Abstract
Sokmyeungtang was the representative prescription for Apoplexy under the rule of Tang and Song dynasty of which the cultures were thriving in the history of China. However, the clinical use of Sokmyeungtang has been gradually reduced since Geumwon dynasty of China because it was misunderstood that the dryness heat drugs of pungent in flavor and warm in property such as Ephedra, Pubescent Angelica Root, Chinese Cassia Tree-Bark, Divaricate Saposhnikovia Root, Prepared Aconite Root, Fresh Ginger, and Wildginger Herb included in the presciption for Apoplexy supplemented heat as damaging Yin flood. In fact, the drugs pungent in flavor and warm in property activate exterior and interior circulation, circulate channels and collaterals, promote blood circulation, and remove blood stasis with the side effect of relieving exterior syndrome with drugs warming channels. When treating Apoplexy with Sokmyeungtang, the cold drugs such as Gypsum, Baikai Skullcap Root, and Pueraria Root are prescribed to suppress fire of pungent dryness and to control excessive heat of people with Apoplexy as reducing the effects of hot drugs causing impairment of Yin. For treatment of Apoplexy, the above drugs accelerate blood and Qi circulation in channels and collaterals and then in necrotic tissue of human body as removing blood stasis. Consequently, these drugs improve disorders of capillary tube circulation. If Sokmyeungtang, an old prescription, is properly understood, it will be substantially helpful to all kinds of treatments in clinical cases
