Dysentery and Xie Bai
Chinese medicine has studied dysentery extensively and is therefore an excellent reference point for people seeking to better understand Chinese medicine and its treatment philosophies.
How Does Chinese Medicine Explain Dysentery?
In Chinese medicine, dysentery is the result of pathogenic qi clumping or congealing in certain meridians, or qi channels. Specifically, dysentery involves the large intestine and lung channels – a pair of organs that are closely linked in Chinese medicine.
A major part of Chinese medical philosophy is that the body isn’t just a set of compartmentalized organs, but a network of bodily functions that aren’t always correlated to a single organ. In other words, practitioners believe that organs are connected to the point that they depend on each other for optimal function.
When people suffer from dysentery, it’s the link between the lungs and large intestine that’s diseased. Excessive cold can exacerbate the condition and worsen symptoms as well.
How Do Chinese Medicine Practitioners Treat Dysentery?
The large intestine and lungs are responsible for “descending” the qi, or moving it downwards. If this is disrupted, it can cause the vomiting, nausea and diarrhea associated with dysentery.
To address dysentery, Chinese medicine practitioners have historically relied on various herbal formulations. One herb in particular, Xie Bai, has long been used to treat the condition.
Xie Bai is Chinese garlic and has an acrid, outward, dispersing nature when it interacts with the body’s meridians. When it enters the large intestine and lung channels, it can be used to clear pathogenic qi from these meridians and restore proper qi flow to the GI system.
Dysentery is rarely seen in developed nations today, but it’s still a worthwhile condition to study in the context of Chinese medicine.