Author: Zhao Bingnan, 趙炳南

Year: 1975

Source: A Collection of Zhao Bingnan's Clinical Experiences (Zhao Bing Nan Lin Chuang Jing Yan Ji, 赵炳南临床经验集)

Category: Formulas that are Applied Externally

Pattern: Heat or Damp-Heat in the skin

Key Symptoms: Hot, weeping sores and skin lesions, rashes with severe itching

Ingredients

Subsitutions:
Qu Shi Yao Gao is a separate ointment made from many herbs cooked in sesame oil and beeswax (See notes). If unavailable, as many of the ingredients are in the UK, then it may be susbstituted with vaseline, or just prepared with sesame oil and beeswax.

Preparation: Grind the Huang Lian into a fine powder and mix with the Qu Shi Yao Gao or Vaseline into a smooth paste.

Actions: Clear Heat, drains Damp, alleviates itching

Notes:
English version is found in Xu Yihou (2004), Dermatology in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

This seems to be Xu's primary ointment of choice for weeping, ruptured and open lesions due to the antibacterial properties of Huang Lian.

Qu Shi Yao Gao consists of:
Ku Shen 120g, Bo He 90g, Bai Zhi 90g, Fang Feng 60g, Jing Jie 120g, Lian Qiao 120g, Cang Zhu 90g, Da Huang 90g, Wei Ling Xian 120g, Bai Xian Pi 150g, Wu Bei Zi 150g & Da Feng Zi 300g.
Grind into a powder and steep in 10L of sesame oil for 24 hours, then cook over a mild heat until dark yellow in colour. The oil is filtered off and for every 500ml of oil, beeswax is added, 90g in winter, 120g in spring and autumn and 150g in summer, along with 1.5g of Qing Dai.

Wu Bei Zi and Da Feng Zi may be hard to obtain or require substitution. Given the number of herbs being used and the option of simply substituting the whole formula for Vaseline then it seems safe to simply exclude them with little reduction in effect. Wu Bei Zi is high in astringent gallotannins which could therefore replaced with oak gall, acorn, Wu Wei Zi, Jin Ying Zi or sumac which all have high levels of similar tannins.