Medical  bath

Medicated liquid with a certain concentration is used to bathe or soak the whole body. In this way, the active principles of the drugs can exert direct effects on the region of pathological changes to destroy bacteria, kill pain, check itching and relieve inflammation. Meanwhile, by means of skin absorption, the active principles enter blood circulation to reach every tissue and organ of the human body, and to bring the therapeutic effects into full paly.

1. The mechanism of medicated bath

Medicated bath, like hot spring bath, hot water bath and sauna, can make skin blood vessels dilated and congested, accelerate metabolism and strengthen syringadenous excretion to promote profuse sweating and discharge of metabolite and toxin. Heat can reduce the excitability of nervous system to produce tranquilization and to be beneficial to sleeping , too. The heat of water can reduce muscular tension to relieve muscular pain and spasm as well. Moreover, the drugs in the medicated liquid reach the body directly. Therefore, it can produce a pharmacological action which does not exist in other bathing therapies.

Medicated bath may be applicable to the rehabilitation of hypertension, local soft tissue injury, neurosis, rheumatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbago, pain of legs, ischias, sequelae of cerebrovascular accident, obesity, psoriasis, and skin itching,etc.

Before bathing, soak the drug for more than half an hour. Then, decoct the drugs into decoction. Next, mix the decoction with bathing water. The temperature of the water is about 40-50^oC. The bathing lasts 15 to 20 minutes (soak only the affected part in the case of contagious skin diseases such as tinea manuum and tinea pedis) each time, once a day or once every other day. It is advisable to take the medicated bath after noon or in the evening according to the specific patient’s conditions. Each dose can be decocted twice. After bathing, wipe the body drily with a towel. Then, cover the body with a quilt and lie in bed peacefully for a while. However, be cautious not to select the drugs which irritate and corrode the skin; old, very young and seriously sick patients should be nursed to avoid accidents; medicated bath is not advisable in the case of skin injury, excessive starvation, overfeeding, menstrual period and pregnant stage.

2 The common used prescriptions for medicated bath

(1) Prescription for skin itching

90g Gangeye (dry Folium Nelumbinis), Gaoben (Rhiazoma Ligustici), Gansong(Rhizoma Nardostachyos) BaiZhi(Dahurian Angelica Root) Weilingxian(Radix Clematidis) Cangercao(Herva Xanthii) Rendongteng(Caulis Lonicerae) and salt respectively.

(2)Prescription for skin eczema

100g of fresh Chuanlianpi(Pericarpium Meliae Toosendan), 30g of Qiyeyizhihua(Cortex Actinodaphnes Obovatae), Longgu(Os Draconis) and Luganshi(Calamina) respectively, 25g of Tufuling(Rhizoma Smilacis Glabrae), Kushen(Radix Sophorae Flavescentis), Difuzi(Fructus Kochiae) and Huzhang(Rhizoma Polygoni Cuspidati) respectively, 20g of Huanglian(Rhizoma coptidis), Huangqin(Radix Scutellariae), Huangbai(Cortex Phellodendri), Shengdaihuang(Radix et Rhizoma Rhei),Baixianpi(Cortex dictamni Radicis), Huajiao(Pericarpium Zanthoxyli) and Diyu(Radix Sanguisorbae) respectivelhy, 15g of Chixiaodou(Semen Phaseoli),Baiyaojian(Massa Gallae et Thei Fermentata), Liujinu(Herba Artemisiae Anomalae) and Danpi(Cortex Moutan Radicis) respectively, 10g of Cheqianzi(Semen Plantaginis) and Bingpian(Borneolum Syntheticum) respectively.

(3)Prescription for infantile malnutrition

15g of Kushen(Radix Sophorae Flavescentis), Fulingpi(Epidemis Poriae), Cangzhu(Rhizoma Atractylodis), Sangbaipi(Corlex Mori Radicis) and Baifan(Alumen) respectively and 15g of Congbai(Bulbus Allii Fistulosi).

(4)Prescription for sore and scabies due to toxic heat

30g Fangfeng(Radix Ledebouriellae with the tip removed),Baizhi(Radix Angelicae Dahuriae), Xixin(Herba Asari), Kushen(Radix Sophorae Flavescentis), Wuzhuyu(Fructus Evodiae), Kulianzi(Fructus Meliae Toosendan), Lilu(Radix et Rhizoma Veratri) with the tip removed, Mangcao(Folium Illicii Lanceolati) and Mahuanggen (Radix Ephedirae) respectively, 15g of Chuanjiao(Percarpium Zanthoxyli) and 60g of salt.

(5)Prescription of tinea manuum and tinea pedis

30g of Kushen(Radix Sophorae Flavescentis),Taoren (Semen Persicae),Shechuangzi(Fructus Cnidii), Wumei(Fructus Mume), Lianqiao(Fructus Forsythiae) and Dahuang(Radix et Rhizoma Rhei) respectively, 20g Gancao(Radix Glycyrrhizae) and 40g of Mangxiao(Natrii Sulfas).

(6)Prescription for arthritis and gout

Equal amount of Laoguancao(Herba Erodii seu Geranii), Wujiapi(Cortex Acnthopancis Radicis), and Shenjincao(Herva Lycopodii),etc.respectively.

(7)Prescription for strengthening renal yang and sexual tunction

30g of Dingxiang(Flos Caryophylli), Rougui(Cortex Cinnamomi), Zishaohua(Spongillae),Rougui(Cortex Cinnamomi), Zishaohua(Spongillae Fragillae), and Shechuangzi(Fructus Cnidii) respectively, 60g of Cangzhu(Rhizoma Atractylodis) and Duzhong(Cortex Eucommiae) respectivlly. All the above ingredients are ground into coarse powder.30g of the powder is decocted each time for use. Fumigate and wash the navel, abdomen and Dantian with the decoction.

Written by Wang Xudong