www.needleplant.com

Introduction:

Epidemic encephalitis B is simply termed 乙脑 in the chinese language.  What happens here is the encephalitis B virus infects a person via mosquito bites for example. Usually happens in the summer or fall. What’s important here is the blood-brain barrier. Adults with an adequate immune system will not allow the virus to pass the barrier into the brain. However, with kids, this virus will enter the central nervous system and wreck havoc. The havoc that is wrecked has much to do with the immune system: an Ab-Ag is created, what follows is a complement cascade, which in the end damages the neurons（nerve cells aka 神经细胞）.

The bad that happens:

The brain neurons are being attacked and paralyzed. On top of that, due to inflammation, we can get brain edema and pressure building up in the skull, causing headache and even meningeal irritation sign positive （脑膜刺激征阳性）.

Below are some of the problems that will appear. The task is to deal with whatever can damage the brain, because that’s what is causing the problems.

1. High fever （高热）：
2. Sleepiness （嗜睡）：
3. Convulsion（抽搐）：
4. Coma（昏迷）：

Chinese Medicine for Encephalitis（乙脑）:

Can Chinese Medicine kill off the virus? Unlikely that it is as strong as Western pharmaceuticals in this aspect of medicine. However, let’s see how it can be used to deal with the symptoms, mainly the high fevers.

Already, early in the Ming dynasty, Mr. Miao（繆希雍）was using 白虎汤 and 竹叶石膏汤 to treat infectious diseases that cause high fevers. His main weapon was raw calcium sulphate, often at 30 grams, but sometimes as high as 500 grams. In the Qing dynasty (which comes after Ming, many years after that is), Mr. Yu （余霖）used a variation of 白虎汤 called 清瘟败毒饮 to deal with infectious diseases and the high fevers that accompany it. Once again calcium sulphate is used in high quantities.

白虎汤’s anti-pyretic function has got to do with the calcium sulphate used. The book source I’m using also notes that especially with virus-induced fevers, 白虎汤 is the effective. Note thought that you need to exhibit the 白虎汤 pattern of  torrent perspiration and extreme thirst. The tongue and the pulse can help alot with diagnosis.

Sources:

1. 人民卫生出版社，传染病学
2. 黄煌，中医十大类方