Drs. TCM Zhang Xingdong and Zhang Weihong
Central Hospital Rheumatism Session, Sandogou Town, Anxi County,
Gansu Province, China

1. Key words:
Self-made/lingyidan/rheumatism/arthritis/clinic observance

2. Abstract:
Rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis belongs to one o the stubborn from point of view of modern medicine respectively Chinese ancient medicine. By now there is no special way for treatment, and the normal way is to take kind immunity suppression and hormone, etc, in order to appease the disease by reducing fever and relieving pain. However, aforementioned treatment has obvious disadvantages such as low effect, low cure rate, big side effect, so possibly more toreturement would be imposed to the patient. Therefore, the author of this article applyed "Lingyiling" in to 692 cases of said disease, coordinated with physical exercise, from July 1993 to July 1996. The result was commonly acceptable and the cure rate is high enough. Ganoderma lucium, astragalus root, red flower, short-pedical aconite root are introduced as composition of "Lingyiling". The integrated medicine provide the function of tonifying the kidney and nourishing liver, strengthening the spleen and tonifying the lung, supplementing qi and expelling the pathogenic factors from the body surface. All these functions are designed especially for the said disease, so undoubtedly and naturally the treatment result is ideal after all.

3. Specification:
Both Rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis is classified within the category of arthralgia-syndrome in Chinese medicine. It was stated in "Neijing. Suxiang" that numbness can be generated in case the qi of wind, coldness, and moisture immerse into the body at the same time. Such a statement explained the original cause of the disease, which will develop further into numbness on the condition of physical weakness, low immunity ability, and qi and blood is obstructed at joint. The author of this article, upon knowledge of Chinese medicine and Tibet medicine theory, present the result report of 692 cases ' diseases treated by "Lingyiling" as follows:

1. General information: All the 692 patients resorted to our treatment because of treatment failure of west medicine they had received first, such as anti-rheumatism or hormone etc.
i). Sex: M 325 F 367
ii). Age: Min. 8 Max. 82 Average 7
iii). Course (years): Min.3 Max. 35 Average 7
iv). Type: Rheumatism arthritis 356 rheumatoid arthritis 336

2. Treatment: Oral inhalation of "Lingyidan", twice every single day, 2 pieces every time, accompanied with lukewarm water. Every 30 days is regarded as one stage. The inhalation of the anti-rheumatism and hormone medicine should be reduced by 1/2 after the first stage, by 1/4 after two stages, completely stopped after 3 stages. Any fat, uncooked, cold food is forbidden during the treatment. In parallel, the patient should do some body exercise as soon as the pain is on the process of relief.

3. Result analysis:
i). Basically cured: The clinic inconvenience basically disappears after 3~6 stages, limes cab be stretched freely, no problem at carrying out normal work (light labor), no more recurrence in the following one year.

ii). Cured to some extent: Pains are relieved obviously and tumefaction disappears after 36 stages. The joints become much more flexible, some of the patients can work but cannot carry out any work.

iii). Effective to some extent: Pains are relieved and tumefaction disappears incompletely. To a few patients, recurrence would happen in case of pausing inhalation of medicine, and resuming inhalation of medicine show same effectiveness.

iv). Ineffective: The clinic symptom is suppressed a little after 3~6 stages, or recurrence takes place from time to time if the medicine is stopped.

4. Result:
381 basically cured covers 55.1%;166 cured to some extent covers 24%; 90 effected to some extent covers 13%; 55 ineffective covers 9.5%; general effectiveness rate 92.1%.

5. Summary:
The characteristics of chronic rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis are painful limbs joint, uneasy stretching, limited activity, and long process for treatment, likely recurrence. Besides these symptoms, all my patients had symptoms such as physical weakness, much sweat, decreasing memory, centrifugal fat, uncomfortable stomach, no food. According to Chinese medicine concept, it can be divided into kidney & liver triglyceride, the stomach is the origin for the day after tomorrow, source for mesocardia of qi and blood, intermediate of induction of labor in midpregancy and mesectoblast, macula cribosa media, so midforceps delivery and delivery and equator of lens, insufficient qi and blood, pausing of wetness and decreasement of strength. According to modern medicine, the crypto rhea, due to puberty's sex gland mature or adult's psychological overpressure, causes sebaceous glands' secretion abnormally increases so hair follicle's obstruction brings chronic inflammation. From the point of view of microorganism, people has more and more chances to contact surrounding world because of improvement of living standard, so does the infection possibility of mite. In case being infected by mite, an increasingly number of mites absorbs the fluid inside the hair follicle and sebaceous gland, destroy the hair follicle and sebaceous gland, by and by the chronic inflammation is formed.

