Cinnabar toxin

Also fire cinnabar. A skin disease characterized by sudden localized reddening of the skin, giving it the appearance of having been smeared with cinnabar. Cinnabar toxin usually affects the face and lower legs, is most common among children and the elderly, and usually occurs in spring and summer. Cinnabar toxin is known by different names according to form and location. When it affects the head, it is called head fire cinnabar bào tóu huǒ dān. When it assumes a wandering pattern, it is called red wandering cinnabar chì yóu dān, as is observed in newborns. Cinnabar toxin of the lower legs is called fire flow liú huǒ or fire cinnabar leg huǒ dān jiǎo. Cinnabar toxin arises when damaged skin and insecurity of defense qì allow evil toxin to enter the body, creating heat in the blood aspect, which becomes trapped in the skin. If the toxin is accompanied by wind, the face is affected; if accompanied by dampness, the lower legs are affected. Thus the facial type tends to be wind-heat, whereas the lower leg type is damp-heat. The disease develops swiftly. The onset of heat effusion and aversion to cold is followed by the rapid outbreak of red patches on the skin. These patches are clearly defined, and slightly raised at the edges; they feel painful and are scorching hot to the touch. They quickly spread in all directions, turn from a bright to a darker redand may scale. In some cases, there are also vesicles that leak yellow fluid on bursting and cause pain and itching. Other signs include vexing thirst, generalized heat, constipation, reddish urine, and other general heat signs. Development of a vigorous heat [effusion] with vomiting, clouded spirit, delirious speech, or even tetanic reversal are signs of the toxin attacking the body’s interior.

Biomedical correspondence: Mostly corresponds to erysipelas.

Medicinal therapy: Clear heat and resolve toxin; cool the blood and transform stasis. Oral: For head fire cinnabar, use Universal Aid Toxin-Dispersing Beverage (普济消毒饮 pǔ jì xiāo dú yǐn). For fire flow, use Gentian Liver-Draining Decoction (龙胆泻肝汤 lóng dǎn xiè gān tāng) supplemented with additional medicinals. For wandering cinnabar in newborns, treat by cooling the blood, clearing provisioning, and resolving toxin. Rhinoceros Horn and Rehmannia Decoction (犀角地黄汤 xī jiǎo dì huáng tāng) combined with Coptis Toxin-Resolving Decoction (黄连解毒汤 huáng lián jiě dú tāng). Topical: Four Colors Powder (四色散 sì sè sǎn).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on LI and SP. Main points: Apply diffuse pricking at ouch points (阿是穴 ā shì xué) and prick SP-10 (Sea of Blood, 血海 xuè hǎi), and BL-40 (Bend Center, 委中 wěi zhōng) to bleed with three-edged needle. Needle with drainage at LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), SP-9 (Yīn Mound Spring, 阴陵泉 yīn líng quán), and SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo).

Point selection according to causes: For wind-heat transforming into fire, add GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí), TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī), LU-11 (Lesser Shang, 少商 shào shāng), and LI-1 (Shang Yáng, 商阳 shāng yáng). For damp-heat, add SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo) and SP-5 (Shang Hill, 商丘 shāng qiū). For evil toxin attacking the inner body, add PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), prick Twelve Well Points (十二井穴 shí èr jǐng xué) to bleed.

Point selection according to signs: For headache, add GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí) Greater yáng (tài yáng) (太阳 tài yáng). For vigorous heat [effusion] with vexation and agitation, add GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī). For clouded spirit and delirious speech, add GV-26 (Human Center, 人中 rén zhōng), PC-7 (Great Mound, 大陵 dà líng) and KI-1 (Gushing Spring, 湧泉 yǒng quán). For nausea and vomiting, add PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān) and ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ).

Etymology

Chin 丹 dān, cinnabar, elixir; 毒 dú, toxin.