摘要：在历史悠久的中医殿堂中，汗、吐、下、和、温、清、补、消这八大治法如同八大金刚，守护着华夏儿女的健康。它们各自独当一面，却又相辅相成，共同构成了中医治病的精妙体系。然而，在这八大治法之外，却隐藏着一种更为神秘而独特的治法——以毒攻毒。它不像八大治法那样广为人知，
在历史悠久的中医殿堂中，汗、吐、下、和、温、清、补、消这八大治法如同八大金刚，守护着华夏儿女的健康。它们各自独当一面，却又相辅相成，共同构成了中医治病的精妙体系。然而，在这八大治法之外，却隐藏着一种更为神秘而独特的治法——以毒攻毒。它不像八大治法那样广为人知，却在中医的历史长河中留下了深刻的印记，成为中医治病不可或缺的一部分。
一、以毒攻毒之法的传入与起源
“以毒攻毒”这一治法，并非中医原创，其起源可追溯至古代人类对自然界的朴素观察与经验总结。在远古时期，人们发现某些有毒的动植物或矿物，在适量使用的情况下，竟然能够治疗某些顽疾。这种发现，无疑是对人类医学认知的一次巨大飞跃。
然而，将“以毒攻毒”这一理念正式引入中医，并使其成为中医治病的一种独特方法，却是在历史的长河中逐渐形成的。据史料记载，早在先秦时期，中医经典著作《黄帝内经》中就已提及了“毒药攻邪”的理念。《黄帝内经·素问·脏气法时论》云：“毒药攻邪，五谷为养，五果为助，五畜为益，五菜为充。”这里的“毒药”，并非现代意义上的有毒药物，而是指那些药性强烈、能够攻逐病邪的药物。这一论述，为“以毒攻毒”治法的形成奠定了理论基础。
随着时间的推移，中医对“以毒攻毒”治法的认识逐渐深入。到了汉代，张仲景在其著作《伤寒杂病论》中，更是明确提出了“以毒攻毒”的治法，并列举了大量使用有毒药物治病的实例。如书中记载的乌头汤、附子汤等方剂，均是以有毒的乌头、附子等药物为主药，用于治疗寒痹、心痛等顽疾。这些方剂的出现，标志着“以毒攻毒”治法在中医临床中的正式确立。
二、以毒攻毒之法是否为主流治法
在中医的历史长河中，“以毒攻毒”治法虽然独具特色，但其地位却并非始终如一。在中医发展的早期阶段，由于医疗条件有限，人们对疾病的认知也相对肤浅，因此“以毒攻毒”治法曾一度成为治疗顽疾的重要手段。然而，随着中医理论的不断完善和医疗技术的进步，“以毒攻毒”治法的地位逐渐发生了变化。
在现代中医临床中，“以毒攻毒”治法并非主流治法。这并不意味着它失去了价值，而是因为在大多数情况下，中医更倾向于使用温和、安全的药物和方法来治疗疾病。毕竟，“是药三分毒”，有毒药物的使用需要极高的专业素养和严格的剂量控制，一旦使用不当，就可能给患者带来严重的后果。
然而，在某些特殊情况下，“以毒攻毒”治法却能够发挥出其他治法无法替代的作用。比如，在治疗某些恶性肿瘤、顽固性皮肤病、风湿痹症等顽疾时，“以毒攻毒”治法往往能够取得显著的疗效。这些疾病的病因复杂、病情顽固，常规治疗方法往往难以奏效，而“以毒攻毒”治法却能够以其独特的药性和作用机制，直击病灶，达到治病救人的目的。
三、以毒攻毒治法的历史应用
“以毒攻毒”治法在中医的历史长河中留下了深刻的印记。从先秦时期到现代，无数中医先贤都曾在临床中运用这一治法取得了显著的疗效。下面，我们就来举几个例子，看看“以毒攻毒”治法在中医历史中的应用。
（一）古代医案中的以毒攻毒
在古代医案中，不乏使用“以毒攻毒”治法治疗顽疾的实例。比如，在明代医家李时珍的著作《本草纲目》中，就记载了大量使用有毒药物治疗疾病的案例。其中最为著名的，莫过于使用砒霜治疗疟疾的案例。
疟疾是一种由疟原虫引起的传染病，在古代医学条件下，治疗疟疾往往十分棘手。然而，李时珍却发现，适量使用砒霜竟然能够治疗疟疾。他在《本草纲目》中写道：“砒，性大热，有大毒，能蚀疮去腐，杀虫逐痰……治疟疾有神效。”这一发现，无疑是对“以毒攻毒”治法的一次成功应用。
除了砒霜之外，李时珍还记载了许多其他有毒药物的治疗作用。比如，他提到使用雄黄治疗蛇虫咬伤、使用斑蝥治疗顽癣等。这些医案，都充分展示了“以毒攻毒”治法在中医临床中的独特魅力。
（二）现代临床中的以毒攻毒
在现代中医临床中，“以毒攻毒”治法同样发挥着重要的作用。比如，在治疗某些恶性肿瘤时，中医医生往往会使用一些有毒的中药来抑制肿瘤的生长和扩散。这些中药，如蟾酥、斑蝥、全蝎等，虽然毒性较大，但适量使用却能够发挥出显著的抗癌作用。
以蟾酥为例，它是一种从蟾蜍身上提取的有毒物质，具有极强的抗癌作用。现代研究表明，蟾酥中的有效成分能够抑制肿瘤细胞的生长和分裂，诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡，从而达到抗癌的目的。在临床上，蟾酥常被用于治疗肝癌、胃癌、肺癌等多种恶性肿瘤，并取得了显著的疗效。
除了恶性肿瘤之外，“以毒攻毒”治法还被广泛应用于治疗顽固性皮肤病、风湿痹症等顽疾。比如，在治疗银屑病时，中医医生往往会使用一些有毒的中药来清热解毒、活血化瘀、祛风止痒。这些中药，如土茯苓、雷公藤等，虽然毒性较大，但适量使用却能够显著改善患者的症状和生活质量。
