isatidis Folium) 25 g; Zhizi (Gardeniae Fructus) 50 g; Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix) 25 g; Banlangen (Isatidis Radix) 25 g; Mudanpi (Moutan Cortex) 25 g; Bohe (Menthae Haplocalycis Herba) 25 g; Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix) 15 g; Shudihuang (processed Rehmanniae Radix) 25 g; Chenpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium) 30 g; Lingyangjiao Fen (antelope horn powder) 6 g. In manufacturing, of the 24 herbs above, crush the 23 other than antelope horn powder into fine powder and sift; then mix the antelope horn powder with the fine powder of the 23 herbs, sift and blend. For every 100 g of powder, add 140–160 g of refined honey to form honey pills. Take orally three times daily, 6 g each time. Pharmacies sell ready-made Lingyang Qingfei Wan or Lingyang Qingfei syrup, so ordinary patients need not prepare the medicine themselves; they may simply buy the patent medicine. This formula clears the lung and soothes the throat, and clears epidemics and stops cough. It is indicated for exuberant lung-stomach heat with contraction of seasonal pathogen: bodily fever and dizziness, aching and lazy limbs, cough with copious phlegm, sore swollen throat, nosebleed and cough with blood, dry mouth and parched tongue. Modern pharmacological research shows that this formula has antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, phlegm-resolving, and cough-stopping effects. It is suitable both for fever and cough caused by respiratory infectious diseases and for chronic cough belonging to the exuberant lung-stomach heat pattern. Lingyang Qingfei Wan contains a large number of heat-clearing, toxin-resolving, and yin-nourishing, fire-downbearing herbs, along with many specialized cough- and phlegm-stopping herbs. In the formula, Jinyinhua, Daqingye, Zhizi, Huangqin, Banlangen, Mudanpi, Bohe, Lingyangjiao, Xuanshen, and Shengdihuang powder all have heat-clearing, fire-downbearing effects and exert some inhibitory action against various viruses and bacteria that cause respiratory inflammation. Zhebeimu, Chenpi, Jiegeng, Pipaye, Kuxingren, Jinguolan, and Gancao resolve phlegm and stop cough. Shudihuang, Tianmendong, Shihu, and Tianhuafen nourish yin and moisten dryness. Combined, these herbs both clear heat and cool blood, nourish yin and moisten dryness, resolve phlegm and stop cough, and reduce fever. However, this formula focuses on clearing heat and resolving phlegm; patients without heat signs should not use it. Heat-pattern patients have a red tongue and rapid pulse, dry mouth and parched tongue, and even dark, scanty urine; the symptoms of lung heat are still easy to distinguish. This formula is unsuitable for pregnant women.