Case 1

Name: Huang.

Sex : Female.

Age: 18 years.

Occupation: A college student.

Chief Complaint: Soreness of throat and hoarseness for 3 days.

History of Present Illness: Three days ago, the patient got sore throat without obvious cause. It got worse and worse progressively, accompanied with odynophagia and hoarseness. Quickly, she lost her normal voice. Then she had to go to the local policlinic for treatment. After 2 days of intravenous dripping "Benzylpenicillin," oral taking some antibiotics, and blowing "Watermelon Frost" onto the affected part, there was no obvious curative effect on her, and the illness became severer than before. Furthermore, the patient got chest distress and dyspnea, which caused she could not speak as normal. Then she came to our hospital for treatment on July 9,1997.

Physical Examination: The patient was conscious with mouth breathing. Her lips were purple-coloured. The mucous membrane of the retropharyngeal wall became dark red and congestive. The epiglottis was congestive and swelling. Both tonsils were swelling (¢ò¡ã). The pulse was thready and rapid. The tongue was red with a thin layer of white fur. There wasn't other abnormal sign.

Diagnosis: Acute Laryngitis.

Differentiation: It was caused by upward attack of exogenous wind heat, which accumulated together in the throat and then caused there appeared qi stagnation and blood stasis in the throat. It caused the functional activities of the lung qi became disorderly, then the patient lost her voice and got chest distress. Therapeutic Principle: Clearing away heat to remove toxin, dispelling pathogenic wind and expelling superficial evils. Activating blood to resolve stasis to relieve the congestion in the throat. In addition, expelling toxic materials by purgation. (In TCM, this method was called taking away the firewood from under the cauldron)

Recipe: Modified Decoction for Regulating Ascending and Descending Function and Decoction for Promoting Production of Body Fluid.

XuanShen,Scrophularia Root 15g

ShengDiHuang,Dried Rehmannia Root 12g

XiaKuCao,Prunella Spike 15g

PuGongYing,Dandelion Herb 12g

ChanYi,Cicada Slough 10g

BaiJiangCan,Batryticated Silkworm 9g

NiuBangZi,Arctium Fruit 15g

ShanDouGen,Subprostrate Sophora Root 15g

JieGeng,Platycodon Root 20g

ShuiZhi,Dried Leech 12g

JinQiaoMai,Fagopyrum Cymosum Rhizome 15g

ShengDaHuang,Raw Rhubarb 12g (to be decocted later)

All the above drugs were to be decocted in water for oral taking. 2 doses were prescribed. Hot and greasy food was forbidden during the treatment, avoiding speaking to relieve the congestion of the throat.

Effect Observation: After taking the 1st dose, the patient excreted some loose, dark and foul stool, and then the soreness of throat and hoarseness disappeared at once. The patient could speak normally, then I decreased the ShengDaHuang (Raw Rhubarb) from 12g to 6g,and told her to go on taking the 2^nd dose. After the above treatment, the pretty girl was cured completely, she could sing aloud for me freely. Then it' s ending.

Case 2

Name: Li.

Sex : Female.

Age: 20 years.

Occupation: A college student.

Chief Complaint: Sore throat for 2 days, hoarseness for 1 day. History of Present Illness: Two days ago, the patient got sore throat caused by catching a cold. In the local policlinic she was treated by using some antibiotics and "Herba Sarcandrae Tablets, oral liquid of YinHuan," but the treatment could not prevented the illness from being worse and worse, the soreness of throat became more severe than before, followed by severe odynophagia and hoarseness, which caused she lost her voice and got chest distress and dyspnea. Then she came here for treatment on September 11,1997. Because she could not speak as normal, she had to write her illness history with a pen.

Physical Examination: The patient was conscious with a normal general condition. The mucous membrane of the retropharyngeal wall was dark red and congestive. The epiglottis was congestive and swelling. Both tonsils were swelling (¢ò¡ã). The pulse was rapid and floating. The tongue was red with a thin layer of white fur. There wasn't other abnormal sign.

Diagnosis: Acute Laryngitis.

Differentiation: It was caused by upward attack of exogenous wind heat, which accumulated together in the throat, and caused there were qi-stagnation and blood stasis, then the functional activities of the lung qi became disorderly, so the patient got sore throat and hoarseness.

Therapeutic Principle: Clearing away heat to remove toxin, activating blood to resolve stasis, conducting pathogenic fire downward in order to ease the throat, and expelling toxic materials by purgation.

Recipe £º

XuanShen,Scrophularia Root 15g

ShengDiHuang,Dried Rehmannia Root 12g

NiuBangZi, Arctium Fruit 15g

ShengDaHuang,Raw Rhubarb 15g (to be decocted later)

ChanYi,Cicada Slough 9g

BaiJiangCan,Batryticated Silkworm 9g

MuHuDie,Oroxylum Seed 12g

ShuiZhi,Dried Leech 5g

JieGeng,Platycodon Root 12g

NiuXi,Achyranthes Root 12g

PuGongYing,Dandelion Herb 12g

ShanDouGen,Subprostrate Sophora Root 15g

All the above drugs were to be decocted in water for oral taking. 2 doses were prescribed. Hot and greasy food was forbidden, additionally, she was told to avoid speaking aloud.

Effect Observation: After taking the 1st dose, the soreness and horseness disappeared at once, her voice got normal as before. After taking the 2nd dose, the patient was cured completely, she could speak as normal without any uncomfortable sensation. Then it's ending.