Blood dysentery

Also red dysentery. Dysentery characterized by bright bloody stool or passing of pure blood, associated with tenesmus and an exuberant pulse. When the color is bright red, it is due to heat. When the color is dark red, it is due to cold.

Biomedical correspondence: amebic dysentery; ulcerative colitis; chronic schistosomiasis (blood fluke infestation); bacillary dysentery.

Medicinal therapy: Clear the intestines and resolve toxin with formulas such as Pulsatilla Decoction (白头翁汤 bái tóu wēng tāng). For persistent passage of blood, use Coptis and Ass Hide Glue Decoction (黄连阿胶汤 huáng lián ē jiāo tāng) with the judicious addition of blood-cooling blood-quickening medicinals like lonicera (Lonicerae Flos, 金银花 jīn yín huā), dried/fresh rehmannia (Rehmanniae Radix, 生地黄 shēng dì huáng), Chinese angelica (Angelicae Sinensis Radix, 当归 dāng guī), and sanguisorba (Sanguisorbae Radix, 地榆 dì yú). Persistence of the condition can cause center qì vacuity cold, which is characterized by passage of grayish blood, withered-yellow facial complexion, and a soggy pulse, and which is treated by warming the spleen and containing the blood with Yellow Earth Decoction (黄土汤 huáng tǔ tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: To clear the intestines and resolve toxin, base treatment mainly on ST and LI; select BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport, 膈俞 gé shù), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot, 天枢 tiān shū), ST-37 (Upper Great Hollow, 上巨虚 shàng jù xū), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ) SP-4 (Yellow Emperor, 公孙 gōng sūn), GV-1 (Long Strong, 长强 cháng qiáng), LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), and GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī); needle with drainage. For persistent passing of blood, needle with even supplementation and drainage and, if appropriate, use moxa at GV-20 (Hundred Convergences, 百会 bǎi huì), SP-1 (Hidden White, 隐白 yǐn bái), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), and LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng). For enduring disease causing center qì vacuity cold, base treatment on CV, ST, LI and back transport points. Select CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct, 中脘 zhōng wǎn), CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot, 天枢 tiān shū), ST-37 (Upper Great Hollow, 上巨虚 shàng jù xū), BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), and BL-21 (Stomach Transport, 胃俞 wèi shù); needle with supplementation and use moxa.

See dysentery.