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Source: Hé Jì Jú Fāng 和剂局方

Ingredients:

• Mǔ lì (牡蛎 Ostreae Concha, oyster shell) 15–30g
• Huáng qí (黄芪 Astragali Radix, astragalus [root]) 9–12g
• Má huáng gēn (麻黄根 Ephedrae Radix, ephedra root) 3–9g
• Fú xiǎo mài (浮小麦 Tritici Fructus Levis, light wheat [grain]) 15g

Action: Boosts qì and secures the exterior; constrains yīn and checks sweating.

Indication: Night sweating or spontaneous sweating due to vacuity.

Category: Astringing formulas / Exterior-resolving sweat-checking formulas

Method: Originally prepared as a powder, but now prepared as a decoction.

Warnings: Do not use this formula in critical conditions where there are signs of reversal and collapse of yáng such as profuse dripping sweating and a pulse on the verge of expiration. Such cases require yáng-returning desertion-stemming formula such as shenfutangor shenfulongmutang.

Rationale: The sovereign agent is Mǔ lì which constrains yīn and subdues yáng, astringes, and checks sweating. The minister agent is Huáng qí, which boosts qì and secures the exterior. The assistants are Fú xiǎo mài and Má huáng gēn, which are used for their sweat-checking action.

Variations:

• Spontaneous sweating: Increase Huáng qí (黄芪 Astragali Radix, astragalus [root]) and add Bái zhú (白朮 Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, white atractylodes [root]).
• Night sweating: Hēi dà dòu pí (黑大豆皮 Sojae Testa Atra, black soybean seed coat) and Nuò dào gēn xū (糯稻根须 Oryzae Glutinosae Radix, glutinous rice root).

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