Yinyang Gongji Wan: The Anti-Tumor Pill of Ming-Dynasty Physician Li Zhongzi

The Ming-dynasty physician Li Zhongzi specialized in treating ji-ju diseases (some of which correspond to today's various digestive-tract and pelvic tumors). Li Zhongzi had several formulas using rather vigorous herbs that were nevertheless very effective in attacking cancerous masses. This article first introduces one of them: Yinyang Gongji Wan.

Xinzhi Yinyang Gongji Wan — indicated for the five ji, six ju, seven zheng, eight jia, xu-pi, worms and blood, phlegm and food accumulation; effective regardless of yin or yang.

Wuzhuyu (Evodiae Fructus, soaked), Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma, stir-fried), Guigui (Cinnamomi Cortex, skin removed), Chuanwu (Aconiti Radix Praeparata), each 1 liang; Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma, stir-fried), Banxia (Pinelliae Rhizoma, washed), Juhong (Citri Exocarpium Rubrum), Fuling (Poria), Binglang (Arecae Semen), Houpo (Magnoliae Cortex, stir-fried), Zhishi (Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, stir-fried), Changpu (Acori Rhizoma, avoiding iron), Yanhusuo (Corydalidis Rhizoma, stir-fried), Renshen (Ginseng, rootlet removed), Chenxiang (Aquilariae Lignum), Hupo (Succinum, separately ground), Jiegeng (Platycodi Radix), each 8 qian; Badou Shuang (Crotonis Semen Pulp, separately ground) 5 qian.

Grind all the above into a fine powder. Take 6 liang of Zaojiao (Gleditsiae Fructus), decoct to extract the juice, and use the juice to pill the powder into pills the size of mung beans. Take 8 fen each dose, gradually increasing to 1 qian 5 fen, taken with Shengjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens) decoction.

Author's note: According to Professor Zhou Chaofan's research, 1 fen in the Ming dynasty equals 0.38 g today; 1 qian = 10 fen; 8 fen is about 4 g, and 1 qian 5 fen is about 8 g. Li Zhongzi dosed rather cautiously, starting from a small dose and gradually increasing to a large one. If loose stools appeared midway, he would restart from the smallest dose and gradually increase to the maximum or until loose stools appeared.

This formula combines attack with support, and cold with heat; hence Li Zhongzi especially emphasized that it may be used regardless of the patient's yin/yang or cold/heat. It targets the various larger tumors in the abdominal and pelvic cavities, such as gastric cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, intestinal cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and various abdominal sarcomas.

Chuanwu, Banxia, and Badou Shuang in this formula are all strongly toxic Chinese medicines. Among them, Banxia has a relatively low lethal dose; Li Zhongzi only notes “washed,” not processed, so it is actually unprocessed raw Banxia. Professor Fang Mingqian also used raw Banxia made into a powder to fight cancer and cured a patient. The anti-cancer effect of raw Banxia is certain, but its toxicity is also significant; when using it, gradually increase the dose and closely observe the patient's reaction. If reactions such as nerve paralysis appear, stop the medicine for several days and restart from the smallest dose.

Another hallmark of Li Zhongzi's cancer treatment is that after a period of attacking, he would switch to a period of supplementation, giving the patient's body a chance to recover. This treatment method resembles modern Western chemotherapy cycles and is well worth learning from. The distinctive character of Li Zhongzi's cancer treatment can be seen from one of his cases.

Ding Mian, prefect of Xiangyang, while residing at Baixia, suffered abdominal pain after every drinking bout, which gradually hardened into a mass; pain came with eating. I diagnosed him: the pulse was floating, large, and long—a great accumulation in the spleen. Yet the two chi positions were soft on pressure, so a vigorous attack was not allowed. I had him take Sijunzi Tang for seven days, then gave 3 qian of my Gongji Wan; it produced only a slight descent. I gave another 4 qian, and he passed the accumulation over ten times, all black and tough. Seeing his frame not exhausted, I gave another 4 qian; then he had great abdominal pain and passed a great deal. He took Sijunzi Tang for ten days, then took another 4 qian of the pill, clearing the accumulation three times; he took another 2 qian, and the accumulation passed until it amounted to six or seven bowls. The pulse was now large and deficient; pressing to the guan position, it was hollow. I then regulated and supplemented with Buzhong Yiqi Tang, and within a month he was fully cured.

This patient closely resembles a severe case of today's cirrhosis, liver cancer, or gastric cancer. In treating him, Li Zhongzi used Yinyang Gongji Wan for attack with focused potency and gradual escalation. After taking the medicine, the patient repeatedly passed black, tough material from the stool—which should have been expelled tumor. Sun Bingyan's case records also contain many similar accounts: patients pass all kinds of filthy material after taking medicine, and the tumor resolves. Badou Shuang and raw Banxia were also Sun Bingyan's habitual herbs. Attacking the tumor with poison and precipitating it downwards are unavoidable, especially while the patient still has strength; if one only supplements and supports, the patient may look well-toned in the short term but will miss the optimal window for attack and ultimately still die prematurely.

Therefore, pill formulas like Li Zhongzi's Yinyang Gongji Wan, when used properly, are very beneficial to patients.