An Innovated Green Medication Revolution for the 21st Century
According to Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the use of medicinal plaster for disease treatment was already established since 106 AD, having a long history of more than 2,000 years. It is considered as a transdermal drug delivery system composed of Chinese herbal medicine that needs to apply onto the skin, orifices, acupuncture points, lesions and other parts of the body as a kind of external application treatment method. In recent years, acupuncture points medicinal plastering therapy practices such as "Treating Winter Diseases in Summer” is widely accustomed in all parts of China, including Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. The principle of "Treating Winter Diseases in Summer" means those diseases that easily flare-up and aggravate during winter should be treated in summer when it is still at its remission period. Usually will choose to have it treated during "Dog Days of Summer" in order to lessen and control the recurrence once winter or spring arrives. "Dog Days of Summer" is referring to the three hottest days in summer. During this period, it is marked with hotness wherein yang is predominant. It will help to stimulate our body energy and blood flow in the meridians and collaterals, skin pores get to open easily making it susceptible and conducive to drug absorption in order to achieve better therapeutic effect. Every year, during this period "Dog Days of Summer", patients with bronchitis and asthma problems in tens of thousands will go to Guang’anmen Hospital of China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and seek for acupuncture point medicinal plastering therapy. This kind of method has already been practiced at Guang’anmen Hospital of China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine continuously for more than 50 years.
China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (now known as China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences) was established in 1955, formerly the State Health Department’s Acupuncture and Moxibustion Research Laboratory, has ever since involved in the clinical research project of using acupuncture and moxibustion to treat asthma. Professor Tian Conghuo, one of the inventors of "Chinese Moxibustion", who is also the director of Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department has participated in the research and development of applying medicinal drug used in “Treating Winter Diseases during Summer” for more than 50 years. Initially, application of using acupuncture and traditional moxibustion to treat asthma is effective, but with short term effect and easy to relapse. In order to find a way to prevent recurrence, Professor Tian et al. dug through an ancient literature entitled “Medical Knowledge by Zhang Lu” of Qing Dynasty, found a record in the book which mentioned: "Applying moxibustion on FeiShu acupoint (UB13), GaoHuangShu acupoint (UB43), and Tiantu acupoint (CV22) for cold syndrome asthma resulted differently, There were those who responded with effect and there were also with no response at all. Smearing drug composition with white mustard seed during "Dog Days of Summer" often achieved good result. The ingredients are composed of the following: Semen Brassicae (white mustard seed) 50 grams; Rhizoma Corydalis 50 grams; Euphorbia Kansui 25 grams; Asarum Sieboldii 25 grams; Musk 15 grams, pestle into fine power then mix with ginger juice. Apply it on FeiShu acupoint (UB13), GaoHuangShu acupoint (UB43), and Extra Acupoint Bailao (M-HN-30) and others. After application will experience cramping discomfort, do not remove it until 3 continuous sticks of incense finished burning. Repeat this procedure after 10 days, a total of 3 times". From then on, Professor Tian with his colleague began to make use of this formula and it really achieved good result. In 1958, having this formula as basic reference and in order to further improve the effectiveness into perfection, researchers unceasingly conduct in-depth study to modify the composition of the prescription, methods of delivery the drugs, altering the dosage, and selection of acupoints. Once again, it had achieved further progress with stable treatment result which had received affirmation from Premier Zhou Enlai, whom the researchers met for a total of 6 times. During the mid-50s to the mid-60s, Professor Tian Conghuo, who was bearing the task responsible for the national health program had applied acupoint’s medicinal plastering during dog’s day to treat Li Xiannian, Zhang Ziyi, Fan Changjiang, Yang Yong, nearly 10 leaders who had chronic bronchitis problem. Professor Tian Conghuo wrote an article entitled 《Clinical Research in the Treatment of Asthma and Bronchitis by Applying Medicinal Drug through Plastering during Summer for Winter Diseases》 was published in 1978. He had observed a total of 1074 cases; break down into 785 cases of asthmatic bronchitis and 289 cases of bronchial asthma. All these patients received the same method of treatment with follow-up survey after 1 to 6 years did show the following results: achieved a total effective rate of 83.7% with a markedly effective rate of 47.8% in asthmatic bronchitis and a total effective rate of 79.9% with a markedly effective rate of 46.6% in the treatment of bronchial asthma respectively. This research study had incited the attention of state leaders and relevant departments with great importance which won the 1979 Ministry of Health Science and Technology Achievement Award.
The continuation of this appeal research project is now carried over by the experts from the Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (formerly Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion of China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine). After decades of unceasing concentrated study and research in the fields of Chinese and modern medical sciences, a major change and innovation has finally initiated after a history of more than 5,700 years in the traditional moxibustion disease treatment method of delivering medicinal drug through plastering. It is also considered as a revolutionary break through creation with a complete change from the traditional way. It applies five modern high-tech advanced technologies. One of the major changes is its thermodynamic application with an automatic heating element together with concentrated herbal medicine which is being activated naturally without any smoke, producing an environment similar to treating winter diseases during summer in opening up the pores of the skin for easy rapid infiltration of drugs in molecular form directly into the focal area. It could also strengthen the circulatory and metabolic functions of the respiratory system, improving the variability of bronchial inflammation, and effectively elevating the interferon level in patient’s body. It’s not only producing a treatment result of better effectiveness than "Treating Winter Diseases in Summer”, but also not anymore restricted or without any location nor climate constraints. No matter during asthma attack or remission period, it has a very good therapeutic effect, treating not just the symptoms but also the cause of the disease radically. It has already tackled a lot of problems with profound success and achievements in modern Chinese moxibustion treatment method. "Chinese Moxibustion"! State Ministry of Science and Technology of People’s Republic of China has positioned "Chinese Moxibustion" in the "National Spark Program". It has obtained 6 national patents with Intellectual Property Rights. This fully proved that "Chinese Moxibustion" is a world leading high-tech drug.
