Construction and Defence Soul-Returning Decoction

Pattern-based

• 一切痰飮爲患 — every complaint arising from phlegm-rheum
• 痰腫 — phlegm swelling
• Abscess, back effusion and flowing-and-lodging toxic swelling (癰疽, 發背, 流注腫毒)
• 氣血逆於肉理 — Qi and Blood running counter in the grain of the flesh and congealing into an abscess
• 內疽, the inward abscess, which the leaf says it suits especially

Biomedical correlates

• Deep migratory soft-tissue abscess — the 流注 of this chapter
• Carbuncle and back abscess
• Cold abscess, including tuberculous — historical reading

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

主一切痰飮爲患, 專治痰腫, 又治癰疽ㆍ發背ㆍ流注腫毒. 赤芍藥ㆍ木通ㆍ白芷ㆍ何首烏ㆍ枳殼ㆍ茴香ㆍ烏藥ㆍ當歸ㆍ甘草 各一錢. 右剉, 作一貼, 酒水各半煎服. 《醫林》 ○一名追風通氣散, 一名通順散, 又名何首烏散. 此方宜與十宣散相間用之, 並加忍冬藤. 《入門》 ○凡氣血逆於肉理, 令壅結爲癰疽, 此藥大能順氣勻血, 自然榮衛通順, 不生變證, 尤合內疽. 《入門》 ○虛加炮附子, 實加大黃, 痰盛加南星ㆍ半夏, 腫毒堅硬不穿加川芎ㆍ麻黃ㆍ葱白ㆍ全蝎ㆍ穿山甲, 流注加獨活. 流注者氣血凝滯, 加獨活則可以動一身血脉, 血脉旣動, 豈復有流注乎. 《入門》 ○此藥治流注ㆍ癰疽ㆍ發背, 至於救壞病, 活死肌, 弭患於未萌之前, 拔根於旣愈之後, 大能順氣勻血. 盖氣陽也, 血陰也, 只調陽不和陰, 則氣耗而凝肌必不活, 如五香連翹之類是也; 只和陰不調陽, 則血旺而氣弱, 病必再作, 如內補十宣之類是也. 此藥兼之, 眞神仙妙劑也. 《醫林》

Translation

Governs every complaint arising from phlegm-rheum and treats phlegm swelling specifically; it also treats abscess and deep-rooted abscess, back effusion, and the toxic swellings of flowing-and-lodging. Red peony, akebia, angelica dahurica, fleeceflower root, bitter orange, fennel fruit, lindera, Korean angelica and licorice, 1 don each. Cut the above, make one packet, and decoct in half wine and half water and take. — Uirim 醫林. ○ It is also called Chupungtonggi-san, the Chase the Wind and Free the Qi Powder, also Tongsun-san, the Freeing and Smoothing Powder, and also Hasuo-san, the Fleeceflower Root Powder. This formula should be used in alternation with Sipseon-san, with honeysuckle vine added to both. — Immun 入門. ○ Whenever Qi and Blood run counter in the grain of the flesh and are made to congest and knot into an abscess, this drug is greatly able to make the Qi move smoothly and the Blood run even, so that construction and defence of themselves become free and smooth, no changed pattern arises, and it suits the inward abscess especially well. — Immun 入門. ○ For vacuity add blast-fried aconite; for repletion add rhubarb; when phlegm is abundant add arisaema and pinellia; when a toxic swelling is hard and will not break add cnidium, ephedra, scallion white, whole scorpion and pangolin scale; for flowing-and-lodging add pubescent angelica. In flowing-and-lodging the Qi and Blood are congealed and stagnant, and adding pubescent angelica can set the Blood vessels of the whole body in motion; once the Blood vessels are moving, how should there be any flowing-and-lodging left? — Immun 入門. ○ This drug treats flowing-and-lodging, abscess and back effusion, going so far as to rescue a ruined illness and bring dead flesh back to life, to avert the trouble before it has sprouted and to pull out its root after it has already healed; it is greatly able to make the Qi move smoothly and the Blood run even. For Qi is yang and Blood is yin: if only the yang is regulated and the yin not harmonized, then the Qi is wasted and the congealed flesh will certainly not come alive, as with the likes of Ohyangyeongyo-tang; and if only the yin is harmonized and the yang not regulated, then the Blood flourishes while the Qi is weak, and the illness will certainly come back, as with the likes of Naebo-tang and Sipseon-san. This drug does both, and is truly a marvellous agent of the immortals. — Uirim 醫林 (Donguibogam · Ongjeo)