ABSTRACT
To investigate the effectiveness of Maobushisaishin-to (traditional Japanese herbal medicine; Tsumura TJ-127) in treating the common cold, a clinical comparison between Maobushisaishin-to and a general common cold drug was conducted using the sealed envelope method. The study involved 83 patients in the TJ-127 group and 88 patients in the general cold drug group. No differences in age, gender or the period from the onset of the disease to the beginning of treatment were observed between the two groups.<br>The results indicated greater than moderate improvement in 81.9% of the TJ-127 group, compared with 60.3% of the compound cold drug group (p<0.01). Further analysis of symptom diaries kept by the patients indicated that TJ-127 provided more rapid relief for symptoms such as fever, feeling feverish, coughing and phlegm than did the general cold drug. No side effects were observed for the TJ-127. These results suggest that TJ-127 is effective in the treatment of the common cold.
ABSTRACT
Suppression of fever with antipyretics has been reported to increase mortality in animals experimentally infected with various viruses. To study the adverse effects of antipyretics, 80 patients with the common cold (students of this school) who were previously untreated were enrolled in this study. The author compared the therapeutic effects of fenoprofen (1200mg/day) as an antipyretic (P group) with Kampo formulas (K group). Of the various Kampo formulas, “Hozai” were selected, according to each patient's Sho (pattern of symptoms assessed by Kampo diagnosis. Each “Hozai” chosen had been pharmacologically proven to have no direct antipyretic effect.<br>Statistical analysis of the 45 patients of the P group and 35 patients of the K group that exhibited fevers over 37 degrees. The background as to sex, sge, time elapsed after symptom onset, place of oirgin, the length of the period between highschool graduation and admission to this university and the conditions under which daily meals were taken were analyzed and no statistical differences were found between the two groups. The duration of fever after treatment was 2.6±1.7 days in the P group and 1.5±0.8 days in the K group (p<0.001) respectively, and the incidence of rebound of the fever was higher in the P group (11.1%) than in the K group (0%). The time elapsed before all symptoms disappeared, such as sore throat, nasal discharge, or cough was 6.6±3.6 days in the P group, and 5.1±1.9 days in the K group (p<0.05).<br>It was concluded that treatment using Kampo was more beneficial than the use of antipyretics, and that the fever associated with the common cold is a positive response of the body, suppression of which is undesirable.
ABSTRACT
Keishininjin-to (Formula Ginseng and Cinnamomi) can be used to treat colds where internal digestive system symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain accompany the symptoms of the exterior or superficies. This use of Keishininjin-to is probably based on the concept that there is external heat complicating the typical internal cold indicating use of Ninjin-to (Formula Ginseng), or it may be induced from the crude herbs comprising Keishininjin-to.<br>In Kampo medicine, the concept of complications is one of the pathophysiological theories governing treatment principles. The treatment principles regarding complications are: 1. Sengo (a system of priorities consisting of Senhyokori (treating exterior symptoms before interior), Senkyu kokan (acute before chronic) and Sengai konai (external before internal); 2. Goho (combining formulas according to stage, i. e., Dobyoinai (in the same stage) or Ibyoikan (between stage); 3. Creation of a special formula. Keishininjin-to follows the third principle; it is a special formula created by slightly increasing the Glycyrrhizae Radix in Ninjin-to and adding Cinnamomi Cortex. It is intended to treat both exterior and interior symptoms in complications of Taiyo-keishi-to-sho and Taiin-ninjin-to-sho. Of the four patients involved in this study, cases one, two and three were treated according to this principle. Case four was treated with Keikyososooshinbu-to, as the symptoms were thought to indicate a combination of Taiyo-keishi-kyoshakuyaku-to-sho and Shoin-maosaishinbushi-to-sho. In all cases, improvement in the patients' condition was seen shortly after commencement of the Kampo formula administration.