Shuangsheng Pills: Treating Persistent Hematochezia

Shuangsheng Wan originates from Yifang Leiju (A General Collection of Medical Formulas), a compendium of Chinese medical formulas compiled in the 15th century by the Korean physician Kim Ye Mong; most of its formulas come from ancient Chinese medical books.

Shuangsheng Wan is composed of Baicaoshuang (plant soot) and Baizhi (Angelica dahurica), each in equal amounts. Grind the medicines into fine powder; soak Wumei (smoked plum) flesh in water, then steam until soft, mix in the powder, pound into a paste, and make into pills the size of a phoenix-tree seed. Take 30-40 pills on an empty stomach each time, twice daily.

This formula astringes and stops bleeding. It is indicated for hematochezia (blood in the stool), here mostly caused by hemorrhoids.

Baicaoshuang in this formula is the soot of straw—the ashes left after burning firewood for cooking in rural areas. Straw soot has a hemostatic action; when used to stop bleeding it is often combined with Zaoxintu (hearth-center earth, also called Fulonggan), and the two together work even better.

Baizhi releases the exterior and disperses cold, dispels wind and stops pain, and reduces swelling and expels pus; it is a commonly used TCM medicine for sores and ulcers. Baizhi is used here for its swelling-reducing and pus-expelling action. Hemorrhoids and similar diseases fall under the broad category of sores in TCM external medicine.

Pairing Baizhi with Baicaoshuang addresses both branch and root: it not only stops bleeding but also improves the hemorrhoids.