Famous Traditional Chinese Formulas (5): Stomach Fortifier (Shenling Baizhu)

History and Ingrendients

This formula was recorded in the Prescriptions of the Pharmacy Bureau of the Song Dynasty between 1078-1085. Since then it has been continuously improved and become a standard formulation though herbal doctors may make occasional modifications for particular needs. Made of ginseng root, poria (Indian bread), atractylodes, common yam, haycinth bean, coix, amonum seed, platycodon and licorice, it is mainly designed for cold symptoms of the digestive system. The purpose is to strengthen the spleen and stomach, normalize peristalsis of the stomach and intestines, promote absorption of water and chlorine ion, improve metabolism, nurture the lung, balance bowel movement and increase energy, and is applied to chronic diarrhea, chronic colonitis, chronic hepatitis, chronic nephritis, chronic nascsinusitis, pulmonary heart disease in catabasis, radiation disease. Balanceuticals Stomach Fortifies is packed 60 caps in a bottle. The suggested dosage is 3-5 caps and three times a day.

Pharmacodynamics

Regulation of the movements of gastro-intestinal tract: small dosage of this product in decoction form reveals excitation on intestine, eliminates partial inhibition of adrenalin on the intestine, while large dose inhibits the contraction of intestine, and antagonizes the intestinal contraction induced by pilocarpine and barium chloride, and strengthens the absorption of water and chloride ion in the intestine.

Improvement of metabolism: Application of this product for treatment of intestinal disorders of deficient splenic-qi type (chronic gastritis, chronic enteritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers) reveals that, before the treatment, the creatinine, uric acid and urea nitrogen were all lower than normal. They increase markedly after the treatment. The immunity and hemorrheological indices also went up.

Clinical Results

This product is applied for the treatment of chronic diarrhea, chronic enteritis, chronic hepatitis, chronic nephritis, chronic sinusitis, relieved stage of cor pulmonale, and radiation disease.

Chronic diarrhea: 56 cases were treated, 29 cases cured; 15 cases markedly effective; 7 cases ameliorated and 5 cases ineffective.

Infantile diarrhea:23 cases were treated with a modified product and all are cured. The time of healing was 5 days at the shortest and 22 days at the longest.

Asthenic splenic diarrhea: 81 were treated with the above modified product, one dose daily, 500ml for each dose with jujube soup supplemented with water according to the condition of dehydration, 81 cases were all cured within 3~5 days.

Chronic allergic enteritis: 60 cases of splenic asthenia-damp type were treated with this product with additives, 1 dose each day in two portions in the morning and evening separately for 6 to 18 days. 38 cases were cured; 14 cases markedly effective; 6 cases ameliorated; 2 cases ineffective. The total effective rate was 97%. 30 cases of

Ulcerative colitis: 30 cases were treated with oral product combined with enema (a concentrated solution made of Radix Scrophulariae, Radix Astragali seu Hedysari, Rhizoma Bletillae, and Cortex Phellodendri 150ml, plus Yunnan white medicine 2g), once every evening with 10 sessions constituting a therapeutic course. After 3 courses of treatment, 13 cases were basically cured; 16 cases ameliorated and 1 case ineffective.

Chronic hepatitis, hepatic cirrhosis: 148 cases were treated with modified product, supplemented with diphenyl bi-fat, 100 cases (67.7%) were markedly effective; 40 cases (27.0%) effective and 8 cases ineffective. The total effective rate is 94.6%. In the 140 cases of markedly effective and effective results, 76 cases were followed up for 6 months without relapse. Among them, 105 cases showed positive HBsAg, 24 of them turned negative, 8 cases turned negative with only one exam; 10 cases, with 2 exams; 6 cases, 3 exams. For liver cirrhosis, after treatment, comprehensive evaluation of exam including B-ultrasonic exam showed that 9 of the 30 cases were completely cured; 14 cases ameliorated; 3 cases ineffective and 4 cases aggravated.

Chronic nephritis: 129 cases of splenic asthenic and damp stagnation type were treated, with 22 cases totally remitted; 35 cases basically remitted; 39 cases ameliorated and 13 cases, ineffective; 15 cases of hidden type chronic nephritis were treated with modified product, 3 cases of pure albuminuria basically remitted; 4 cases with scanty albumen, RBC and cast were basically remitted and 2 cases partially remitted.

Chronic sinusitis: This product with addition of astragalus, cocklebur (fructus Xanthii), angelica dahurica and fishwort were used as basic recipe for 68 cases of infantile patients, 1 dose daily, for 10 days as a course. 18 cases (26.5%) were cured; 25 cases (36.8%) markedly effective; 20 cases (29.4%) effective and 5 cases (7.5%) ineffective, total effective rate is 92.7%.

Pulmonary Hear Disease: 78 cases of remittent stage were treated with this product. 34 cases markedly effective; 11 ameliorated; 13 ineffective (4 cases died), the total effective rate is 83.3%, fatal rate 5.1%.

Lung tumor and radiation disorder: 50 cases of esophageal cancer, pyloric cancer and gastro-intestinal disturbance were treated with this product plus acupuncture and moxibustion. 43 cases were markedly effective; 5 cases effective and 2 cases ineffective. The total effective rate is 96%. Patients of malignant tumor after chemo- or radiation therapy may experience tasteless with foods, vertigo, nausea, vomiting, epigastric distress, averse to fat, anorexia, white greasy fur, etc. After treated with this modified product in 96 cases, 23 cases of 96 cases (34.4%) were markedly effective; 46 cases (47.9%) effective and 17 cases (17.7%) ineffective. Total effective rate is 82.3%.