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Tortoise Shell and Deerhorn Two Immortals Glue
龟鹿二仙胶 〔龜鹿二仙膠〕guī lù èr xiān jiāo
Source: Yī Fāng Kǎo 医方考
Alternate Chinese names:
Ingredients:
- Lù jiǎo jiāo (鹿角胶 Cervi Cornus Gelatinum, deer antler glue) 5 kg.
- Guī bǎn (龟版 Testudinis Plastrum, tortoise plastron) 2.5 kg.
- Gǒu qǐ zǐ (枸杞子 Lycii Fructus, lycium [berry]) 1 kg.
- Rén shēn (人参 Ginseng Radix, ginseng) (or Dǎng shēn (党参 Codonopsis Radix, codonopsis [root])) 500g
Action: Warms the kidney and boosts essence; supplements qì and nourishes the blood.
Indication: Kidney depletion in enduring sickness with vacuity of both yīn and yáng and insufficiency of essence blood, characterized by emaciation, seminal emission, impotence, and limp aching lumbus and knees. Tongue: Pale with white fur. Pulse: Sunken, slow, and weak.
Category: Supplementing formulas / Dual yīn-yáng dual supplementation formula
Method: Boil down to a sticky paste in an earthenware pot.
Dosage: 6–9g a day, taken in the morning on an empty stomach with a mild brine.
Rationale: Lù jiǎo (on the upper or yáng part of the deer's body) is pure yáng, while Guī bǎn (the ventral or yīn side of the tortoise) is supreme yīn. They are the two immortals
in the formula name. Together, they supplement and regulate yīn and yáng, engender essence, and replenish the marrow. They are the sovereign agents in this formula, they are supported by Rén shēn, which supplements the heart and spleen, and Gǒu qǐ zǐ which boosts the liver and kidney. Although this formula supplements both yīn and yáng, the emphasis is on supplementing yáng, as the proportions suggest. It should not be used in cases of hyperactivity of yáng.