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Officinal Magnolia Bark Center-Warming Decoction
厚朴温中汤 〔厚朴溫中湯〕hòu pò wēn zhōng tāng
Source: Nèi Wài Shāng Biàn Huò Lùn 内外伤辨惑论
Ingredients:
- Hòu pò (厚朴 Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex, officinal magnolia bark) (processed with ginger) 12g
- Gān jiāng (干姜 Zingiberis Rhizoma, dried ginger) 6g
- Chén pí (陈皮 Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, tangerine peel) 10g
- Gān cǎo (甘草 Glycyrrhizae Radix, licorice [root]) (mix-fried) 3g
- Fú líng (茯苓 Poria , poria) 10g
- Cǎo dòu kòu (草豆蔻 Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen, Katsumadai galangal seed) 6g
- Mù xiāng (木香 Aucklandiae Radix, costusroot) 6g
- Shēng jiāng (生姜 Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, fresh ginger) 3g
Action: Warms the center and moves qì; dries dampness and eliminates fullness.
Indication: Cold-damp obstructing the center, giving rise to distension and fullness in the stomach duct and abdomen and painful cold in the stomach.
Category: Qì-rectifying formulas / Qì-moving formulas
Method: Decoct with water.
Rationale: Hòu pò treated with ginger warms the center and precipitates qì, and as such is a major agent for dispersing fullness. Gān jiāng is hot and acrid and helps Hòu pò to warm the center. But it is a static agent (shǒu ér bù zǒu) that in large quantities can cause congestion of qì. Cǎo dòu kòu, Chén pí, and Mù xiāng are warm bitter dampness-drying agents that move qì and loosen the center. They help Hòu pò to disperse fullness and can also prevent the Gān jiāng from causing qì congestion. Fú líng percolates dampness and fortifies the spleen. Zhì gān cǎo and Shēng jiāng, which make an sweet, acrid combination, stimulate spleen yáng.
Similar: Lǐ zhōng wán (理中丸 Center-Rectifying Pill)
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