四、以毒攻毒治法的效果与评价
“以毒攻毒”治法在中医临床中的效果究竟如何？这是一个备受关注的问题。从古代医案到现代临床研究，无数实例都证明了“以毒攻毒”治法在某些疾病治疗中的独特优势。
（一）显著疗效
首先，“以毒攻毒”治法在某些疾病治疗中能够取得显著的疗效。比如，在治疗恶性肿瘤时，使用有毒的中药往往能够抑制肿瘤的生长和扩散，延长患者的生存期。据统计，在某些类型的恶性肿瘤治疗中，使用有毒中药的患者生存期明显长于未使用有毒中药的患者。
此外，在治疗顽固性皮肤病、风湿痹症等顽疾时，“以毒攻毒”治法也能够显著改善患者的症状和生活质量。比如，在治疗银屑病时，使用有毒的中药能够清热解毒、活血化瘀、祛风止痒，从而减轻患者的瘙痒、红斑等症状。
（二）风险与挑战
然而，“以毒攻毒”治法也并非没有风险和挑战。由于有毒药物的使用需要极高的专业素养和严格的剂量控制，一旦使用不当，就可能给患者带来严重的后果。比如，过量使用有毒药物可能导致中毒反应、肝肾功能损害等严重后果。
因此，在使用“以毒攻毒”治法时，中医医生必须具备扎实的专业知识和丰富的临床经验。他们需要根据患者的具体病情和身体状况，制定个性化的治疗方案，并严格监控患者的病情变化和治疗反应。同时，患者也需要积极配合医生的治疗方案，遵守医嘱，按时服药，并注意观察自身的病情变化。
五、结语
“以毒攻毒”治法作为中医治病八法之外的隐秘篇章，虽然不如八大治法那样广为人知，却在中医的历史长河中留下了深刻的印记。它以其独特的药性和作用机制，在治疗某些顽疾时发挥出了其他治法无法替代的作用。
然而，“以毒攻毒”治法并非万能之法，其使用需要极高的专业素养和严格的剂量控制。在现代中医临床中，我们应该根据患者的具体病情和身体状况，制定个性化的治疗方案，并严格监控患者的病情变化和治疗反应。同时，我们也应该加强对“以毒攻毒”治法的研究和探索，不断挖掘其潜在的价值和意义，为人类的健康事业做出更大的贡献。
让我们铭记那些在历史长河中为“以毒攻毒”治法付出辛勤努力的中医先贤们，是他们的智慧和勇气，让这一独特的治法得以传承和发展。让我们携手共进，共同书写中医治病的新篇章！
作者简介：梁世杰 中医高年资主治医师，本科学历，从事中医临床工作24年，积累了较丰富的临床经验。师从首都医科大学附属北京中医院肝病科主任医师、著名老中医陈勇，侍诊多载，深得器重，尽得真传！擅用“商汤经方分类疗法”、专病专方结合“焦树德学术思想”“关幼波十纲辨证”学术思想治疗疑难杂症为特色。现任北京树德堂中医研究院研究员，北京中医药薪火传承新3+3工程—焦树德门人（陈勇）传承工作站研究员，国际易联易学与养生专委会常务理事，中国中医药研究促进会焦树德学术传承专业委员会委员，中国药文化研究会中医药慢病防治分会首批癌症领域入库专家。荣获2020年中国中医药研究促进会仲景医学分会举办的第八届医圣仲景南阳论坛“经方名医”荣誉称号。2023年首届京津冀“扁鹊杯”燕赵医学研究主题征文优秀奖获得者。事迹入选《当代科学家》杂志、《中华英才》杂志。
Combating poison with poison: a secret chapter beyond the eight traditional Chinese medicine methods of healing
In the ancient Chinese medicine temple, the eight healing methods of sweat, swallow, lower, and warm, clear, supplement and eliminate are like the eight kings that protect the health of the Chinese children. They each have their own side, but they complement each other, and together they form an elaborate system for treating diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. However, beyond these eight healing methods, there is a more mysterious and unique healing method - poison against poison. It is not as widely known as the eight major healing methods, but it has left a profound mark in the long history of Chinese medicine and has become an indispensable part of Chinese medicine.
