Objective: TO observe the clinical effect and mechanism of Wangbi Tablets (tablets for treating Wangbi) in treating rheumatoid Arthritis.

Methods: l50 Patients were divided randomly into two groups, l00 in the treatment group and 50 in the control group. The treatment group was treated with Wangbi Tablets, which consists of Radix Aconitum, Herba Siegesbeckiae, Rhizoma Ligusticum Wallichii, Radix Astragalus, Radix Paeoniae lactiflora Alba, Radix Dipsacus, Herba Erodium seu Geranium, Caulis Sinomeniurn Acutum, Herba Aristolochiae Mollissimae, Semen Sinapis Albae, Radix et Rhizoma Clematis, Nidus Vespae, Eupolyphaga Scolopendra, Semen Strychnos. l0 tablets, 3 times per day were given oral intaking with boi1ed water or yellow wine, for 3 months' successively with an interval of one day between weeks. The control group was given Fengshi Maqian Tablets (tablet of Semen Strychnos for treating rheumatism) 4 tablets 3 times a day for 3 months successively.

The main criteria of observation in the therapeutic period were: arthralgia and morning stiff swelling of joint and its motion ability erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and rheumatoid factor (RF). The therapeutic effect was classified into 4 degree, i.e. cured: symptoms and signs disappeared, laboratory parameters restored to normal; markedly effective: one of the above-mentioned criteria normalized and other two improved or two of them norma1ized; effective: one of the criteria normalized or 2 improved; ineffective: no improvemen in all the three criteria was found. The inter-groups comparison in: effective rate, ESR restores rate, RF negative conversion rate was examined by Chi-square test. And experimental studies mainly on pharmacology and toxicology were adopted as well.

Result: The total effective rate of Wangbi tablet was 94%, its ESR restore rate 8l.58%, and RF negative conversion rate 80.33%, the difference was significant (P<0.05) as compared with those of the drugs for controlling, paticularly in effective rate and RF negative conversion rate.

Conclusion: Wangbi tablets has satisfactory therapeutic effect on rheumatoid Arthritis.

By Cao Zhongzhen, Zhu Xiaoming