Herb Formulas Notebook

Feng Yin Tang

Wind Drawing Decoction


Author: Zhang Zhong-Jing, 張仲景

Year: c. 220

Source: Essentials from the Golden Cabinet (Jin Gui Yao Lue, 金匱要略)


Category: Formulas that Expel Wind

Pattern: Wind-Stroke or Child Fright Wind caused by exuberant Heat and stirring of Internal Liver Wind

Key Symptoms: Sudden collapse where the person falls to the ground, convulsions with upturned eyeballs, deviation of the mouth and eyes, gurgling sounds in the throat, irritability and restlessness, mental confusion
Secondary Symptoms: Also for hemiplegia or hemilateral withering

Tongue: Red body
Pulse: Foreceful, wiry and/or rapid


Ingredients

Da Huang 120g
Gan Jiang 120g
Long Gu 120g
Gui Zhi 90g
Gan Cao 60g
Mu Li 60g
Han Shui Shi 180g
Hua Shi 180g
Chi Shi Zhi 180g
Bai Shi Zhi 180g
Zi Shi Ying 180g
Shi Gao 180g

Subsitutions:
Due to the large number of mineral and animal products in this formula a lot of substitution in necessary in the UK. Some suggestions include:
Long Gu == Bai Shao Yao + Wu Wei Zi
Mu Li == Xuan Shen + Tian Ma
Hua Shi == Chi Fu Ling + Ze Xie
Chi Shi Zhi == He Zi + Jin Guan Hua
Zhi Shi Ying == Yuan Zhi + Fu Shen
Shi Gao, Han Shui Shi and Bai Shi Zhi may be harder to substitute but could be attempted with other Heat clearing, Wind pacifying and astringent herbs, although the formula is likely to lose its action of pacifying Wind through heavy medicinals whatever the substitution. Some possible thoughts include Huang Lian or Huang Qin, Xia Ku Cao, Jue Ming Zi or Gou Teng to clear Heat, Zhi Mu to cool and protect the fluids, Lian Zi to astringe in order to protect the fluids and calm the mind, and Hu Po to provide the heaviest Spirit Calming medicinal that is still a plant product.
Zhu Ru, Shi Chang Pu or Tian Nan Xing may be appropriate if there is also Phlegm and seizures.


Preparation: Grind the herbs into a coarse powder and pill a soft leather pouch with three pinches of the powder. Decoct with 3 cups of water, bringing to the boil three times. One cup per dose is taken warm. Today it is prepares as a decoction with an appropriate reduction in dosage.


Actions: Extinguishes and pacifies Wind with heavy medicinals, clears Heat, calms the spirit

Contraindications: Should not be used in cases of Liver Yang rising due to Blood or Yin deficiency due to its draining nature.



Notes:
One liang is taken as 3g in modern sources but in Eastern Han times it was equivalent to 13.875g. This means that the dosages in classical formulae could have been more than 4x what is given today making them far higher than recommended safe dosages today but prompts consideration of what an effective dose may be (He, 2013).



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These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted.