Ren Shen Bai Du San: The Legend and Modern Application of the First Prescription for Curing Plague
- Hongji Medical Group
- Feb 21
- 6 min read
Ren Shen Bai Du San was first recorded in the Book of Lei Zheng Huo Ren Shu by Zhu Gong, a famous doctor in the Northern Song Dynasty. Later, the official pharmacy of the Song Dynasty included it as a prescription in the Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang. This prescription is known as the "number one prescription for curing plague" in history. It has been used to treat patients in many dynasties and has demonstrated its excellent effect in curing plague.
Explanation of the prescription of Ren Shen Bai Du San
The ingredients of Ren Shen Bai Du San include Bupleurum, Licorice, Platycodon, Ginseng, Chuanxiong, Poria, Citrus aurantium, Peucedanum, Notopterygium, and Angelica dahurica etc. These herbs are grouped according to the principle of monarch, minister, assistant and envoy to achieve the best therapeutic effect.
Main drugs : Qianghuo and Duhuo. Qianghuo has the effects of sweating, dispersing the exterior, opening the meridians and benefiting the joints, and was regarded as a "magic medicine" for treating colds by the ancients. Duhuo is the main drug for dispelling wind and unblocking the meridians, which can open up all the meridians and harmonize the meridians. The two are used together to treat all symptoms of wind, cold and dampness.
Assistant drugs : Chuanxiong, Bupleurum, Platycodon, Citrus aurantium, Peucedanum. Chuanxiong promotes qi and blood circulation and dispels wind, Bupleurum soothes the liver and relieves muscles, Platycodon opens up lung qi and relieves cough, Citrus aurantium regulates qi, widens the chest and benefits the chest diaphragm, Peucedanum is good at lowering qi and resolving phlegm.
Adjuvant : Poria cocos. Poria cocos has the function of penetrating moisture and strengthening the spleen, and can improve the source of phlegm (spleen).
Assistant drugs : ginger, mint. Ginger and mint are used as guide drugs to help relieve the symptoms.
In addition, ginseng, as a tonic medicine, can replenish Qi to correct the body's health. Medicines for eliminating evil can be more effective if they are supplemented with tonic medicines. It can relieve the symptoms without harming the body, and there is no need to worry about internal problems.
Pathogenesis of Ren Shen Bai Du Sanr
The pathogenesis of Ren Shen Bai Du San is mainly due to the external wind, cold and dampness, which lead to insufficient body energy and the invasion of evil toxins. When the external wind, cold and dampness invade the skin surface, the struggle between the body energy and evil will cause symptoms such as fear of cold, fever and anorexia. Because the cold and dampness stagnate in the meridians and muscles throughout the body, the blood circulation in the body is not smooth, which causes headaches, neck pains, body aches and other discomforts.
In addition, the lung governs the skin and fur. When the external cold blocks the skin, the lung qi is stagnant and cannot be released, and the body fluids condense into phlegm, resulting in cough with phlegm, nasal congestion, and a heavier voice. When dampness is stagnant in the body, symptoms such as chest tightness, greasy tongue coating, and weak and floating pulse will appear. These pathological mechanisms show the key role of Renshen Baidusan in treating exogenous wind, cold, and dampness, that is, restoring the body's balance by dispelling cold and dampness, and replenishing qi and relieving the symptoms.
Therefore, the treatment principle of Ren Shen Bai Du San is to strengthen the body and eliminate the evil. Through the main herbs such as Qianghuo and Duhuo to induce sweating and dissipate the exterior, penetrate the meridians and benefit the joints, and cooperate with ginseng to replenish qi and correct the body, the effect of dispelling the exterior without hurting the body can be achieved. This treatment method can not only effectively relieve the symptoms of exogenous infection, but also enhance the body's immunity and prevent the evil toxins from invading again.
