TRADITIONAL INTERNAL MEDICINE – DISEASES & FORMULAS
Leukorrhea
White Flux (old term)
Leukorrhea is a discharge from the vagina. When moderate and without foul smell, it can be normal, some women having more natural discharge than other. Healthy discharge is more clear, not excessive, has no foul smell and tastes sweet and salty. Leukorrhea may occur during Pregnancy and is considered normal, as long as there is no foul smell.
Unhealthy discharge may be white, yellow or greenish, and usually indicates and infection. Yellow or Greenish discharge with a foul smell indicates infection and was classically classed as Bile / Heat or Damp-Heat in TCM.
Infection may originate in the Vagina, Ovaries, Fallopian Tubes, or most commonly, the Cervix. Sexuall Transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia or Gonorrhea also cause Leukorrhea.
Vaginitis, and inflammation of the Vagina may also cause Leukorrhea. This may be due to infection or irritation. Fungal infections are often associated with Vaginits and this is primarily causes by Candida albicans and Trichomonas vaginalis.
White, thick discharge with curd-like particles may indicate Candida.
Symptoms
Symptoms of pathological Leukorrhea may include foul-smelling Whitish, Yellow or Greenish discharge with irritation, itching, inflammation and pain.
Differential Diagnosis
In Traditional Medicine, several pathologies can be recognised:
- Cold-Damp: pale or whitish discharge, no foul smell, pale face and tongue, white or greasy tongue coat, slow oir deep pulse. Severe Cold cases are related to Yang deficiency.
- Heat, Damp-Heat: foul smelling yellowish or greenish discharge, irritation, inflammation, red tongue with a yellowish coating
- Kidney deficiency: Chronic cases with weakness are often associated with Kidney weakness. There is lower back pain, copious pale urine, a feeling of cold, deep and weak pulse.
Treatment:
Medicines must be applied depending on the nature of the individual. Cold-Phlegm bodies require warming and drying, while Heat or Damp-Heat require Cooling. Mild purges given at the beginning of treatment can be useful.
Chronic cases require astringent medicines, and conditions of Deficiency require tonics. If there is Cold and Moisture with weakness, Diacinnamonum is very good.
It was long known that diuretic medicines can help drive excess fluid from the Uterus to the Kidneys, and in these cases, Warm, drying diuretics are most commonly used when there is Cold and Damp with weak Kidneys.
A generally drying diet is usually required. Barley water is good if there is Damp, and Barley with Cinnamon can be used for Cold-Damp.
Western Tradition
Simples
Agnus Castus
Fennel seed
Rue
Tormentil
Cinnamon
Mastic
Chebulic Myrobalan
Earth (White, Red)
Rue
Cumin
Yarrow
Oak Bark
Nutmeg
Galls
Alum
Cuttlefish bone
Chinese Classification
Simples
Euryale Qian Shi
Poria Fu Ling
Cornus Shan Zhu Yu
Phellodendron Huang bai
Job’s Tears (Yi Yi Ren)
Alisma Ze Xie
Schisandra Wu Wei Zi
Gentiana Long Dan Cao
Formulas
Cold-Damp
Tincture of Cinnamon
Powder for Leukorrhea
Powder for Hysteria with Agnus Castus
Powder of Cinnamon Compound (Mesue)
Pills of Tribulus and Bdellium (Goksuradi Guggulu)
Heat
Syrup of Comfrey Compound
Syrup of Agnus Castus Compound
Pills for Spermatorrhea
Troches of Agnus Castus
Barberry 8 Powder (Tibetan)
Catechu 23 (Tibetan)
Astringent
Astringent Pills
Electuary of Coral (Diacorallion) (Nicholas)
Triphera Minor (Triphera Phoenonis) (Mesue)
Electuary of Micleta (Nicholas)
Kidney Weakness
Decoction of Comfrey and Solomans Seal
Powder of Nutmeg Compound
Powder for Excessive Menstruation
Powder to Strengthen the Womb
Decoction of Water Lily Compound
Pills for Spermatorrhea
Pills of Tribulus and Bdellium (Goksuradi Guggulu)
Possessor of Ruby Color (Tibetan)
To Purge
Hiera Picra
Pills of Agaric
Common Pills
To Strengthen After
Syrup of Mugwort
Aromaticum Rosatum
Powder of Cinnamon Compound (Mesue)
Formulas
Damp-Heat
Bai Tou Weng Tang
Long Dan Xie Gan Tang
Er Miao San
Yi Huang Tang (See below)
