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Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill

六味地黄丸 〔六味地黃丸〕liù wèi dì huáng wán

Source: Xiǎo ér Yào Zhèng Zhí Jué 小儿药证直诀

Alternate Chinese names: 地黄丸 (original name)

Ingredients:

Action: Enriches yīn and supplements the kidney.

Indication: Insufficiency of kidney yīn with limp aching and lumbus and knees, dizziness, deafness, tinnitus, spontaneous sweating or night sweating, seminal emission or dream emissions, dispersion-thirst (xiāo kě), sore throat and loss of voice, loosening of the teeth, heel pain, and dry mouth. Tongue: Red. In children, the signs are poor development and nonclosure of the fontanels.

Category: Supplementing formulas / Yīn-supplementing formula

Method: Grind to a powder and form into pills with honey. Can be made as a decoction, but the amounts must be reduced (divide by 10).

Dosage: (pills) 3–6g twice a day, swallowed with water or weak brine; in winter it can be swallowed with wine.

Warnings: Contraindicated in severe spleen-stomach vacuity.

Rationale: This formula is Shèn qì wán (肾气丸 Kidney Qì Pill)without cinnamon and Fù zǐ. Shú dì huáng enriches yīn and supplements the kidney, as well as boosting essence and marrow and engendering blood. Shān zhū yú warms and supplements the liver and kidney, and it also constrains essential qì. Shān yào fortifies the spleen and boost the kidney, securing essence and reducing urine. These three agents are the three supplements, since they supplement the three yīn [organs]. Zé xiè drains kidney turbidity. Mǔ dān pí drains liver fire, and Fú líng percolate spleen dampness. These are the three supplements because they drain the three yīn. Two supplementing and draining effects of the formula are complementary, although there is greater emphasis on supplementation.

Variations:

Notes: This is a variant of Shèn qì wán (肾气丸 Kidney Qì Pill).

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