TRADITIONAL INTERNAL MEDICINE – DISEASES & FORMULAS
Herpes
Herpes is a Viral Infection that causes painful lesions, blisters or ulcers. It is spread by skin-to-skin contact.
There are several types of Herpes
- Cold Sores Herpes Simplex which affect the lips, mouth or face causing red sores and blisters,
- Genital Herpes: Sexually Transmitted infection causing painful lesions or blisters on the genitals. Caused by Herpes Simplex type 1 or type 2.
- Herpes Zoster or Shingles, is a reactivation of the Chickpox virus, causing severe Neuralgia, typically on one side of the body, usually around the waistline, and often over the Liver. It is not actually the same Virus that causes the above 2 infections.
The infection is usually only infective when there is lesions although genital herpes can apparently cause infection when there are no signs or symptoms, including no skin lesions.
Symptoms
Cold Sores present with burning. redness, and eruption of skin lesions or blisters. Often there is a tingling sensation before the lesion erupts.
Genital Herpes: tengling or pain with blisters or ulcers of the genitals. Some people are infected but have no signs or symptoms.
Treatment
According to Western Medicine there is no cure. Antiviral medicines can be used during a flare-up which shortens the time of having a skin lesion and reduces the chance of infecting others.
In traditional medcine, most people who have recurrent, burning, red lesions or blisters show a Liver Heat or “Bile” type condition with red tongue, yellowish coat, rapid or strong pulse, irritability, high colored urine etc. In these cases, cold and bitter medicines, used internally and topically, tend to work very well. Some cases show a more Damp-Heat (Phlegm-Bile) condition, while others may show more of a Heat-Toxin manifestation.
Bloodletting can be effective. Local points can be bled to relieve heat, itchiness and pain. Larger veins in the arms were bled if there was strong Heat or a condition of excess.
Other possible pathologies include:
Cold and Qi Deficiency
Yin Deficiency with Heat
Western Tradition
Simples
Barberry
Self Heal
Balm
Bittersweet
Clove
Alum
Zinc oxide
Celandine
Sage
St. Johns wort
Black Nightshade
Neem
Sulphur
Formulas
Decoction Liberans
Syrup of Fumitory Lesser (Mesue)
Syrup of Fumitory Greater
Syrup of Rose Solutive (Syrupus Rosaceus Solutivus)
Swedish Bitters
Cantharide 37 (Byang chos so bdun)
Topically
Plaster of Three Ingredients or Apostles Plaster
Swedish Bitters
Oil of Elecampane
TCM Classification
Simples
Coptis Huang Lian
Paeonia Mu Dan Pi
Phellodendron Huang Bai
Gentiana Long Dan Cao
Formulas
Liver Heat / Damp Heat
Headache, red eyes, irritability, red tongue, strong colored urine, Red Tongue with a yellow coat
Chai Hu Qing Gan Tang
Long Dan Xie Gan Tang
Er Miao San
Yin Chen Hao Tang
Heat and Toxin
Painful swollen sore or lesion, red tongue with a dryish yellow or dirty coat
Chai Hu Qing Gan Tang
Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin
Cold / Deficiency
Lesion is not as red or painful, pale face, feels the cold, poor digestion, slow pulse, pale tongue with white coating
Li Zhong Wan
Yin Deficiency with Heat
Dry mouth and throat, red tongue without fur, rapid and weak pulse, maybe night sweats
Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan
Special Formula
1. Madder with Bittersweet, Arnica (Memorial Pharmaceutique, 1824)
Topically:
1. Sublimed Sulphur (1 dram), pulp of Dock root (1 oz.), Lard (2 oz.), Lemon juice (2 spoonfuls). Mix. (Memorial Pharmaceutique, 1824)
2. Coptis and Rhubarb powder (equal parts) in vaseline. I have used this very effectively (Adam)
3. Honey can be applied to open sores and blisters.
4. Avicenna regarded Orpiment highly for Herpes and other chronic skin conditions. It mau be mixed with Honey or Vaseline for topical application.
