It is very common for children with colds and fevers to change rapidly and for the heat to move the wind and cause convulsions. Mothers who have experience in using it will immediately think of the wonderful medicine for cooling down the temperature – Zixue Dan. It can clear heat and detoxify the body, calm the wind and stop spasms, which is just the right thing to do. Purple Snow Dan, as the most prestigious traditional medicine in China for emergencies, is made from sixteen drugs such as rhinoceros horn, antelope horn, mucuna pruriens, incense, and cold water stone concocted according to the law. The medicine is purple in color and resembles frost and snow, and its cold nature is like frost and snow, so it is named “Purple Snow Dan”. This medicine has strong function of clearing heat and detoxifying, calming spasm and opening orifices, and is a cold and open agent commonly used in clinical emergencies. This medicine (formula) can be used for the treatment of febrile illnesses, including high fever and irritability, delirium (talking nonsense), convulsions and spasms, thirst and dry lips, urination and defecation, and febrile convulsions in children, especially for patients with convulsions, twitching of the hands and feet, and frequent ping-ponging sounds (the sound made by the hands and feet hitting the bed board during convulsions), high fever, irritability and even coma. At present, this medicine (formula) is also used to treat various infections such as BSE, rheumatoid encephalitis and severe pneumonia, if they are accompanied by the symptoms mentioned earlier. Tips for use ● It is not necessary to consider too much the temperature of the body during fever when administering the medicine. Children with high fever, often accompanied by convulsions and cold extremities, are prone to misuse and should be used early. Children with a body temperature of 38.5 degrees Celsius or above, or with a previous history of high fever convulsions, should also be given early because there is a risk of brain cell damage due to high body temperature and convulsions. ● Zixuetan is pounded and taken with warm boiled water. For those with high fever that does not subside, crushed Zixuetan can be applied to the umbilicus at the same time, which will significantly enhance the effect of fever reduction. For those who have a sore throat, crushing Zixue Dan and spraying it on the throat is also very effective. Note: Do not eat spicy and oily food while taking the medicine. It is prohibited for pregnant women. There are tips for choosing the “Three Treasures for Warm Diseases” An Gong Niu Huang Wan, Zi Xue Dan and Zhi Bao Dan are collectively known as the “Three Treasures for Warm Diseases”, although all three are representative prescriptions for clearing heat and opening the orifices, they have slightly different medicinal properties and main treatments. “The three are different in terms of their medicinal properties and treatments. An Gong Niu Huang Wan is the coolest, followed by Zi Xue Dan, followed by Zhi Bao Dan. An Gong Niu Huang Wan is suitable for patients who have high fever and are in a coma, as if they are “in a daze”; Zi Xue Dan is suitable for patients who have high fever, irritability or even coma with convulsions, twitching of hands and feet, and frequent banging sounds; while Zhi Bao Dan, due to the use of many aromatic and enlightening herbs in the prescription, is more suitable for patients who are in a deep coma with fever and phlegm. It is more suitable for patients who are in a coma with a lot of fever and phlegm and are silent. These characteristics have led to the fact that a trick has been handed down from ancient times to the present day in the Chinese medical community – “Ping pang zixue dan, noiseless zhi baodan, diluted niu huang pills”. (Post-editorial: Since the “Three Treasures of Warm Diseases”, Zhibodan, is now rarely used, no separate detailed introduction will be made.) (Editor: Cheng Lifeng) What is the difference between Xinxue Dan and Zixue Dan There are many pharmaceutical companies in the country that produce “Zixue Dan”, with the most famous one produced by Beijing Tong Ren Tang. Some products are named “Purple Snow”, but the ingredients are actually the same. Nowadays, there are many pharmaceutical companies that have streamlined the ancient formula of Zixue Dan and made it into “Xinxue Dan”, which reduces the production cost and the adverse effects of the drug while retaining the efficacy and main treatment of the original formula.