This application relates to a material which is suitable for the treatment
of atopic disease, non-atopic eczema or psoriasis. The material can be
extracted from a freeze-dried decoction of a mixture comprising the
following Chinese herbs: Radix Ledebouriella, Fructus Tribuli, Herba
Potentilla chinensis, Caulis Clematis armandii, Radix Rehmannia, Radix
Glycyrrhiza, Radix Paeonia rubra, Cortex Dictamni radicis, Herba
Lopatheri, Spica Schizonepetae. The material comprises one or more of
those components present in the freeze-dried decoction which run with Rf
values in the ranges 0.00 to 0.100, 0.167 to 0.300, 0.400 to 0.533, 0.700
to 0.833 or 0.900 to 0.967 if the freeze-dried decoction is diluted in
aqueous solution and subjected to chromatography on a Whatman 2
cms.times.55 cms.times.3 mm cellulose strip for 10 hours using a solvent
mixture of butanol, ethanol and water in the proportions 4:1:1.