for Detoxification   
Source: Cui’s Prescriptions from Waitai Miyao (Clandestine Medical Essentials from Imperial Library).

Ingredients:
No.1  Huanglian (Rhizoma Coptidis) 9 g
No.2  Huangqin (Radix Scutellariae) 6 g
No.3  Huangbai (Cortex Phellodendri) 6 g
No.4  Zhizi (Fructus Gardeniae) 9 g

Administration:
Decoct the above drugs for oral use

Actions:
Purging pathogenic fire and toxin.

Clinical Application:
This recipe is indicated for excess of fire, toxin and heat in the triple energizer, marked by high fever, restlessness, thirst for drink, delirium, insomnia, or dysentery with fever, or sores and carbuncles, red tongue with yellowish fur, rapid and forceful pulse. It is applicable to septicemia, pyosepticemia, dysentery, pneumonia, urinary infection, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, epidemic encephalitis B, and other infectious diseases that are attributable to syndrome due to intense fire and toxin. If concomitant with constipation, add Dahuang (Radix et Rhizoma Rhei) to promote defecation and cause heat and toxin to descend.

If concomitant with hematemesis, epistaxis and skin rashes, add Shengdihuang (Radix Rehmanniae) Xuanshen (Radix Scrophulariae) and Mudanpi (Cortex Moutan Radicis) to clear away heat and cool blood. In case of jaundice, add Yinchenhao (Herba Artemisiae Scopariae) and Dahuang (Radix et Rhizoma Rhei) to eliminate dampness and jaundice.

Elucidation:
The syndrome is the result of heat and toxin accumulating in the three energizers, and should be treated with drugs of extremely cold nature and capable of purging fire and toxin. Ingredient No. 1 specializes in purging away heart-fire and fire in the middle-energizer, acting as monarch drug. Ingredients No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 function to purge fire respectively in the upper-energizer, the lower-energizer, and triple energizer, and together serve as minister and adjuvant drugs. All the ingredients are extremely bitter in flavor and cold in property, thus can achieve a better effect of expelling fire and toxin when combined.
  
Cautions:
This recipe mostly comprises drugs of bitter and cold nature. Since drugs of bitter and dry nature and those of bitter and cold nature are apt to impair respectively yin and the stomach, this recipe is not applicable to patients who do not manifest syndrome of excessive accumulation of fire and toxin. Besides this recipe should be abandoned immediately after it creates the expected result. It must not be applied to patients suffering from a serious impairment of yin with deep-red tongue without fur.