Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin: A Simple Guide to a Heat-Clearing, Toxin-Fighting Herbal Formula
- Health Lab
- Jan 29
- 5 min read
Updated: May 5
Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin, or "Universal Relief Toxin-Removing Drink," is a time-tested Chinese herbal formula from Dongyuan Trial Prescriptions by Li Dongyuan, a celebrated doctor of the Jin and Yuan dynasties.
Originally designed to treat "big head plague"—a term for conditions like facial erysipelas, mumps, or tonsillitis—this remedy clears heat, fights toxins, and expels wind pathogens, making it a powerful tool for infections and inflammation.
What’s in Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin?
This formula combines 14 ingredients, carefully balanced to maximize healing:
Skullcap (Huang Qin) and Coptis (Huang Lian): The lead herbs, these bitter, cooling plants act like firefighters, extinguishing heat and toxins in the head and face.
Figwort (Xuan Shen), Horsetail (Mu Lian), and Isatis Root (Ban Lan Gen): These support the leads by cooling blood, reducing inflammation, and clearing throat swelling.
Puffball (Ma Bo), Burdock (Niu Bang Zi), and Silkworm (Bai Jiang Can): These further detoxify, soothe sore throats, and dispel wind-heat.
Tangerine Peel (Chen Pi): This regulates energy flow and clears phlegm, aiding the detox process.
Bupleurum (Chai Hu) and Cimicifuga (Sheng Ma): These guide the formula to the head and face, driving out wind and pathogens.
Balloon Flower (Jie Geng): This clears lung heat, reduces phlegm, and eases throat pain.
Licorice (Gan Cao): The harmonizer, licorice soothes the formula’s intensity and supports digestion.
Mint (Bo He): This cools and disperses wind-heat, refreshing the head and throat.
These herbs are typically boiled into a tea, creating a potent remedy for heat and infection.
How Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin Works
Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin targets "wind-heat toxin" syndromes, where heat and pathogens cause symptoms like:
Red, swollen, hot, or painful head and face
Sore throat or difficulty swallowing
Fever, chills, or thirst
Red tongue with yellow coating
Think of it as a cooling, cleansing team that puts out the "fire" of inflammation, clears toxins, and unblocks energy flow.
It’s especially effective for head and throat issues, restoring comfort and balance.
Modern Uses
Modern research confirms its effectiveness for:
Infections: Facial erysipelas, mumps, tonsillitis, and upper respiratory infections.
Inflammatory Conditions: Cellulitis, lymphadenitis, or purulent ear infections.
Immune Support: Its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties boost the body’s defenses.
Clinically, patients often see quick relief from redness, swelling, and throat pain. Its immune-boosting effects make it a favorite for fighting infections, not just in China but globally.
How It Targets the Problem
"Big head plague" symptoms arise when wind-heat toxins invade, blocking qi and blood flow and causing swelling, pain, and redness in the head and face.
These toxins also dry out body fluids, leading to thirst and discomfort. Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin works by:
Cooling and detoxifying (skullcap, coptis, figwort).
Clearing wind and pathogens (bupleurum, cimicifuga, mint).
Soothing the throat and reducing swelling (balloon flower, isatis).
Restoring balance (licorice, tangerine peel).
This unblocks circulation, reduces inflammation, and hydrates, helping the body heal.
Things to Keep in Mind
Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin is potent but requires care:
Use with Caution: Its cold, bitter herbs may upset those with weak digestion or spleen deficiency (e.g., loose stools). Consult a practitioner.
Match Symptoms: It’s best for wind-heat syndromes with red, swollen, painful head/face and sore throat. Confirm with a professional.
Customize: Herbs can be added or adjusted based on symptoms, like extra throat-soothers for severe swelling.
Avoid Overuse: Its cooling nature may not suit those with yin deficiency or chronic weakness.
Why Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin Matters
Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin is a powerful ally against heat, toxins, and infections, with a legacy rooted in ancient wisdom and validated by modern science. From mumps to tonsillitis, it offers fast relief and immune support, making it a cornerstone of Chinese medicine. With proper guidance, this formula can help you tackle inflammation and feel better, blending tradition with practical healing.
Chinese Name | 普濟消毒飲 |
Phonetic | Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin |
English Name | Universal Relief Toxin-Removing Beverage |
Classification | Heat-clearing formulas |
Source | 《Dong-yuan’s Proven Formulas》Dong Yuan Shi Xiao Fang《東垣試效方》 |
Combination | Scutellariae Radix (Huang Qin) 5 qian (15g), Coptidis Rhizoma (Huang Lian) 5 qian (15g), Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chen Pi) 2 qian (6g), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Sheng Gan Cao) 2 qian (6g), Scrophulariae Radix (Xuan Shen) 2 qian (6g), Bupleuri Radix (Chai Hu) 2 qian (6g), Platycodonis Radix (Jie Geng) 2 qian (6g), Forsythiae Fructus (Lian Qiao) 1 qian (3g), Isatidis Radix (Ban Lan Gen) 1 qian (3g), Lasiosphaera Calvatia (Ma Bo) 1 qian (3g), Arctii Fructus (Niu Bang Zi) 1 qian (3g), Menthae Haplocalycis Herba (Bo He) 1 qian (3g), Bombyx Batryticatus (Jiang Can) 7 fen (2g), Cimicifugae Rhizoma (Sheng Ma) 7 fen (2g) |
Method | Grind the medicinals into a fine powder. Mix one half of the formula dose with water and drink it throughout the day. Mix the other another half of the formula dose with honey to make a pill, and then dissolve the pill in the mouth before swallowing. (Modern use: use water to decoct the medicinals.) |
Action | Clears heat, resolves toxins, scatters wind, and disperses swelling. |
Indication | This formula is indicated for swollen-head infection (also referred to as massive head scourge). The symptoms are redness, swelling, and pain in the head and face, failure to open the eyes, red, swollen, and sore throat, aversion to cold with fever, thirst, a red tongue with a yellow coating, and a forceful rapid pulse. |
Pathogenesis | This is a pattern of swollen-head infection, or epidemic swollen-head infection. The cause of the infection is the wind-heat and epidemic toxins that have accumulated in the upper jiao and then flame upward to the head and face. The wind-heat and epidemic toxins flaming up to the head and face cause the redness, swelling, and pain in the head and face, and the failure to open the eyes. Warm toxins accumulate in the throat to cause a red, swollen, and sore throat. The intense heat consumes fluids and causes thirst. In the early stage the wind-heat attacks the fleshy exterior, and obstructs the wei yang and struggles with the healthy qi to produce an aversion to cold with fever, a red tongue body with a yellow coating, and a forceful rapid pulse. These are all signs of intense interior heat. Epidemic toxins need to be cleared and resolved, the wind-heat needs to be scattered and dissipated, and the disease in the upper part of the body needs to be alleviated. Therefore, the therapeutic method for this pattern is primarily to clear heat and resolve toxins, and secondarily to scatter and dissipate the wind-heat. |
Application | 1. Essential pattern differentiation Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin is a commonly used formula used to treat swollen-head infection. This clinical pattern is marked by redness, swelling, and pain in the head and face, sore throat, aversion to cold with fever, red tongue with a yellow coating, and a forceful, rapid pulse. 2. Modern applications This formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders when the patient has symptoms caused by wind-heat and epidemic toxins: facial erysipelas, epidemic parotitis, acute tonsillitis, upper respiratory tract infection, cellularis phlegmasia in the head and face, acute purulent otitis media, acute posteriorganglionitis in the head and face, and adenolymphitis with obstruction of lymphatic return. |
Comentarios