Chih-ko/Curcuma, 100 tablets

This formula was inspired by the Chinese cancer specialist Jia Kun, who wrote the book Prevention and Treatment of Carcinoma with Traditional Chinese Medicine. In it, he advocated use of a formula called Pingxiao Dan for treating most cancers, to be used along with other formulas according to the cancer type. The first three ingredients listed above for Chih-ko/Curcuma are key ingredients of Pingxiao Dan; his original formula also contains some ingredients that are potentially dangerous, including niter, alum, and strychnos. Therefore, those have been deleted and replaced by other herbs that Jia Kun commonly used as adjuncts to Pingxiao Dan in treating tumors. This formula is typical of mass-reducing prescriptions, with herbs that resolve phlegm masses (gleditsia spine, oyster shell) and herbs that resolve static blood (myrrh, frankincense), as well as herbs that eliminate toxins (linocera, subprostrata). The dosage for Chih-ko/Curcuma is typically 6-18 tablets per day. Jia Kun mainly recommended high dosage decoctions to go with Pingxiao Dan, and this approach can be imitated by using dried decoctions or another tablet formula. Chih-ko/Curcuma should not be used as an alternative to modern cancer therapies when they are available; it may be used for cases not amenable to treatment (including veterinary cases) or while awaiting treatment to commence and for pre-cancerous conditions, such as cervical dysplasia. In cases where there are no masses formed, as occurs with blood cell cancers, Chih-ko/Curcuma is probably not suitable. A high dose of the active constituents in subprostrate is available in Oxymatrine (White Tiger).