Hip Bone Pain with a Palm-Sized Swelling? Doctor Zhang Xichun’s Sanqi Powder Drew the Stagnant Blood and Toxin Out of the Bone (Bone Abscess Case)
Opening: we continue with Doctor Zhang Xichun and his beloved herb — notoginseng
Yesterday we talked about how Doctor Zhang Xichun used san qi, notoginseng (三七) to stop flooding uterine bleeding. Today, let’s keep going. Doctor Luo Dalun says that throughout his whole life, Doctor Zhang Xichun had the highest regard for one particular herb — san qi. Just how remarkable is this herb? Today’s patient was a member of Doctor Zhang Xichun’s own family, and his illness was dangerous all the way down to the bone. And the result? One single herb, san qi powder — and within three days, the matter was decided.
💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Of this case, Doctor Zhang Xichun himself spoke with the highest praise. He said, "The functions of san qi are like the transformations of a divine dragon — you cannot fathom its comings and goings." Like a divine dragon — you simply cannot grasp where it comes from or where it goes. Let us tell the story slowly.
Who was the patient? Doctor Zhang Xichun’s cousin’s son, the manager of a rice company in Tianjin
The patient was named Liu Jiru, and he was Doctor Zhang Xichun’s cousin’s son — in Chinese, his "biao zhi er." Doctor Zhang Xichun was a man of the northeast, and in his own words, in the northeastern dialect this relative is simply called a "zhi er" (nephew); exactly how southerners would say it, he admitted he wasn’t quite sure. This nephew worked in Tianjin, as the manager of the Defa Rice Company — a big business selling rice.
💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Notice — this story took place in Tianjin. In his later years, Doctor Zhang Xichun settled in Tianjin, where he practiced medicine and lectured. The nephew’s family made their living in Tianjin, so of course, when illness struck, the first person they thought of was the old uncle — Doctor Zhang Xichun himself.
A strange lump: palm-sized, firm, skin color unchanged — but what was truly frightening was the pain in the bone
What was Liu Jiru’s illness? At the Huantiao point (GB30) of his right leg, a swelling had risen, as large as a palm. Where is the Huantiao point? It lies on both sides of the buttock — stand up and feel for it; there is a hollow there, and the Huantiao point sits in the middle of that hollow. This swollen lump was somewhat firm when pressed — it had a "root," as the doctors say. It was not a loose, floating swelling; something solid had actually grown there. And the color of the skin had not changed at all — neither red nor purple.
💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Skin color unchanged, firm to the touch with a root — these are the crucial details for judging the nature of a sore. Everyone, remember these features; Doctor Zhang Xichun’s entire approach was built on exactly this assessment.
What was truly frightening came next: inside the swelling, the bone began to ache — the bone at the top of the thigh hurt, and it got worse with every passing day. By the time Doctor Zhang Xichun was finally invited to see him, three months had already gone by.
Three months, worsening every day — Doctor Zhang Xichun’s verdict: stagnant blood in the bone joint
The moment Doctor Zhang Xichun examined him, he saw that the illness sat precisely in the joint of the bone — whenever the leg moved, it moved at that bone joint. What did pain inside the bone mean? Doctor Zhang Xichun’s judgment was categorical: there must be stagnant blood (yu xue) lodged in the bone joint.
💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Everyone, remember the phrase "stagnant blood in the bone joint" — the whole case turns on this one sentence. Earlier physicians had rarely spoken of this idea; this was Doctor Zhang Xichun’s own experience. When stagnant blood is hidden inside the bone joint, how do you get it out? Read on.
The prescription revealed: one single herb — san qi powder, 3 qian divided into two doses, taken with water morning and evening
Doctor Zhang Xichun did not write out a long prescription. Just one herb: every day, 3 qian (about 9 g) of san qi powder, divided into two doses — one in the morning and one in the evening, taken with water. One and a half qian each time, 3 qian in total.
💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Why san qi? Because san qi can invigorate the blood and dissolve stasis (huo xue hua yu) — it dissolves the stagnant blood hidden in the bone joint; and it can also draw the toxin outward (tuo du wai chu) — leading the poisonous qi out from inside the bone. Of all san qi’s abilities, Doctor Zhang Xichun valued this "drawing the toxin outward" power above everything else.
Three days! The bone stopped hurting — but now the lump turned red and began to break down
What happened? After drinking it for three days, the bone pain was gone! After a few more days, something remarkable occurred: the skin over the lump gradually began to turn red — as if it were about to rot, about to break down. A few days after that, the crown of the sore began to break open — the head of the abscess split, and pus flowed out.
💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Many people would be frightened at this point: "How can it be getting worse the more you treat it?" Friends, this is exactly the action of drawing the toxin outward at work. The stagnant blood and poisonous qi inside the bone were being dragged outward by the san qi — dragged to the surface of the body, where they turned into pus and drained away. When the toxin has a way out, the illness has a way out.