The efficacy of Ren Shen Bai Du San
The main effect of Ren Shen Bai Du San is to dispel cold and dampness, invigorate Qi and relieve the symptoms. It is suitable for various symptoms caused by exogenous wind, cold and dampness, such as sore throat, neck pain, headache, sciatica, abdominal pain, groin pain, etc. In addition, it can also treat fever and chills, diarrhea, nasal congestion, cough, difficulty in sweating, excessive sputum, white sputum, white nasal discharge, yellow sputum, yellow nasal discharge, fear of cold, easy tears, asthma, lower limb carbuncle, infantile purpura, stool purulent blood, gastrointestinal bleeding and other symptoms.
The main effect of Ren Shen Bai Du San is to dispel cold and dampness, invigorate Qi and relieve the symptoms. This prescription is particularly suitable for various symptoms caused by exogenous wind, cold and dampness, such as fear of cold, fever, no sweating, headache, neck pain, body aches, etc. Through the sweat-inducing and surface-dispersing effects of the two main herbs, Qianghuo and Duhuo, it can effectively dispel the cold and dampness in the body, restore the circulation of Qi and blood in the body, and thus relieve these uncomfortable symptoms.
In addition, Ren Shen Bai Du San also has the effects of regulating qi and resolving phlegm, relieving cough and relieving asthma. The herbs in the formula, such as Platycodon grandiflorum, Peucedanum chinense, and Citrus aurantium, can open up the lung qi, lower qi and resolve phlegm, and effectively relieve symptoms such as cough, nasal congestion, and excessive phlegm. Poria cocos has the effect of penetrating moisture and strengthening the spleen, which can improve the source of phlegm (spleen), thereby reducing the generation of phlegm and dampness, and further relieve symptoms such as chest tightness and cough.
Modern application of Ren Shen Bai Du San
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of searches for Ren Shen Bai Du San increased significantly. Modern medical research shows that Ren Shen Bai Du San has multiple effects, including antipyretic and analgesic, antibacterial, cardiotonic, and immune-enhancing.
Antipyretic and analgesic : Bupleurum has an antipyretic effect, the volatile oils of Angelica dahurica and Notopterygium wilfordii have analgesic and sedative effects, and Chuanxiong and Poria cocos have hypnotic and analgesic effects.
Antibacterial effect : This prescription has an inhibitory effect on influenza A virus, and has varying degrees of inhibitory effect on respiratory pathogens, mold, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and skin fungi.
Cardiotonic and pressor effects : Ginseng can excite the central nervous system, stimulate the pituitary-adrenaline system, and improve the body's adaptability to the environment.
Enhance immunity : Ginseng can increase the number of red and white blood cells, hemoglobin, and increase the phagocytic function of reticuloendothelial cells.
In modern medicine, Ren Shen Bai Du San is also used to treat male erectile dysfunction, limb convulsions, dry eyes, colds, rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, bronchitis, dysentery, emphysema, chronic laryngitis and laryngotracheitis, whooping cough, chronic rhinitis, urticaria, primary hypertension, frozen shoulder and other diseases.
Precautions and side effects
Ren Shen Bai Du San is warm and dry, so it is not suitable for fever. When using it, you need to pay attention to the patient's physical condition and condition, and avoid excessive use. In addition, for those who are not deficient in vital energy but have severe superficial cold, you can remove ginseng and add jingjiejie and fangfeng to dispel wind and cold. This is the famous "jingfangbaidusan".
Conclusion
As a traditional Chinese medicine with a long history, the effect of Ren Shen Bai Du San in treating exogenous wind, cold and dampness has been recognized and verified by doctors of all generations. Modern medical research has also confirmed its multiple pharmacological effects, making it still of important application value in modern medicine. Whether in ancient times or modern times, Ren Shen Bai Du San can be added or subtracted according to the specific conditions of the patient to achieve the best therapeutic effect. This also proves that traditional Chinese medicine can still play its unique advantages and functions when dealing with diseases of different eras.
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