Ancient Records and Modern Research on the Mechanisms of Chinese Herbal Medicines in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

Table 1

A similar comparison of the symptoms of “Xiao Ke” and DM.

	Symptoms of “Xiao Ke” in Zhu Bing Yuan Hou Lun^a	Symptoms of DM in Textbook of Internal Medicine [22]
General; symptoms	Polydipsia; dry mouth and lips; polyphagia; hunger; emptiness of the stomach; frequent urination; polyuria; glucosuria; emaciation; adiposity; fatigue of limbs; mental fatigue; feverish dysphoria; itchy skin; hyperhidrosis; dizziness; sweet feeling in the mouth.	Polydipsia; thirst; polyphagia; hunger; polyuria; marasmus; obesity; sweet taste of urine; itchy skin; vulva pruritus; fatigue; lightheadedness.
Complications	Carbuncle and soreness; night blindness; internal oculopathy; lung tuberculosis; edema; precordial pain; pectoral stuffiness pain; apoplexy; coma; impotence; foot carbuncle-abscess; unsmooth defecation; diarrhea; anorexia; short breath; waist soreness; dizziness and tinnitus; pachylosis; whitish and turbid urine; muscle atrophy of the lower extremities; oliguria; nightly sweating; coolness of extremities.	Carbuncle and furuncle; diabetic retinopathy; pulmonary tuberculosis; diabetic cardiomyopathy; diabetic ketoacidosis; diabetic impotence; glaucoma; diabetic nephropathy; atherosclerosis; cerebral ischemic stroke; diabetic foot; constipation; diarrhea; myophagism; paralysis; oliguria; hyperhidrosis; hypohidrosis or anhidrosis; diabetic gastroparesis.

^aThe “Zhu Bing Yuan Hou Lun”: a book describing causes and manifestations of diseases by Yuanfang Chao, a famous TCM doctor born about AD 550 and died in 630 A.D. in the Sui Dynasty.