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Ass Hide Glue and Mugwort Decoction
胶艾汤 〔膠艾湯〕jiāo ài tāng
Source: Jīn Guì Yào Lüè 金匮要略
Ingredients:
- Gān shēng dì (干生地 Rehmanniae Radix, dried rehmannia [root]) 12–18g
- Dāng guī (当归 Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Chinese angelica) 6–12g
- Chuān xiōng (川芎 Chuanxiong Rhizoma, chuanxiong [rhizome]) 3–6g
- Bái sháo (白芍 Paeoniae Radix Alba, white peony [root]) 6–12g
- ài yè (艾叶 Artemisiae Argyi Folium, mugwort [leaf]) 3–6g
- Gān cǎo (甘草 Glycyrrhizae Radix, licorice [root]) 1.5–3g
- ē jiāo (阿胶 Asini Corii Colla, ass hide glue) 6–9g
Action: Supplements the blood and stanches bleeding; regulates menstruation and quiets the fetus.
Indication: Vacuity of the thoroughfare (chōng) and controlling (rèn) vessels in women manifesting as pain in the lesser abdomen, flooding and spotting or profuse menstruation, stirring fetus or flooding and spotting during pregnancy, and dribbling postpartum vaginal discharge.
Category: Supplementing formulas / Yīn-yáng dual supplementation formulas
Method: Dissolve the ass hide glue in the strained decoction of the other agents over a low flame, before adding rice wine.
Rationale: ē jiāo supplements the blood while mugwort warms the palace (i.e., the uterus). Both stanch bleeding. Together they treat root and tip of bleeding due to damage to the thoroughfare (chōng) and controlling (rèn) vessels; hence, they are the sovereign agents. Shēng dì huáng, Bái sháo, Chuān xiōng, and Dāng guī (which have also come to be used alone in Sì wù tāng (四物汤 Four Agents Decoction), supplement the blood and regulate menstruation. Gān cǎo is used raw to harmonize all the agents of the formula. The rice wine is used to move the other agents.
Variations:
Qì vacuity : Add Rén shēn (人参 Ginseng Radix, ginseng) and Huáng qí (黄芪 Astragali Radix, astragalus [root]).Stirring fetus : Add Dù zhòng (杜仲 Eucommiae Cortex, eucommia [bark]), Xù duàn (续断 Dipsaci Radix, dipsacus [root]), andsangjisheng[1] .- Pronounced bleeding: Add Xiān hè cǎo (仙鹤草 Agrimoniae Herba, agrimony) and Dì yú (地榆 Sanguisorbae Radix, sanguisorba [root]).
Blood stasis andabdominal pain : Add Yán hú suǒ (延胡索 Corydalis Rhizoma, corydalis [rhizome]) and Sān qī (三七 Notoginseng Radix, notoginseng [root]).