The Anticancer Effect and Side Effects of Liuying Wan
Liuying Wan is a commonly used TCM remedy for acute tonsillitis, epiglottitis, and other throat diseases, but it can also be used to treat cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. For cancer, Liuying Wan may be taken orally, or crushed, steeped in yellow rice wine, and applied externally to superficial tumors. When external application is used, the skin must be intact; if the patient's skin is broken, external application is not appropriate.
In modern formulary, Liuying Wan is classified as a heat-clearing, toxin-resolving formula whose functions are to resolve toxin, disperse swelling, and stop pain. It is made from Dingxiang (Caryophylli Flos), Chansu (toad venom), Xionghuang (realgar), Niuhuang (Bovis Calculus), Zhenzhu (Margarita), and Bingpian (Borneolum), each 30g, ground together into an extremely fine powder, made into pills, and coated with iron oxide. The adult dose is 10 pills each time, children 5, infants 2, three times daily. When used for anticancer purposes, adults may take up to 30 pills each time, three times daily.
Zhongyi Waikexue (TCM External Medicine) defines the indication of Liuying Wan as the pattern of exuberant fire-toxin internally, and it is used for ru e (tonsillitis), hou bi (thad obstruction/acute pharyngitis), boils and carbuncles, sore throat, and insect bites. Modern use is mostly for acute pharyngitis, acute tonsillitis, acute cellulitis, and summer insect bites, in patterns of exuberant fire-toxin.
Anticancer masters such as Wu Hanxiang and Zhou Zifang commonly used Liuying Wan against cancer, mostly for leukemia patients with the pattern of fire-toxin internal heat. Liuying Wan can clearly lower the patient's white blood cell count and control fever, making it suitable for leukemia patients with high white cells and fever, but unsuitable for those with low white cells. Liuying Wan is fairly toxic and should not be taken routinely or long-term; ideally the patient should not take it for more than ten days a month, and it should be used under the guidance of an experienced TCM physician, paired with other herbs that protect the liver and kidneys. Used alone, it does considerable harm to liver, kidney, cardiopulmonary function.
Crush Liuying Wan, steep it in yellow rice wine, mix in an appropriate amount of lard or honey, soak medical gauze in the mixture, and apply it externally to a superficial tumor with intact skin; this has some swelling-dispersing and pain-relieving effect. But it should be used cautiously on yin-pattern superficial tumors, which show no redness, swelling, heat, or pain and have unchanged skin color.
In Liuying Wan, Chansu and Xionghuang have anticancer and swelling-dispersing effects and also relieve pain; Bingpian and Niuhuang both clear heat, relieve pain, and disperse swelling; Dingxiang moves qi and stops pain; Zhenzhu settles the heart, quiets the spirit, and clears fire. The Bencao Huiyan holds that Zhenzhu "settles the heart, stabilizes resolve, calms the hun soul, resolves bound-up toxin, transforms malignant sores, and draws together internal ulceration," so Zhenzhu is also one of the external-medicine herbs used to astringe sores and generate flesh.
Both Xionghuang and Chansu in Liuying Wan are toxic. Xionghuang is an arsenic compound; its toxicity and side effects I have already discussed in the article "Precautions When Using Arsenic Compounds as Anticancer Agents". Chansu readily causes nausea and vomiting; overdose produces shortness of breath, muscle spasms, and arrhythmia, and in severe cases can even cause paralysis and death. Chansu poisoning can be treated with atropine.
The other ingredients have relatively minor side effects, though Bingpian and Niuhuang are unsuitable for patients with a cold-deficient constitution, so Liuying Wan must still be used with care in the clinic. External use is much safer, but if the patient's skin is broken, applying Liuying Wan can still cause poisoning.