I. The introduction and origin of the method of poisoning
The treatment of poison with poison is not original in traditional Chinese medicine, and its origins can be traced back to ancient human observations and lessons learned from the natural world. In ancient times, it was discovered that certain poisonous plants, animals or minerals, when used in moderation, could cure certain diseases. This discovery is undoubtedly a huge leap forward in the understanding of medicine.
However, the concept of "using poison to fight against poison" was formally introduced into Chinese medicine and made it a unique method of healing diseases in Chinese medicine. According to historical records, as early as the pre- Qin period, the concept of "poison attacking evil" was mentioned in the classical work of Chinese medicine, the Huangdi Inner Teachings. The Huangdi Endowment, Suspect, and Chronology of the Law of Dirty Breath states: "When poison invades evil, five grains are to support, five fruits are to aid, five animals are to benefit, and five vegetables are to replenish." "Poisons" here are not toxic drugs in the modern sense, but those drugs that are powerful enough to destroy disease. This argument laid the theoretical foundation for the formation of a "poison-for-poison" regimen.
With the passage of time, the understanding of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of poison with poison gradually deepened. In the Han Dynasty, Zhang Zhongjing explicitly proposed the treatment of "poison against poison" in his work "The Aspects of Typhoid Disease," and cited a large number of examples of the use of toxic drugs to treat diseases. For example, the prescriptions of oyster soup and tonic soup contained in the book are based on toxic oyster and tonic drugs, used to treat persistent diseases such as paralysis and heartache. The emergence of these remedies marks the formal establishment of the "poison against poison" treatment in the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine.
