From the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, September 2001, Vol. 42, No.9 pg. 550-1.

Translated excerpts from “100 Case Clinical Study on the Treatment of Psoriasis from the Theory of Toxin”

Chinese Medical Pattern Differentiation Types:

Heat Toxin Type: duration of the disease is comparatively long, the disease state is relatively mild with repeated flare-ups, the lesions gradually grow, and are sometimes less symptomatic and sometimes more acute.  The lesions are pale red that are diffusely distributed across the trunk, 4 limbs, etc. The lesion surface is covered with silvery white scales that are slightly itchy.  The patient’s mouth often feels dry and there is throat pain.  The tongue is pale red with a yellow coat and the pulse is rapid.

Blood Toxin Type: the condition develops quickly, the nature of the disease is more severe, a scorching red rash develops rapidly and spreads to the various places across the whole body, and there is characteristic pin-point bleeding which is obvious if scratched. The scales are thicker, new rashes continue to appear, could be bilateral, and severely itch.  There is heart vexation, thirst; the stools are dry and the urine dark. The tongue is crimson with a yellow coat.  The pulse is wiry and rapid.

Treatment Methods:

Treatment Group--Heat Toxin Type: clear heat, resolve toxin.  Used Re Du Jiao Nang (Heat Toxin Capsule) containing: Qing Dai, Lu Feng Fang, Chong Lou, Huang Qin, Tu Fu Ling, and Jin Yin Hua. Take 4 capsules each day, three times a day. 

Treatment Group—Blood Toxin Type: cool blood, resolve toxin.  Used Xue Du Jiao Neng (Blood Toxin Capsule) containing: Ling Yang Jiao, Sheng Di Huang, Tu Fu Ling, Quan Xie, Wu Gong and Zi Cao.  Take 4 capsules each day, three times a day.

Both Types: while taking the internal herbs, use Pi Du Qing Frost (Qing Dai, Jie Fan, Bing Pian) externally.  Each day twice a day apply to the affected areas.  Two months is one course of treatment for both internal and external herbs.

Control Group: took Yu Jing Yin Xie Pian containing Yu Jin, E Zhu, Hong Hua, Xiang Fu, Da Huang, and  Qin Jiao.  Take 4 tablets each day, three times a day.  Externally the patients used a topical western drug containing triaminiclone and applied it very day twice a day on the affected areas.  Two months is one course of treatment.

Curative Effects Standards:

Clinically cured: the lesions had disappeared or are only faintly there, and the patient is aware that the symptoms have disappeared.  Obvious effect: 70% or more of the lesions have disappeared and the patient is aware that most of the basic symptoms have disappeared. Some effect: between 30% and 69% of lesions have disappeared, and the patient is aware of slight improvement.  No effect: less than 30% of the lesions have disappeared, or there is no change, or the skin is worse. The patient is aware that the symptoms have not improved or have worsened.

Outcomes:

Outcome for 100 cases in the treatment groups: 48 cases clinically cured, 31 cases had an obvious effect, 17 cases had some effect, and 4 cases had no effect. The total efficacy rate was 79%. 

Outcome for 30 cases in the control group: 3 clinically cured, 6 had an obvious effect, 13 had some effect, and 8 had no effect. The total efficacy rate was 30%. 

The treatment group curative rate was obviously greater than the control group.

Typical case:

58 year old man.  He had red lesions over his whole body that flaked, and he had repeated relapses over the past 10 years, but recently became acute 1 week ago.  Ten years ago the patient lived in a moist dwelling, and on his left leg appeared a coin-shaped red macule with scaling. One month later it spread to his whole body. He went to the hospital and the diagnosis was “psoriasis.” He was given western drugs orally for treatment and after three months the rash disappeared.  Six months later he had another relapse in summer and it would subside in the fall; he did not seek treatment.  One week ago he ate dog meat and his rash suddenly got worse.  Over his face and 4 limbs appeared geographically shaped red macules with characteristic pin-point bleeding.  The scales had an increase in thickness, and the itching was severe.  He also experienced headaches, heart vexation, thirst, and constipation. His urine was dark yellow, his tongue was red with a yellow coat, and his pulse was wiry and rapid.

Diagnosis: common psoriasis blood toxin type.  Herbs used: Xue Du Jiao Nang taken orally 4 capsules 3 times a day.  He externally used Pi Du Qing Shuang.  After 7 days his lesions obviously lessened and the itching became milder.  After 14 days the large areas of lesions disappeared, did not itch, and the stool, urination and appetite became normal.  After 14 more days the entire rash all over this body disappeared.  His tongue and pulse became normal.

Discussion:

We think that the cause of skin disease is an invasion of a “toxin evil.”  One explanation is the ingestion or contact with extremely toxic substances (including herbs, chemical preparations, eating toxic foods, etc) can cause a toxic reaction. Or, within common foods, medicinal substances, animal, plant or other natural substances, or even within in the 6 qi (wind, cold, damp, summerheat, dryness, fire) there could be a toxin evil that does not cause a systemic onset of disease, but rather a person could be partially affected,  and the person’s constitution could be blamed for the lability.  The toxin evil invades, gathers in the skin’s intersticies causing qi and blood stagnation, ying/wei disharmony, and the channels and collaterals become obstructed; the toxin evil endures, the toxic qi is deep, and then comes out through the skin, all resulting in skin disease. One type of toxin evil can be found from external contact with a particular pathogenic factor like a food toxin, herb toxin, cosmetic toxin, insect or animal toxin, paint toxin, etc. When the body contracts some kind of pathogenic factor, the effect comes after the disease moves interiorly and forms a pathological result like heat toxin, blood toxin, wind toxin, damp toxin, etc. These pathogenic results form later and can directly or indirectly affect some zangfu tissues and skin leading to different types of skin disease patterns.