The second prescription: raw astragalus and Trichosanthes root at the base — discharging pus and regenerating flesh
Once the sore had broken and was draining pus, Doctor Zhang Xichun immediately switched formulas: Sheng Huang Qi (raw astragalus) and Tian Hua Fen (Trichosanthes root), 6 qian each; Dang Gui (Chinese angelica) and Gan Cao (licorice root), 3 qian each; Ru Xiang (frankincense) and Mo Yao (myrrh), 1 qian each. What was the purpose? To discharge the pus and regenerate the flesh.
💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Every herb here has its own carefully chosen role — Sheng Huang Qi specializes in sores where the surface of the body’s upright qi (zheng qi) is insufficient; it supports the pus outward and regenerates flesh, pushing the toxin out from within. Tian Hua Fen clears heat and discharges pus. Dang Gui, Ru Xiang, and Mo Yao invigorate the blood, open the channels, reduce swelling, and stop pain. This is the classic combination for external sores and ulcers.
And the result? He took it for more than ten doses. The sore began to grow flesh from the inside, pushing the pus out bit by bit, until finally the pus was completely drained, the wound scabbed over, and he was cured — about ten-odd doses of medicine in all.
Doctor Zhang Xichun’s exclamation: the functions of san qi are like the transformations of a divine dragon — unfathomable
Once the illness was cured, Doctor Zhang Xichun was deeply moved. He said: "The functions of san qi are like the transformations of a divine dragon — you cannot fathom their origins." Like a divine dragon — you cannot measure its workings, you cannot trace its comings and goings — san qi is simply divine! He then analyzed further:
💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Doctor Zhang Xichun said — if this sore had not used san qi to draw the toxin out of the bone, what would have happened with the bone hurting like this? The toxin would have sunk inward, and in the end it would surely have become an incurable bone-attaching abscess (fu gu ju) — rot spreading along the bone itself, and then it would truly be a disaster. With san qi, not only can the toxin be drawn out of the bone and expelled, it can also neutralize the poison in the pus and let the abscess break open early. And if it had been used even earlier — you delayed three months before coming to me — had san qi been used sooner, there might not even have been any pus at all; the stagnant blood would simply have been dissolved away. So Doctor Zhang Xichun exclaimed again and again: "He ruo shi zhi shen xiao zai?" — How can it be so wonderfully effective!
Why is san qi so miraculous? For illnesses of the bone, it can draw out both stagnant blood and poisonous qi
Doctor Zhang Xichun’s experience tells us: when there is a problem around the bones, san qi can be used to draw it outward and bring it to the surface. He summed it up himself in one sentence: "For all sore conditions, san qi can be used to draw the toxin outward" — wherever there is a sore and the poison is lodged at the bone, san qi can draw it out.
💬 Note from Doctor Luo: This idea was rarely spoken of by earlier physicians — stagnant blood in the bone joint, drawn out with san qi. Is Doctor Zhang Xichun’s experience real? There is a true case that verifies it, and here it is.
Doctor Luo Dalun’s verification: an elderly lady from Shijingshan, Beijing — 20 years of knee pain, four weeks of san qi
Doctor Luo Dalun tells how he had just told this very case — once, after he had discussed it on a television program, an elderly lady from Shijingshan, Beijing came to find him. The lady had suffered knee pain for 20 years. After listening, she said: "My illness must certainly be stagnant blood in the bone joint!" And the result? She took san qi for four weeks, and her 20 years of knee pain were cured.
💬 Note from Doctor Luo: This proves that Doctor Zhang Xichun’s experience was real. A case record from almost 100 years ago can still save people today — this is the value of the classics.
Doctor Luo Dalun’s own experience: whenever there is a bone problem with stagnant blood or poisonous qi in it, I use san qi
Doctor Luo Dalun says that after learning Doctor Zhang Xichun’s experience, whenever he encounters a disease of the bone — one with external pathogenic toxin inside, or stagnant blood inside — he uses san qi. This holds for all kinds of bone problems.
💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Why? Because san qi can invigorate the blood, dissolve stasis, and promote the free flow of qi and blood. Once qi and blood flow freely, the body begins to repair itself — it can push out the external pathogen and dissolve the stagnant blood. My own experience is: san qi’s therapeutic effect on bone diseases cannot be replaced by any other herb — especially for stasis and blockage around the bones, san qi’s power to dissolve stasis is unique.
So what do we learn from this case today? Many bone diseases, and diseases around the bones, are related to stagnant blood and to poisonous qi lingering in the channels. And san qi can dissolve the stagnant blood of the bone and draw the poisonous qi out. Remember Doctor Zhang Xichun’s words: the functions of san qi are like the transformations of a divine dragon — unfathomable.
Well, friends, that is all for today. Thank you for listening!
Compiled from Doctor Luo Dalun’s commentary on Doctor Zhang Xichun’s case records; the case is from Records of Chinese Medicine with Reference to Western Medicine (Yixue Zhongzhong Canxi Lu).