A sore growing on the inner surface of the eyelid. A peppercorn sore is attributed to local contraction of wind toxin combining with accumulated heat in the spleen channel to cause stagnation in the network vessels of the eyelid and disharmony between qì and the blood. The sore is small and looks like a zanthoxylum fruit (Sichuanese peppercorn). It is associated with roughness and dryness, aversion to light, and tearing.
Biomedical correspondence: trachoma.
Medicinal therapy: Dispel wind and clear heat; disperse stasis and free the network vessels. An appropriate formula is schizonepeta (Schizonepetae Herba, 荆芥jīng jiè), saposhnikovia (Saposhnikoviae Radix, 防风fáng fēng), red peony (Paeoniae Radix Rubra, 赤芍药chì sháo yào), scrophularia (Scrophulariae Radix, 玄参xuán shēn), tangerine peel (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, 陈皮chén pí), cicada molting (Cicadae Periostracum, 蝉蜕chán tuì), atractylodes (Atractylodis Rhizoma, 苍朮cāng zhú), dictamnus (Dictamni Cortex, 白鲜皮bái xiān pí), forsythia (Forsythiae Fructus, 连翘lián qiào), raw rhubarb (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma Crudi, 生大黄shēng dà huáng), officinal magnolia bark (Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex, 厚朴hòu pò), licorice (Glycyrrhizae Radix, 甘草gān cǎo), and bitter lophatherum (Pleioblasti Folium, 苦竹叶kǔ zhú yè). In severe cases, without appropriate treatment, peppercorn sores may cause disease of the eye itself.