II. Whether the drug-to-drug approach is the dominant method of law enforcement
In the long history of traditional Chinese medicine, the treatment of poison with poison has been unique, but its status has not always been consistent. In the early stages of the development of traditional Chinese medicine, due to limited medical conditions, people's understanding of diseases was also relatively superficial, so "poison against poison" treatment was once an important means of treating persistent diseases. However, with the continuous refinement of traditional Chinese medicine theory and the advancement of medical technology, the status of "poison against poison" treatment has gradually changed.
In modern traditional Chinese medicine, the treatment of "poison against poison" is not a mainstream treatment. That doesn't mean it has lost value, but because in most cases, traditional Chinese medicine is more inclined to use gentle, safe medications and methods to treat diseases. After all, "three poisons are poisons," and the use of toxic drugs requires extremely high professionalism and strict dose control, which can have serious consequences for patients when used improperly.
However, in certain special cases, the treatment of "poison to poison" can play a role that is not a substitute for other treatments. For example, when treating certain malignant tumors, persistent skin diseases, and persistent diseases such as rheumatic disease, the "poison-for-poison" treatment can often achieve significant therapeutic results. The causes of these diseases are complex and the condition is persistent, and conventional treatment methods are often difficult to work, but the "poison against poison" treatment can use its unique drug and mechanism of action to directly hit the lesion and achieve the purpose of treating the disease and saving people.
III. The Historical Use of Drugs to Combat Drugs
The treatment of poison with poison has left a profound mark in the long history of Chinese medicine. From the pre- Qin period to modern times, countless pioneers of traditional Chinese medicine have used this treatment in clinical practice and achieved remarkable therapeutic results. Below, we will give a few examples to look at the application of the "poison against poison" treatment in the history of Chinese medicine.
(1) The use of poison in ancient medical cases
In ancient medical cases, there are no short examples of the use of "poison against poison" to treat a persistent disease. For example, in the Ming Dynasty medical doctor Li Shizhen's work "The Materia Medica," there are numerous cases of the use of toxic drugs to treat diseases. Nowhere is this more famous than in the case of the use of arsenic to treat malaria.
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. In ancient medical conditions, the treatment of malaria was often very difficult. However, Li Shizhen found that arsenic could be used in a moderate amount to treat malaria. He wrote in "The Essential Essays":“Arsenic is hot and poisonous, can rot sores, kill insects and expel phlegm... The cure for malaria is miraculous.”This discovery is undoubtedly a successful application of the "drug-against-drug" approach.
In addition to arsenic, Li Shizhen documented the therapeutic effects of many other toxic drugs. For example, he mentioned the use of male yellow to treat snake bites and the use of a warthog to treat psoriasis. These medical cases have fully demonstrated the unique charm of "poison against poison" treatment in traditional Chinese medicine.
(ii) Modern clinical poisoning
In modern Chinese medicine, the treatment of poison by poison also plays an important role. For example, when treating certain malignant tumors, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners often use some toxic Chinese medicine to suppress the growth and spread of the tumor. These Chinese medicines, such as tofu, buckwheat, whole scorpion, etc., are highly toxic, but when used in moderation, they can play a significant anti-cancer effect.
Take toad paste, for example, which is a toxic substance extracted from toad and has a strong anti-cancer effect. Modern research has shown that the effective components in toad can inhibit the growth and division of tumor cells and induce tumor cell apoptosis, thereby achieving the purpose of anti-cancer. In the clinic, tofu is often used to treat liver cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer and other malignant tumors, and has achieved significant therapeutic effect.
In addition to malignant tumors, the "poison-for-poison" treatment has also been widely used to treat persistent skin diseases, rheumatism and other persistent diseases. For example, in the treatment of psoriasis, TCM doctors tend to use some toxic herbs for clearing heat and removing toxicity, promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, dispelling wind and relieving itching.Although these Chinese medicines, such as ground 茯苓 and lily bulb, are more toxic, their use in moderation can significantly improve patients' symptoms and quality of life.
IV. Effects and evaluation of the drug-based treatment
How effective is the treatment of "poison against poison" in traditional Chinese medicine? This is a matter of great concern. From ancient medical cases to modern clinical studies, countless examples have demonstrated the unique advantages of "poison against poison" in the treatment of certain diseases.
