Damp sore

Any of a variety of skin diseases characterized by itching, ulceration, exudation, crusting, and recurrence. They specifically includes: scrotal wind; four bends wind; umbilical damp; nipple wind; invisible worm sore of the nose. Acute forms are ascribed mainly to damp-heat, very often with external wind. Wind is a yáng evil, light and buoyant; it easily invades the interstices of the head, face, and upper body. It is mobile and changeable; it often changes location and spreads quickly. Dampness is a yīn evil; it is sticky and stagnatingand is spreading and pervasive. It is heavy and turbid, and tends to be found in low places. When it invades the body, it can cause water vesicles, ulceration, and exudation. Wind and dampness easily harbor brewing heat, and the three evils together cause dampness, scorching heat, itching and soreness of the skin. Chronic damp sores tend to be caused by blood vacuity and wind dryness with damp-heat brewing and accumulating. They are recurrent and persistent, associated with severe itching that prevents the patient from sleeping, and poor stomach intake. Yīn blood depletion engenders wind and dryness, depriving the skin of nourishment, and causing dryness, thickening of the skin, and scaling. Persistent damp sores affecting the chest, abdomen, or genitals are associated with liver channel damp-heat. Damp sores affecting the lower body with prominent green-blue veins (varicose veins) are associated with liquor heat brewing internally. Damp sores with nutritional disturbance are ascribed to spleen vacuity with brewing damp-heat.

Medicinal therapy: Treatment varies according to specific pattern:

For damp-heat, clear heat and disinhibit dampness. Use formulas such as variations of Fish Poison Yam Dampness-Percolating Decoction (萆薢渗湿汤 bì xiè shèn shī tāng) combined with Mysterious Two Pill (二妙丸 èr miào wán).

For blood heat, cool the blood, clear heat, and disinhibit dampness with medicinals such as fresh rehmannia (Rehmanniae Radix Recens, 鲜地黄 xiān dì huáng), red peony (Paeoniae Radix Rubra, 赤芍药 chì sháo yào), moutan (Moutan Cortex, 牡丹皮 mǔ dān pí), coptis (Coptidis Rhizoma, 黄连 huáng lián), fresh gardenia (Gardeniae Fructus Recens, 生山栀 shēng shān zhī), gardenia (Gardeniae Fructus, 山栀子 shān zhī zǐ), dictamnus (Dictamni Cortex, 白鲜皮 bái xiān pí), kochia (Kochiae Fructus, 地肤子 dì fū zǐ), siegesbeckia (Siegesbeckiae Herba, 豨莶 xī xiān), flavescent sophora (Sophorae Flavescentis Radix, 苦参 kǔ shēn), erythrina (Erythrinae Cortex, 海桐皮 hǎi tóng pí), and raw licorice (Glycyrrhizae Radix Cruda, 生甘草 shēng gān cǎo).

For damp obstruction, fortify the stomach and eliminate dampness with formulas such as variations of Dampness-Eliminating Stomach-Calming Poria Five Decoction (除湿胃苓汤 chú shī wèi líng tāng). For blood dryness, nourish the blood and dispel wind, and clear heat and transform dampness. Use dried/fresh rehmannia (Rehmanniae Radix Exsiccata seu Recens, 生地黄 shēng dì huáng), Chinese angelica (Angelicae Sinensis Radix, 当归 dāng guī), white peony (Paeoniae Radix Alba, 白芍药 bái sháo yào), dictamnus (Dictamni Cortex, 白鲜皮 bái xiān pí), kochia (Kochiae Fructus, 地肤子 dì fū zǐ), fish poison yam (Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae seu Semptemlobae Rhizoma, 萆薢 bì xiè), poria skin (Poriae Cutis, 茯苓皮 fú líng pí), cnidium seed (Cnidii Fructus, 蛇床子 shé chuáng zǐ), and raw licorice (Glycyrrhizae Radix Cruda, 生甘草 shēng gān cǎo).

Selecting medicinals according to location:

• For the head and face, add chuanxiong (Chuanxiong Rhizoma, 川芎 chuān xiōng), notopterygium (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix, 羌活 qiāng huó), and Dahurian angelica (Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, 白芷 bái zhǐ). For the breasts and umbilicus, add virgate wormwood (Artemisiae Scopariae Herba, 茵陈蒿 yīn chén hāo), Madaio dock root (Rumicis Madaio Radix, 土大黄 tǔ dà huáng), and plantago seed (Plantaginis Semen, 车前子 chē qián zǐ).
• For the limbs, add mulberry twig (Mori Ramulus, 桑枝 sāng zhī), cyathula (Cyathulae Radix, 川牛膝 chuān niú xī), and lonicera stem and leaf (Lonicerae Caulis, 忍冬藤 rěn dōng téng).
• For damp sores on the lower leg with prominent green-blue veins and dark-colored skin, quicken the blood and dispel stasis by adding lycopus (Lycopi Herba, 泽兰 zé lán), zedoary (Curcumae Rhizoma, 莪朮 é zhú), and cyathula (Cyathulae Radix, 川牛膝 chuān niú xī).