Epidemic dysentery

Also seasonal epidemic dysentery; epidemic toxin dysentery. Severe contagious dysentery attributed to overexuberant epidemic toxin congesting the intestines and damaging qì and the blood. Epidemic dysentery is characterized by acute signs such as high fever, headache, vexation and agitation, thirst, severe abdominal pain, and passing of blood and pus in the stool. The tongue is red or crimson and the pulse is slippery and rapid. The stool usually contains purplish red, often watery blood. In severe cases, there may be coma and tetanic reversal, or critical signs of vacuity desertion such as reversal cold of the limbs and hasty panting.

Biomedical correspondence: toxic dysentery.

Medicinal therapy: Clear heat and cool the blood. Use formulas such as Pulsatilla Decoction (白头翁汤 bái tóu wēng tāng), Rhinoceros Horn and Rehmannia Decoction (犀角地黄汤 xī jiǎo dì huáng tāng), or Purple Snow Elixir (紫雪丹 zǐ xuě dān).