The "Modified Qianjin Weijing Tang" for Bacterial Respiratory Tract Infections

Prof. Yin Huihe was a great contemporary TCM physician. On the basis of ancient formulas he added corresponding herbs to form a number of modified formulas that work better than the originals. The modified Qianjin Weijing Tang is one of them.

Qianjin Weijing Tang comes from Sun Simiao's Qianjin Fang of the Tang dynasty. The original formula consists of Taoren (peach kernel), Yiyiren (coix seed), Dongguazi (winter melon seed), and Weijing (reed rhizome, i.e. Lugen). Its indications are chest pain and cough, coughing fetid sputum, and even coughing up pus and blood. From the modern medical standpoint this is mostly caused by pyogenic bacterial infection—more specifically, by streptococci, staphylococci, tubercle bacilli, and the like.

Prof. Yin's modified formula is composed as follows: Taoren 10 g, raw Yiyiren 30 g, Dongguazi 30 g (crushed), Lugen 30 g, Daqingye (Isatis leaf) 30 g, Yuxingcao (Houttuynia) 30 g. Decoct in water; one dose daily, taken warm morning and evening.

Regarding the action and indications of this formula, Prof. Yin explained: it removes stasis and clears the lung. It treats fever and cough, chest pain, pain worsened by breathing and coughing, or labored breathing, difficulty turning over in bed, sputum at first rust-colored or bloody, later becoming fetid and foul, and finally purulent sputum. It may be used for the coughing up of pus and blood in what modern medicine calls lobar pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis, lung abscess, and empyema.

In TCM terms, this formula removes stasis, clears the lung, and expels pus: Lugen, Daqingye, and Yuxingcao clear heat and resolve toxin; Dongguazi and raw Yiyiren promote urination and expel pus; Taoren activates blood and resolves stasis. Combined, all the herbs clear lung heat and discharge pus from the lung, treating both root and branch.

Modern pharmacological research shows that Daqingye and Yuxingcao in this formula have bacteriostatic effects, inhibiting streptococci and staphylococci to some degree. By adding these two herbs to the original formula, Prof. Yin shortened the course, so this modified formula works better than the original in the Qianjin Fang.

Of course, in actual prescribing one should still treat mainly according to TCM principles of syndrome differentiation. In addition, this formula has limited effect on pulmonary tuberculosis; it can only serve as an adjunct in integrated Chinese-Western care, and one must not abandon standard anti-tuberculosis treatment for its sake.