The author of this composition learnt from the many experiences of clinic experiences and practices, with instruction of the Chinese medicine, by absorbing the advantages of Tibet medicine, so far knows that coptis root, gardenia, tremella for heat-clearing and fire-purging, evacuating pus and nourishing face, dahurian angelica ing; all 36 kinds of medicine made into small balls, 6 gram for each piece, which can work for three main functions: 1. Heating the stomach and strengthening the liver, nourishing the physical condition, the amomum fruit and the maidong tang in the medicine are used for dispelling fluid-retention to relive vomiting and removing blood stasis and reducing phlegm and even improve the physical manpower, also can exempt the patient from the stomachache, dumbness, etc. 2. Nourishing liver and kidney strengthen the bone, dispelling wind and erasing moisture. The loranthus mulberry mistletoe and mantis egg-case, dendrobium, chronic tonsillitis, grass leaved sweet flag rhizome can all be used for abscess of iliac fossa with flexed leg, regulating ying and wei, coordinating the actions o function among the viscera, removing stagancy of indigested food and reliving flatulence, by and by the disease will be appeased and erased completely. 3. Increasing qi and consolidating the exterior, correcting the stem and dispelling the poison. The medicine can exempt the side effect caused by long-term inhalation of anti-rheumatism and hormone. Meanwhile it can regulate the body and enhance the immunity ability.

In general, the three main functions of the "Lingyidan" is designed especially for curing the disease, the whole medicine has long duration and powerful effectiveness, can function by correcting stem and dispelling xie, coordinated with positive exercise, reaches a great level of result up to now. Possibly it has better clinic value in application, we will continue our observanc and research.

6. Typical cases:
i. Mrs Zhang female, 39 years old, worker, 12th,Qctorber, 1995. Because eczema papulosum accompanied by pustule appeared on her face due to cosmetics. Since one year ago infection was generated due to pressing by herself, papulosum together with pustule was dispersed on the face. Her feeling then was scorching hot, painful, itching. Now she is taking smilax glabra rhizoma, totally 0.4g/t, 3 times/day; hemp seed, totally 10mg/t, 2 times/day; one stage later all these were cut into half. After 5 stages of treatment, most of papulosum disappeared. By longer time of curing, the disease was exempted and never took place any more till now.

ii. Mr. Huang, male, 42 years old, received diagnosis on 5th, March 1994, following which, his upper forehead appeared a lot of erythema and felt itching. Three years ago, he was told by the local hospital after treatment that, erythema was developed into erosive pustule, appearance of erythema and feeling of itching took place at his cheeks also, accompanied by abdominal distention, constipation, uroerythin, bitter taste. Such a illness situation lasted incidentally and recurrence especially in rainy days. We apply to him the disease such as smilax glabra rhizoma, totally 250g/t, 2 times/day; hemp seed, totally 100 mg/t, 3 times/day, dittany bark totally 10m/t, 3 t/d. Three stages later, every situation becomes much better, and 6 stages all the uncomfortable condition disappear, this also due to continue exercise, for instance, 30 minutes ~ 1 hour.

CLINIC OBSERVANCE OF 692 CASES OF CHRONIC RHEUMATISM AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS TREATED
BY " LINGYILING"

Drs. TCM Zhang Xingdong and Zhang Weihong
Central Hospital Rheumatism Session, Sandogou Town, Anxi County,
Gansu Province, China

Abstract

Rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis belongs to one of the stubborn from point of view of modern medicine respectively Chinese ancient medicine. By now there is no special way for treatment, and the normal way is to take kind immunity suppression and hormone, etc, in order to appease the disease by reducing fever and relieving pain. However, aforementioned treatment has obvious disadvantages such as low effect, low cure rate, big side effect, so possibly more torture would be imposed to the patient. The reason for this misfortune can be summarized into two aspects: interiorly physical weakness and bad immunity ability; exteriorly invaded by xieqi comprehensive of wind, coldness, moisture, which gathered at the position of joint so obstruct the qi and blood. Therefore, the author of this article made the "Lingyiling" out of Ganoderma lucium, astragalus root, red flower, short-pedical aconite root in shape of balls, 6g for each ball. This medicine was elaborated upon the Chinese medicine and Tibet medicine, and now has already been put into use for clinic observance.

From July 1993 to July 1998, 692 patients have been observed under the treatment by our medicine, 2t/d, 2p/t with lukewarm water. Final result is 381 basically cured covers 55.1%, 166 effective to some extent covers 24%, 90 cured to some extent covers 13%, 55 ineffective covers 7.9%, general effectiveness rate is 92.1%. In any case such a result is comparably accptable. The author of this composition also finds three main advantages of "Lingyidan" as follows:

1. Heating the stomach and strengthening the liver, nourishing the physical condition, the amomum fruit and the maidong tang in the medicine are used for dispelling fluid-retention to relive vomiting and removing blood stasis and reducing phlegm and even improve the phisical manpower, also can exempt the patient from the stomachach, tumbness, etc.

2. Nourishing liver and kidney strengthen the bone, dispelling wind and erasing moisture. The loranthus mulberry mistletoe and mantis egg-case, dendrobium, chronic tonsillitis, grassleaved sweetflag rhizome can all be used for abscess of iliac fossa with flexed leg, regulating ying and wei, coordinating the actions o function among the viscera, removing stagnancy of indigested food and reliving flatulence, by and by the disease will be appeased and erased completely.

3. Increasing qi and consolidating the exterior, correcting the stem and dispelling the poison. The medicine can exempt the side effect caused by long-term inhalation of anti-rheumatism and hormone. Meanwhile it can regulate the body and enhance the immunity ability.

In general, As the functions of "Lingyidan", It works as strengthening the body resistance and/or resorting normal functioning of the body to consolidate the constitution; cleaning away xie, cure the disease from both interior and exterior, long duration and powerful effectiveness of the medicine. Making full use of above-mentioned advantages, our products can possibly provide more effect, for this it would be necessary to observe further.