Author: Zhu Dan-Xi, 朱丹溪
Year: 1732
Source: Essential Teachings of Dan-Xi (Dan Xi Xin Fa, 丹溪心法)
Category: Formulas that Clear Heat
Pattern: Liver and Stomach disharmony due to Heat in the Liver
Key Symptoms: Pain in the flanks, indeterminate gnawing hunger, epigastric focal distention, vomiting, acid reflux, belching, bitter taste in the mouth
Tongue: Red with yellow coating
Pulse: Wiry and rapid
Ingredients
Huang Lian
| 15-18g | |
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Pinyin: Huang Lian
Chinese: 黄连
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Coptidis
Taxonomy: Coptidis chinensis
English: Coptis Rhizome / Goldthread Rhizome
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Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Stomach, Large Intestine and Liver
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Actions & Indications:
- Clears Heat and drains Dampness
Damp-Heat in the Stomach or Intestines with diarrhoea or dysenteric disorder
Stomach Heat with vomiting and/or acid regurgitation
- Drains Fire and resolves Fire toxicity
Heat with Blazing Fire (Toxic Heat) with high fever. irritability, disorientation, delirium, a red tongue and a rapid, full pulse
Heat from Excess with toxicity: painful, red eyes and a sore throat
Boils, carbuncles and abscesses (Chuang Yung)
- Clears Heat and stops bleeding
Blood Heat with epistaxis, hematuria, hemafecia and hemoptysis
- Clears Heat topically
Infected wounds, red and painful eyes, ulcerations of the tongue and mouth (topical)
- Clears Heart Fire (sedative)
Heart Fire
Lack of communication between the Heart and Kidneys
- Drains Stomach Fire
Stomach Fire
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Standard Dosage: 2-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for deficiency-cold syndrome. Because its taste is extremly bitter and dryness, overdosage and long-time taking will impair spleen and stomach, yin and fluids. |
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Wu Zhu Yu
| 2-3g | | |
Pinyin: Wu Zhu Yu
Chinese: 吴茱萸
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Evodiae
Taxonomy: Evodia rutaecarpa
English: Evodia Fruit
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Tastes: Pungent, bitter, hot, mildly toxic
Meridians Entered: Liver, Spleen, Stomach and Kidney
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Actions & Indications:
- Warms the Middle Jiao, disperses Cold, promotes the movement of Qi (relieves Stagnation in the Liver channel) and alleviates pain
Stomach or Liver Channel Cold or Phlegm, with headache, epigastric pain with nausea, drooling, reduced taste, a pale tongue with a wiry or weak pulse
Cold bulging disorders in the area traversed by the Liver channel and dysmenorrhea
Disharmony between the Liver and Stomach
- Spreads the Liver, descends rebellious Qi and stops vomiting
Acid regurgitation and vomiting - can be used for either Hot or Cold disorders depending on the other herbs with which it is combined
- Warms the Spleen, stops diarrhoea and expels Damp-Cold
Diarrhoea from Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency
Damp-Cold Leg Qi
- Leads Fire downward
Mouth and tongue sores (grind into a powder, mix with vinegar and place on the soles of the feet)
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Standard Dosage: 1.5-4.5g in decoction.
Cautions: It is not suitable to be taken in large dosage for a long time, and contraindicated for yin deficiency with internal heat. |
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Preparation: Originally prepared as pills by grinding into a powder and mixing with water, taken in 2-3g doses 2-3 times per day. Can be taken as a decoction but due to the taste of both herbs it may be easier to grind and encapsulate.
Actions: Clears Liver Heat, directs rebellious Qi downwards, stops vomiting
Contraindications: Acid reflux due to Stomach deficient and Cold
Notes:
By adding Bai Shao and having all ingredients in equal ratio it becomes Wu Ji Wan (Fifth and Sixth Heavenly Stem Pill) which focuses the effects on Liver/Spleen disharmony for similar presentations which include diarrhoea, including hot dysentery disorders.
Research Links:
Reference Notes: (click to display)
Most formulas are found in Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet (2009): Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies and Chen & Chen (2015) Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications. Others are from translations of primary sources. It is recommended that the original material is cross-referenced for mistakes and additional information.
Substitutions have been taken from Ken Lloyd & Prof. Leung (2004): Mayway UK Substitution List or the above publications and are intended as suggestions to help navigate the tight restrictions in the UK quickly. More applicable substitutions may be appropriate in specific situations.
Individual herb information has initially been sourced from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted.