Medication chart: Distress and restlessness, diarrhoea. From a manuscript copy ofShanghan diandian jin shu(The Gold-dust Book of Cold Damage) dated '1st year of the Zhengyuan reign period of the Yuan dynasty' (1341), section entitledShanghan diandian jin yongyao muji(Cold Damage Gold-Dust Repertory of Medication).The text states: Distress and restlessness (fanzao) originating in the Greater Yang channel (taiyang jing) is normally treated with Five-Drug powder (wu ling san), Cape jasmine and black bean decoction, etc. If it originates in the Lesser Yin channel (shaoyin jing), it is generally treated with Four Retrograde/Cold Extremities poria decoction (fuling sini tang), decoction of coptis and donkey-hide glue (huanglian ejiao tang), etc. If it originates in the Yang Brightness channel (yangming jing), it is generally treated with Stomach Regulating and Qi Supporting decoction (tiao wei cheng qi tang).Diarrhoea associated with a combined syndrome of the Greater Yang and Yang Brightness channels is generally treated with arrowroot decoction (ge gen tang). Where it is associated with a combined syndrome of the Greater and Lesser Yang channels, it is generally treated with scutellaria (huangqin) decoction. If it is accompanied by vomiting, pinellia (banxia) and fresh ginger should be given in addition. Where diarrhoea originates in the Lesser Yin channel (shaoyin jing), Centre-Regulating decoction (li zhong tang) or True Warrior decoction (zhen wu tang) should be given. Where it is due to cold poisons entering the stomach, Four Retrograde Centre-Regulating decoction (sini li zhong tang) with aconite should be given. In case of diarrhoea containing blood and pus due to warm poisons, peach-blossom decoction, coptis and donkey-hide glue decoction (huanglian ejiao tang), etc. should be given.
Illustrated manuscript