Efficacy

Clearing stomach fire, cooling blood, reducing swelling.

Indications

Toothache, gingival atrophy, bleeding, red and swollen gums, ulceration, or swelling and pain in the lips, tongue, cheeks, fetid mouth odor, dry mouth and tongue, red tongue, yellow coating, and a surging and rapid pulse caused by accumulated heat in the stomach.

Formula Principles

This prescription is indicated for the condition caused by accumulated heat in the stomach and upward attack of fire qi along the meridians. In the formula, Coptis Rhizome clears the accumulated heat in the stomach. Peony Bark clears deficient heat and cools the blood; Unprocessed Rehmannia Root enriches yin and cools the blood; Chinese Angelica nourishes blood and regulates blood; Cimicifuga Rhizome clears heat and removes toxins, effectively treating mouth and tongue sores, and serves as a guiding herb for the Yangming meridian, thus directly subduing the flaring fire.

Pattern Identification

1. toothache swollen gums.
2. fetid mouth odor foul heat.
3. dry mouth and tongue.
4. red tongue with yellow coating.
5. slippery and rapid pulse.

Formula Modification

1. Yifang Jijie add Gypsum, enhances the effect of clearing the stomach and purging heat, with a general dosage of 15-30 grams.
2. Severe constipation. Add Rhubarb Rhizoma, Mirabilite.
3. If accompanied by dampness-heat: add Virgate Wormwood, Gentian, Skullcap Root.
4. Severe gum swelling: add Gypsum, Skullcap Root, Forsythia.
5. Yin deficiency with effulgent fire: increase Unprocessed Rehmannia Root, remove Chinese Angelica, add Ophiopogon Tuber, Polyghace Seche.
6. Severe sore throat: add Lonicera, Forsythia, Platycodon Root, or common andrographis herb.
7. Severe internal heat: add Skullcap Root, Phelloendron Bark, Gardenia.
8. Toothache leading to headache: add Asarum, Dahurian Angelica, Sichuan Lovage Rhizome.
9. Fetid mouth odor: add Patchouli, Clove.

Modern Application

Toothache, gum bleeding, ulceration, oral ulcer, tonsillitis, trigeminal neuralgia.