Back to previous page Search again ↑

Source: Fù Qīng Zhǔ Nǚ Kē 傅青主女科

Ingredients:

• Dāng guī (当归 Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Chinese angelica) 9–15g
• Chuān xiōng (川芎 Chuanxiong Rhizoma, chuanxiong [rhizome]) 3–9g
• Táo rén (桃仁 Persicae Semen, peach kernel) 6–9g
• Jiāng (姜 Zingiberis Rhizoma, ginger) (blast–fried) 2–3g
• Gān cǎo (甘草 Glycyrrhizae Radix, licorice [root]) 2–3g

Action: Quickens the blood and transforms stasis; warms the channels and relieves pain.

Indication: Retention of lochia and lower abdominal pain exacerbated by pressure. Tongue: Bearing stasis speckles. Pulse: Sunken and rough.

Category: Blood-rectifying formulas / Blood-quickening stasis-transforming formulas

Method: Decoct with water (the original book says decoct in equal proportions of yellow wine and child's urine, tóng biàn).

Warnings: Do not use this formula for blood heat with stasis.

Rationale: Dāng guī supplements the blood and regulates menstruation, warms the channel and disperses cold, and, not least, quickens the blood and dispels stasis. It addresses the disorder comprehensively, and so is the sovereign agent in the formula. Chuān xiōng, Táo rén, and rice wine help the Dāng guī to quicken the blood and dispel stasis. Pào jiāng warms the channels and disperses cold, while Zhì gān cǎo harmonizes all the agents of the formula. Unlike the other ingredients, Dāng guī in addition to a quickening the blood and dispelling stasis, has a strong supplementing action that, as the name Engendering Transformation suggests, is the focus of the formula.

Variations:

• Mild abdominal pain after discharge of lochia: Omit Táo rén (桃仁 Persicae Semen, peach kernel).
• Severe abdominal stasis pain: Add Pú huáng (蒲黄 Typhae Pollen, typha pollen), Wǔ líng zhī (五灵脂 Trogopteri Faeces, squirrel's droppings), and Shān zhā (山楂 Crataegi Fructus, crataegus [fruit]).
• Cold pain in the lower abdomen: Add Ròu guì (肉桂 Cinnamomi Cortex, cinnamon bark).
• Blood vacuity heat effusion: Add Mǔ dān pí (牡丹皮 Moutan Cortex, moutan [bark]) and Bái sháo (白芍 Paeoniae Radix Alba, white peony [root]).
• Qì desertion with continued discharge of clots 2 days after delivery: Add Rén shēn (人参 Ginseng Radix, ginseng).
• Retention of the Zǐ hé chē (紫河车 Hominis Placenta, placenta) after miscarriage: Add Yì mǔ cǎo (益母草 Leonuri Herba, leonurus) and Hóng huā (红花 Carthami Flos, carthamus [flower]).

Back to previous page Search again