Cold-Damp
Tao Hua Tang
Dang Gui Shao Yao San
Li Zhong Wan
Dang Gui Si Ni Tang
Shen Ling Bai Zhu San
Spleen Deficiency
Liver Qi Stagnation with Heat
Liver Deficiency
Kidney Deficiency
Bu Shen Yi Gan Tang
Jin Suo Gu Jing Wsan
Special Formula
1. Decoction of Guaiacum wood and Sassafras was used if there is excess Phlegm or Damp.
2. Decoction of China root and/or Sarsaparilla root was used if there is excess Bile (Heat) or Melancholy.
3. Mastic with Cubeb, Tabasheer and Cardamon
4. Leukorrhea with Weakness, Talcum with Chlorophytum, Tribulus seed, Tragacanth, Quince seed (Ayurveda)
5. Orris (½ oz.), Burnt Deer horn, Cuttlefish bone, White Coral, Olibanum, Mastic (1 dram each). Powder. Dose: half dram to 2 scruples.
6. Alum with Catechu, Cinnamon
7. Dates kernel with Dragons Blood (equal parts), Powder.
“THE COURT LADIES MEDICINE”
Sage
Sarsaparilla
Pomegranate flower equal parts
Powder and take every morning in Broth.
PILLS FOR LEUKORRHEA #1
Gum Arabic
Tragacanth
Starch 2 drams ea.
Mastic 1 dram
Powderand with sugar dissolved in Quince juice form Boluses of 2 drams. Give one each morning.
PILLS FOR LEUKORRHEA #2
Rhubarb 2 drams
Yellow, Chebulic and
Black Myrobalans 1 dram ea.
Mastic 1 scruple
Spikenard ½ scruple
The Rhubarb and Myrobalans were to be steeped in Rose juice, then dried. Make pills with Syrup of Roses, the dose is 1 dram twice per week. (The Practice of Physick, 1663)
PILLS FOR LEUKORRHEA #2
Hiera picra 1 dram
Agaric 1 ½ drams
With Honey of Roses, make small Pills and take 1 dram every third day for several doses, then ½ dram every 5 days thereafter. This cleanses Phlegm and Damp. (The Practice of Physick, 1663)
A SPECIAL REMEDY
Frankincense
Red earth
Sealed Earth. ½ drams ea.
Powder, mix with the Yolks of 2 Eggs, and take as a dose each morning. “This remedy is so excellent that I have cured many with it” (Secrets of Alexis)
ELECTUARY TO STRENGTHEN
Conserve of Rosemary 1 oz.
Calamus 2 drams
Aromaticum Rosatum 1 dram
Red Coral ½ dram
With Syrup of Citron peel, or of Rose (or Honey), form an .
ANOTHER TO STRENGTHEN
Conserve of Rose
Comfrey root
Citron peel 1 oz. ea.
Red Coral, Red Earth,
Dragon’s Blood 1 dram ea.
With Syrup of Roses, make an Electuary.
ELECTUARY FOR LEUKORRHEA
Gum Arabic, Tragacanth 2 drams ea.
White & Red Coral, Deer
Horn, Burnt Egg shell,
Dill seed, Amber 4 scruples ea.
Form and Electuary with Honey of Roses (or Honey). Dose: ½ oz.
“Zecheus commends this Electuary, which he had often used with happy success”. (The Practice of Physick, 1663)
DOUCHE FOR VAGINITIS / LEUKORRHEA
Alum ½ oz.
Borax 2 oz.,
Mix and add a teaspoonful to a pint of warm water to use as a douche.
YI HUANG TANG
Change Yellow Discharge Decoction
Dioscorea Shan yao *
Euryale Qian Shi * 30 grams ea.
Phellodendron Huang bai. 6 grams
Plantain seed (Che Qian Zi). 3 grams
Gingko nut (Bao Guo) 10 kernels
* Shan Yao and Qian Shi are stir-fried.
Form a decoction
Used specifically for Damp-Heat discharge from the Vagina.
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