Abstract
1. Background: This is the first documented study on the four medications for the Mangeum symptomatology (亡陰證) in the Soyangin disease category. The four medications, Hyeongbangsabaek-san (荊防瀉白散), Jeoryeongchajeonja-tang (猪苓車前子湯), Hyeongbangjihwang-tang (荊防地黃湯), and Hwalseokgosam-tang (滑石苦蔘湯), were comparatively analyzed on their compositive principles and respective symptomatologies. 2. Methods: Previous literature, including classical works on earlier Sasang Constitutional Medicine (different editions of Donguisusebowon and Dongmuyugo), were reviewed for relevant material on the Mangeum medications. 3. Results and Conclusions: 1) Hyeongbangsabaek-san (荊防瀉白散) is used in pathologies of early stages of invasion of the internal heat in the lower-most burn-center (locus related to the Kidney system). 2) Jeoryeongchajeonja-tang (猪苓車前子湯) is used when pathogenic dampness-heat invades the lower-most burn-center (locus related to the Kidney system). 3) Hyeongbangjihwang-tang (荊防地黃湯) is used to treat deficient heat involving injury of the lower-most burn-center (locus related to the Kidney system). 4) Hwalseokgosam-tang (滑石苦蔘湯) is used when the lower-most burn-center (locus related to the Kidney system) is in the early stages of exhaustion, expecially accompanied by concomitant dampness-heat. 5) The Mangeum symptomatology (亡陰證) was fully understood only after the completion of the 1901 Sinchuk edition (辛丑本) of Donguisusebowon (東醫壽世保元).