Also lacquer bite. A sore attributed to contact with lacquer characterized by sudden redness, swelling, heat, and itching, papules and blisters that when ruptured by scratching exude water and leave an eroded wound. In severe cases, if it spreads over the whole body, generalized signs such as physical cold, heat effusion, and headache are observed.
Biomedical correspondence: dermatitis rhus. Chinese lacquer is produced from Rhus verniciflua, which contains urushiol, a that produces severe dermatitis in some people.
Medicinal therapy: Use Macule-Transforming Toxin-Resolving Decoction (化斑解毒汤huà bān jiě dú tāng) or Coptis Toxin-Resolving Decoction (黄连解毒汤huáng lián jiě dú tāng) plus lonicera (Lonicerae Flos, 金银花jīn yín huā), cicada molting (Cicadae Periostracum, 蝉蜕chán tuì), schizonepeta (Schizonepetae Herba, 荆芥jīng jiè), and flavescent sophora (Sophorae Flavescentis Radix, 苦参kǔ shēn). For topical application, use a cooled decoction of equal proportions of spindle tree wings (Euonymi Ramulus, 鬼箭羽guǐ jiàn yǔ), and raw sanguisorba (Sanguisorbae Radix Cruda, 生地榆shēng dì yú), and sprinkle on Indigo Powder (青黛散qīng dài sǎn).