The External Treatment of Epidemic Parotitis by TCM: by Peng Jin and Li Yanping
The External Treatment of Epidemic Parotitis by TCM: by Peng Jin and Li Yanping
The External Treatment of Epidemic Parotitis by TCM: by Peng Jin and Li Yanping
pidemic parotitis or mumps is an acute infectious disease caused by the mumps virus. Its chief clinical manifestations are fever, swelling of the parotid gland and distending pain. It usually occurs in winter and spring, and children of 2-14 years old are especially vulnerable to the disease. The external treatment of mumps by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is simple and effective. Several commonly used methods of external treatment are introduced as follows:
Wallichii), Bai Ji (Rhizoma Bletillae Striatae), Ban Lan Gen (Radix Isatidis seu Baphicacanthi) and Zhi Zi (Fructus Gardeniae Jasminoidis). They are dried and ground into fine powder and mixed with lukewarm boiled water to make a paste for external application, once a day. This paste can eliminate swelling and quickly relieve pain, and 2-5 external applications can generally cure the disease. In one study, 315 children with mumps were treated with a paste made of the following ingredients: Chuan Shan Jia (Squama Manitis Pentadactylae), Ru Xiang (Gummi Olibanum), Chi Shao (Radix Paeoniae Rubrae), Lian Qiao (Fructus Forsythiae Suspensae), Sheng Da Huang (Rhizoma Rhei), Zhi Zi (Fructus Gardeniae Jasminoidis), Da Qing Ye (Folium Daqingye), Ban Lan Gen (Radix Isatidis seu Baphicacanthi) and Wu Ling Zhi (Excrementum Trogopterori seu Pteromi). 53 cases were cured after one treatment, 223 cases after two treatments and 39 after three treatments
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paste is changed twice a day. It is reported that after using the above paste on Yongquan KID-1 the body temperature was lowered to normal and the pain was relieved 12 hours after its application, and after 48 hours all the symptoms and signs disappeared. Generally, a repeated application, for 2-4 days was effective to cure the disease.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture can be used to treat epidemic parotitis. Most of the points selected are on shaoyang and yangming channels and the reducing method is used to purge heat. It is reported that Hegu L.I.-4, Yifeng SJ-17 and Lieque LU-7 were selected and needled by the reducing method in the treatment of 1080 cases of mumps, with the needles retained for 20 minutes. The therapeutic effect was marked and the total curative rate reached as high as 100%, with 310 cases cured after one treatment, 538 after two and 232 after three. It has been discovered that electro-acupuncture can not only relieve local pain and systemic symptoms, but also has a significant antipyretic effect. Bilateral Hegu L.I.-4, Shaoshang LU-11, Jiaosun SJ-20 and the most sensitive point at the involved parotid gland were primarily selected for the treatment of 350 cases of mumps; 95% of which (333 cases) were cured in 3 days and of which 85% had their body temperature of over 38C restored to normal within 20 hours. Besides body acupuncture, auriculo-acupuncture can also be applied. Auricular points toe, shoulder and occiput are punctured perpendicularly with the filiform needle and strongly stimulated more than 10 times without retaining the needle. The method was once used to treat 500 cases, with pain ameliorated immediately after one treatment and swelling eliminated after two treatments. The auricular-plaster therapy is easily accepted by children as it causes no pain. Wang Bu Liu Xing (Semen Vaccariae Segetalis) is fixed with plaster on bilateral parotid glands, unilateral ear tip and unilateral shenmen. The seeds are pressed 4-5 times a day and removed after elimination of swelling. Generally the patient can be cured in 2-4 days. In addition, bloodletting therapy is also a good method of treatment for epidemic parotitis. As the method has a rapid analgesic effect, it has been used extensively. Doctor Zhu et al. used the three-edged needle to bloodlet Zhaohai KID-6 point. Pain was relieved instantly and swelling disappeared or was greatly ameliorated within 24 hours of bloodletting. In severe cases, the method was repeated on the second day and the symptoms basically disappeared or the disease was cured. Other methods of bloodletting emphasise the jingwell points, with Shaoshang LU-11 and Guanchong SJ-1 as the main points, and Shangyang L.I.-1 as the subordinate point, or alternatively, auricular point bloodletting and venous bloodletting at the back of the ear etc. may be applied. Clinical experience has demonstrated that the therapeutic effect of the above methods is definite.
This article first appeared in The Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing edition, June 1995.
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