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The understanding of infectious disease progressed further during the Ming and Qing dynasties as many people in Southern China suffered and died from a variety of feverish conditions. Many doctors recognized that these patterns of illness were significantly different from shang han (cold damage) patterns, and therefore, must be diagnosed and treated differently. W Yu-Xìng, Yè Guì, and Wú Táng, three of the most influential doctors during that era, collectively contributed to a new school of thought, namely wen bing (warm disease). According to this new theory, warm and hot disease plagued everyone, starting "from one person to the entire household, from one household to the entire street, and from one street to the entire village." When affected, the disease first affected the exterior of the body, and progressed to the interior, following the patterns of wei (defensive), qi (energy), ying (nutritive), and xue (blood) levels. Furthermore, it was observed that the cause of these warm and hot disease have "no sound nor smell, and no shape nor shadow." In addition, it was noted that the warm and hot disease may be transmitted from one person to another via "heaven (air borne)" or "earth (direct contact)," and affect weak, deficient individuals (i.e., those with low immunity).

Lastly, many of the bitter and cold herbs and formulas used to treat these warm and hot diseases are recognized today to have remarkable antibiotic effects. These observations are made and published approximately 200 years before the discovery of bacteria and other micro-organisms. Wen bing (warm disease) theories accurately described the origins and transmission of epidemic disease, and the importance of the immune system in relationship to the pathogens. Wen bing (warm disease) theories revolutionized and significantly influenced the theory and practice of traditional Chinese medicine, changes that persist even today.

One of the fundamental concepts in traditional Chinese medicine is that "superior medicine prevents disease, and inferior medicine treats disease." Prevention of infectious disease is certainly no exception since bacteria and virus tend to adversely affect those who have weakened or compromised immune systems. Many herbs and formulas that tonify wei (defensive) qi have been shown to have marked effect to boost the immune system. Examples include:

Classic formulas with immunostimulant effect:

Traditional Chinese medicine consider infectious disease as wen bing (warm disease) and treat it with heat-clearing herbs. Many of these herbs are confirmed to have remarkable antibiotic effects, including antibacterial and antiviral. In addition to traditional diagnosis and treatment, the following herbs and formulas may be considered to more precisely target and treat infectious disease.

Classic formulas with antibiotic effect:

Herbs that have antibacterial effect include:

Herbs that have antiviral effect include:

In Western medicine, the discovery of antibiotic drugs is one of the major breakthroughs in modern medicine. It enables doctors to effectively treat many different types of infections. Unfortunately, decades of abuse and misuse have led to growing problems of bacterial mutation and resistance. At this moment, many of these "super bugs" can only be treated with the newest and most potent antibiotic drugs, and unfortunately, many of them have potent side effects as well. Due to the number of antibiotic drugs, and the various species of micro-organisms, it is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the benefits and risks of each individual drug. As a category, antibiotic drugs are extremely effective against most types of bacterial infections. The key points are to select the correct antibiotic drug with least potential side effects, and make sure that the patient finishes the entire course of therapy.

In traditional Chinese medicine, herbs and herbal formulas are also extremely effective for treatment of various infections. In fact, most modern pharmaceutical drugs were originally derived from natural sources, including penicillin [the oldest antibiotic] and gentimicin [one of the most potent]. One of the main benefits of using herbs is their wide spectrum of antibiotic effect, with indications for bacterial and viral infections. Furthermore, most of these herbs are extremely safe, and do not have the same harsh side effects as drugs. Therefore, when treating patients with bacterial or viral infections, it may be beneficial to use the herbs noted with confirmed antibacterial and antiviral effects.

In summary, both drugs and herbs are effective to treat mild to moderate cases of bacterial infections. However, because drugs are more immediately potent and can be prescribed with more laboratory precision (via cultures and sensitivity tests), they are more appropriate for life-threatening infections, such as meningitis or encephalitis, or mutant strains of bacteria, such as beta-lactam-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). On the other hand, use of herbs is far more effective than drugs for treating certain viral infections, such as the common cold and influenza, as drugs are essentially ineffective for these conditions. Most importantly, herbs are much gentler to the body and safer than drugs. In other words, herbs treat infection without damaging the patient's underlying constitution. This allows the patient to recover faster, and become more resistant to secondary or re-current infections.

Click here for previous articles by John Chen, PhD, PharmD, OMD, LAc.