Clinical Application Of Radix Ophiopogon Decoction Literature

The prescription Shashen Maidong Tang (the SSMDT; the decoction of Glehnia Ophiopogon) was first described in "Wen Bing Tiao Bian" (The treatise on differentiation of warm diseases), a book written by Wu Jutong in Qing Dynasty. This prescription is a very typical one used to clear away lung-heat and nourishing the stomach; and promoting the fluids and moisturising dryness. The 7 ingredients of SSMDT are Shashen (Radix Adenophorae seu Glehniae, Yuzhu (Rhizoma Polygonati Odorati, Gancao (Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae), Sangye (Folium Mori), Maidong (Radix Ophiopogonis), Biandou (Semen Lablab Album) and Huafen (Radix Trichosanthis). This prescription has been used mainly to cure the yin deficiency of lung and stomach syndrome caused by warm-heat and dryness-heat. However, in recent years, with the developing of physicians in clinical practice and study,the application of this prescription has gradually been applied broadly to diseases of different systems.Based on the 157 references from 1985-2009, this dissertation tries to systematically summarise and analyse the applications of this prescription on different clinical subjects. The investigation of these reports allows us to understand more about the limitation, clinical characteristics and application circumstances of this medicine, thus provides more clinical information for the treatment in the future.According to these 157 references the SSMDT could not only be used on the internal, surgical, gynecologic and pediatrics diseases, but also on the diseases of respiratory, endocrine, digestive, ophthalmological and otorhinolaryngological, connective tissue, metabolic, nervous, blood and circulatory systems.The SSMDT was prescribed to treat 11 different respiratory system diseases. Most of these cases had cough, bronchitis and lung cancer. Regarding cough, the primary symptom was dry cough and Shashen, Maidong were the major ingredients in the prescription. The effective rate could be as high as 100%. As for the bronchitis with cough, expectoration, wheezing symptoms, the effective rate could be 92.93%,and Shashen, Maidong and Yuzhu were the major ingredients in the prescription. As for the lung cancer with dyspnea symptom, the effective rate could be 92.11%and Shashen, Maidong and Gancao were used as the major ingredients. The SSMDT was used on 6 paediatrics diseases. The primary symptoms of these cases were dry cough without sputum. The effective rate could be 94%, when Shashen, Maidong and Gancao were the major ingredients.The SSMDT was used on 7 digestion diseases. Most of these cases were atrophic gastritis, the side effect of anti-TB drugs and stomach pain. For atrophic gastritis with the primary clinical symptoms of noises after eating, red tongue or less coating on tongue, the effective rate could be 96%when Shashen, Maidong and Gangcao were the major ingredients. For the side effect of anti-TB drugs with the priminary symptoms of dry mouth and throat, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, the effective rate could be 95.6%when Shashen, Maidong, Biandou, and Gangcao were the major ingredients. For the stomach pain with the primary symptoms of stomach distending pain, vomiting and heartburn, dry mouth, thirst but no desire to drink and poor appetite, the effective rate could be 97.5%and Shashen, Maidong, Yuzhu and Gancao were the major ingredients.The SSMDT was used on the 6 different ophthalmological and otorhinolaryngological diseases. Most of these cases were the chronic pharyngitis, radiation therapy damage and exfoliative cheilitis. For the chronic pharyngitis with the priminary symptoms of pharyngeal foreign body sensation, the effective rate could be 100%when Shashen, Maidong and Gangcao were the major ingredients. For the radiation therapy damage with the primary symptoms of oral pain, ulcers albuginea, the effective rate could be 94.4%when the whole ingredients in the SSMDT were used. For the exfoliative cheilitis, the effective rate could be 90%when Shashen, Maidong, Yuzhu and Sangye were the major ingredients.The SSMDT was used on 3 connective tissue diseases. It was the main treatment for Sjogren's syndrome patients with the dry mouth and throat symptoms. The effective rate could be 95.6%when Shashen and Miadong were the major ingredients.From these reports, the clinical applications of the SSMDT were with various combinations of ingredients depending on the different types of diseases. The amount of Biandou was often reduced or even not prescribed. However this should be considered carefully.