三物备急丸

Name

Pill of Three Drugs for Emergency

Source

The book Jin Gui Yao Lue

Ingredients

• Da Huang (Radix et Rhizoma Rhei) 30g,
• Gan Jiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis) 30 g,
• Ba Dou (Fructus Crotonis) with its oil removed 30 g.

Explanation

Ba Dou: The principal drug, being pungent in flavor and hot in nature, drastically purging cold accumulation.

Gan Jiang: Warming up Yang-Qi, assisting Ba Dou in removing cold pathogens.

Da Huang: Eliminating pathogenic stagnancy in the gastrointestinal tract, restricting the toxicity of Ba Dou.

Effect

Eliminating cold accumulation

Indications

Syndrome due to cold accumulation of excess type, marked by sudden prickly distending pain in the gastrointestinal region, shortness of breath, trismus, constipation, whitish tongue coating and deep tense pulse; including such diseases with the above symptoms as food poisoning, acute simple intestinal obstruction, etc.

Contraindication

This prescription is a drastic one with purgative action. Ba Dou in it should be cautiously prescribed, because it has great toxicity and strong irritation to the gastrointestinal tract. When sudden and acute abdominal pain is treated in pragnant women or in those infirm with age or due to pathogenic summer-heat, this prescription is not allowed to be prescribed. Cool rice gruel can be taken to alleviate persistent diarrhea which might be brought about by taking this medicine.

Administration

Ground into powder, 0.6-1.5 g of the powder is taken each time. If no bowel movements result after this dosage is taken, the second taking is preferable according to the need of disease condition. (Originally, this medicine was also in the form of honeyed boluses. )