Qingre Ningsou Huatan Dingchuan Wan: Clearing Heat, Resolving Phlegm, and Stopping Cough and Wheeze

Qingre Ningsou Huatan Dingchuan Wan ("Pill for Clearing Heat, Calming Cough, Resolving Phlegm, and Stopping Wheeze") is a formula recorded in the classical text Shoushi Baoyuan (Longevity and Life Preservation). Its composition is: Exocarpium Citri Rubrum (Juhong) 5 qian (15 g), Indigo Naturalis (Qingdai) 3 qian (9 g), Bulbus Fritillariae (Beimu) 7 qian (21 g—for stopping cough and calming wheeze, Chuanbeimu [Fritillaria cirrhosa] is generally used; for anti-cancer and reducing swelling, Zhebeimu [Fritillaria thunbergii] is generally used), Arisaema cum Bile (Dannanxing) 1 liang (30 g), Radix Trichosanthis (Tianhuafen) 7 qian (21 g), Cortex Mori (Sangbaipi) 7 qian (21 g), Semen Armeniacae Amarum (Xingren, peel and tip removed) 7 qian (21 g), Radix Platycodonis (Jiegeng) 7 qian (21 g), Radix Scutellariae (Huangqin) 7 qian (21 g), Radix Peucedani (Qianhu) 7 qian (21 g), and Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae (Gancao) 3 qian (9 g).

All the above herbs are processed together as one batch, ground into a fine powder, and prepared into honey pills using refined honey as the excipient. The size of the pills may be adjusted according to personal preference. Take 3–6 g of pills twice daily, washed down with a weak decoction of fresh ginger.

This formula clears heat and stops cough, resolves phlegm and calms wheeze. It is indicated for upward rushing of qi with panting, an unfavorable throat, cough bound up by retained phlegm, and a dry mouth with parched tongue. In terms of traditional Chinese medicine, such symptoms belong to the lung-heat pattern of cough and wheeze; from the perspective of modern medicine, they correspond to acute inflammation of the respiratory tract following infection, and lung-tumor patients may sometimes present with the same symptoms.

In this formula, Qingdai, Sangbaipi, Tianhuafen, Huangqin, and Qianhu all clear heat and resolve toxicity; Juhong, Dannanxing, and Beimu clear heat and resolve phlegm while also stopping cough; Xingren, Jiegeng, and Gancao are all excellent cough-relieving herbs. The whole is taken with a warm ginger decoction that itself stops cough and resolves phlegm, which both assists the other herbs in expelling phlegm and relieving cough, and prevents the cold-natured herbs from damaging the spleen and stomach—this is a carefully conceived formulation.

If preparing pills is inconvenient, the formula may also be prepared as a decoction. The adult decoction dosage is: Juhong 5 g, Qingdai 3 g (wrapped in cloth for decocting), Beimu 7 g, Dannanxing 10 g, Tianhuafen 7 g, Sangbaipi 7 g, Xingren 7 g, Jiegeng 7 g, Huangqin 7 g, Qianhu 7 g, Gancao 3 g, and fresh ginger 3–5 slices. Add 500 ml of water and simmer slowly down to about 150 ml. One dose may be decocted twice; combine the two decoctions, divide into two equal portions, and take one after breakfast and one after dinner.

This formula may also be used to relieve clinical symptoms in lung-cancer patients with a lung-heat pattern. When used by lung-cancer patients, herbs with anti-cancer action such as Jinqiaomai [Fagopyrum dibotrys], Banmao [Mylabris], Huachansu [cinobufacin], or Xihuang Wan may be added as appropriate.