Abstract
Paraquat has been widely used as a herbicide in Korea since 1970. Human ingestion results in transient impairment of liver and kidney function and a characteristically respiratory failure with a high mortality rate. Clinical investigation and Oriental Medical Treatment were done on 3 cases of paraquat poisoning admitted to the department of 1st Internal Medicine. Kyung San University Oriental Medical Hospital from August 1991 to December 1992. and following results were obtained. The symptoms of paraquat poisoning can be regarded as Sim hua chi song(心火熾盛), Kan hua sang yom(肝火上炎). um hu hua wang(陰虛火旺), Kan tam sup yol(肝膽濕熱), Yang myong yol tok(陽明熱毒) in Oriental Medicine. and the principle of treatment for paraquat poisoning can be applicable to Chong yol Ii sop(淸熱利濕), Chong yol hae tok(淸熱解毒). Sa ha hae tok(瀉下解毒). Ja um kang hua(滋陰降火) and so on. Three cases were treated by HuangYonHaeTokTang(黃蓮解毒湯) and KamDuTang(甘豆湯): all of them have survived without complications. According to the result above, it suggests that determination of treatment based on the differentiation of symptoms and signs(Pyon jung si chi ;辨證施治) of Oriental Medicine may prove to be helpful in saving lives of patients with paraquat poisoning.