(i) Significant efficacy
First, the "poison-for-poison" treatment can achieve significant results in the treatment of certain diseases. For example, when treating malignant tumors, the use of toxic Chinese medicine can often inhibit the growth and spread of the tumor, extending the patient's survival. According to statistics, in the treatment of some types of malignant tumors, patients who use toxic Chinese medicines have a significantly longer survival than those who do not use toxic Chinese drugs.
In addition, when treating persistent skin diseases, rheumatism and other persistent diseases, the "poison-for-poison" treatment can also significantly improve patients' symptoms and quality of life. For example, in the treatment of psoriasis, the use of toxic traditional Chinese medicine can be clearing heat and removing toxicity, promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, wind and itching, so as to reduce itching, erythema and other symptoms.
(ii) Risks and challenges
However, the "drug-against-drug" approach is not without risks and challenges. Because the use of toxic drugs requires extremely high levels of professionalism and strict dose control, once used improperly, there can be serious consequences for patients. For example, the excessive use of toxic drugs may lead to serious consequences such as toxic reactions and liver and kidney damage.
Therefore, when using the "poison against poison" treatment method, traditional Chinese medicine doctors must have solid expertise and extensive clinical experience. They need to develop a personalized treatment plan based on the patient's specific condition and physical condition, and strictly monitor patient changes and treatment response. At the same time, patients need to actively cooperate with the doctor's treatment plan, adhere to the doctor''s instructions, take medication on time, and pay attention to observing changes in their condition.
V. CONCLUSIONS
As a secret chapter outside the eight traditional Chinese medicine methods for healing diseases, the "poison against poison" treatment is not as widely known as the eight major traditional Chinese remedies, but it has left a profound mark in the long history of Chinese medicine. With its unique medicinal and action mechanism, it has played a role that cannot be replaced by other treatments in the treatment of certain persistent diseases.
However, the "poison-for-poison" approach is not a panacea, and its use requires a high level of professionalism and strict dose control. In modern TCM clinics, we should formulate personalized treatment plans based on the specific condition and physical condition of the patient, and strictly monitor the changes of the patient's condition and treatment response. At the same time, we should also strengthen research and exploration of "drug against drug" therapy, continuously explore its potential value and significance, and make greater contribution to human health.
Let us remember the pioneers of traditional Chinese medicine who worked diligently for the treatment of poison against poison throughout history. It was their wisdom and courage that allowed this unique treatment to be passed down and developed. Let us work together to write a new chapter in the treatment of diseases in Chinese medicine!
Author Bio: Liang Shijie is a senior medical practitioner in traditional Chinese medicine with an undergraduate degree. He has been engaged in traditional medicine clinical work for 24 years and has accumulated a wealth of clinical experience. Following Chen Yong, chief physician of liver disease at Beijing Traditional Medicine Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medical University, and renowned old Chinese medicine, he has been treated for many years and received great attention. He specializes in the treatment of difficult diseases using "conversational traditional therapy" and special treatments combined with the academic ideas of Jiao Shude and Guan Yubo's ten-level diagnosis.He is currently a researcher at the Shude Tang TCM Research Institute in Beijing, a fellow at the new 3 + 3 project of traditional Chinese medicine flame inheritance in Beijing - a scholar at the inheritance workstation of Jiao Shude's protégés (Chen Yong),He is a standing committee member of the International Expert Committee on E-learning and Health Care, a member of the Jiao Shude Academic Heritage Special Committee of the Chinese Association for the Advancement of Chinese Medicine Research, and the first cancer specialist to be included in the chapter of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Culture Research Association. Won the 2020 China Association for the Promotion of Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhongjing Medical Branch held the eighth session of the Medical Saint Zhongjing Nanyang Forum "Classic Prescription Famous Doctor" honorary title. The winner of the first Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei "Pingui Cup" Yanzhao Medical Research Essay Award in 2023. His work was featured in the journal Current Scientist and the journal Chinese Talent.
来源：首都专家梁世杰一点号
