Drugs for Nourishing Yin / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

Nourishing Yin means to moisten yin, and ultimately it is the use of a Kampo formulation to supplement body fluid. Sorting out these formulations chronologically, the first to appear was Bakumondo-to Byakko-ka-ninjin-to as a section of the Shang han lun, and the other Hachimi-gan which was regarded as Yin-Yang formulation with a tonic effect. After that there followed Seishin-renshi-in in Formulations and Pharmacopenia, and about the same time, in a textbook of pediatrics written by Qian Yi, Rokumi-gan was mentioned to be available as a sub-formulation of Hachimi-jio-gan. Subsequently in the Ming era, many formulations appeared, establishing the concept of nourishing Yin and treatment of clearing away heat-evil. Jiin-koka-to as an overall treatment, and for vernalization was representative. The diagnoses of Yin deficiency in which these drugs for nourishing Yin are indicated are as follows; thinness and skin dryness through visual observation, mouth dryness, weakness of legs and waist, and viscous sputum by interview. The easiest diagnosis is by tongue diagnosis mainly in observing the reduction of the coating of the tongue and atrophy of the tongue. Yin deficiency is generally found in aging, diabetes and chronic inflammatory diseases. This seems to take on a very important meaning for Kampo treatment in this aging society.