A lot of the herbal remedies we prescribe at EAWB are intended for shorter-term use (days or weeks) to help correct an imbalance, but we do carry several formulas that can be used as needed, or as “medicine cabinet” remedies. Some of these remedies are used internally, and come in several forms: raw herbs that we send home with you to decoct and make into a tea, “patent” formulas that are pills or tablets, granules/powdered herbs to add to hot water, or concentrated herbal tincture that are alcohol based. Other remedies are topical and can include: oils, soaks, patches, salves, plasters, castor oil packs, and liniments.
There is one contemporary formula (it was developed approximately 115 years ago versus the formulas we prescribe that were developed thousands of years ago) we carry at EAWB that is used both internally and externally, and it is called Yunnan Baiyao.
Yunnan Baiyao, “Yunnan White Drug,” was developed in 1902 by Chinese pharmacist Qu Huanzhang in the Yunnan Province of China.” Huanzhang set out to explore the entire Yunnan region and taste its hundreds of herbs, and the resultant “Qu Huanzhang Panacea” eventually became known as Yunnan Baiyao.
This formula was discovered to be very useful for catastrophic injuries and was subsequently given to Chinese soldiers during WWII and the Vietnam war in case they sustained a gunshot wound or some other sort of wound with a massive volume of blood loss. They were given little red pills, sometimes referred to as the “hit pill,” to keep on them so they could take it right away. The hit pill is intended for severe emergency cases – extreme blood loss that can predispose a person into shock, which is fatal. It is said to be a super concentrated pill of Yunnan Baiyao. A red pill comes with every package of Yunnan Baiyao, whether in powder or capsule form.
The formula has become a proprietary secret of the Chinese government. When the medicine is manufactured, the process is such that no one involved knows all of the ingredients. Some of the ingredients are published and perhaps the most notable is Radix Notoginseng/Pseudoginseng Root (san qi), which was originally grown in Wenshen of Yunnan is a well-known and extensively applied Chinese herb for promoting blood circulation and resolving blood stasis. It has a strong effect of protection both for the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems, AND it has some anti-tumor effects!
Why should we have Yunnan Baiyao in our medicine cabinet? Most likely it will come in handy for your first aid kit. Yunnan Baiyao applied topically stops wounds from bleeding. If you cut your finger in the kitchen, or are out for a hike and cut your leg on something with stickers, or accidentally hit your head or face and you start bleeding, this is when you would simply spoon the powder over the area and the bleeding will stop immediately. It can be taken internally to quicken the blood (to relieve pain), and to reduce swelling following a moderate injury.
In more extreme cases of injury or illness, one might need this formula to stop internal organ bleeding (like ruptured spleen or hemorrhaging from the uterus), internal tumor bleeding, eliminate necrotic tissue, or to help prevent amputation of a limb.
Yunnan Baiyao has also been used as an adjunct treatment in Veterinary medicine for bleeding cancers, particularly for hemangiosarcoma in canines.
Yunnan Baiyao is sold in powder, tincture, plaster, paste, aerosol, or tablet form. You can purchase at EAWB in powder or capsule form.
If you have any questions, be sure to ask one of our practitioners when you stop by.
