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Yellow Earth Decoction
黄土汤 〔黃土湯〕huáng tǔ tāng
Source: Jīn Guì Yào Lüè 金匮要略
Ingredients:
- Zào zhōng huáng tǔ (灶中黄土 Terra Flava Usta , oven earth) 30g
- Gān dì huáng (干地黄 Rehmanniae Radix Exsiccata, dried rehmannia [root]) 15g
- Bái zhú (白朮 Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, white atractylodes [root]) 9g
- Gān cǎo (甘草 Glycyrrhizae Radix, licorice [root]) (mix–fried) 3g
- Fù zǐ (附子 Aconiti Radix Lateralis Praeparata, aconite [accessory root]) (blast–fried) 9g
- Huáng qín (黄芩 Scutellariae Radix, scutellaria [root]) 9g
- ē jiāo (阿胶 Asini Corii Colla, ass hide glue) 12g
Action: Warms yáng and fortifies the spleen; astringes and stanches bleeding.
Indication: Persistent bloody stool,
Category: Blood-rectifying formulas / Blood-stanching formulas
Method: Decoct with water.
Rationale: Oven earth warms the spleen and has an astringent action that stanches bleeding. It is a major agent for treating blood loss due to yáng vacuity. Bái zhú and Fù zǐ warm and supplement spleen yáng, restoring its containing action. However, these dry, acrid agents tend to stir the blood. For this reason, Huáng qín, which is bitter and strengthens yīn, is used to counteract this, but is given only in small quantities in view of its tendency to damage spleen yáng. ē jiāo and Shēng dì huáng nourish yīn blood, making up for the damage caused by loss of blood. ē jiāo in particular also helps to stanch bleeding. The Gān cǎo is used raw to harmonize the Fù zǐ and Bái zhú.
Variations:
- Heart palpitation: Add Lóng yǎn ròu (龙眼肉 Longan Arillus, longan flesh) and Suān zǎo rén (酸枣仁 Ziziphi Spinosi Semen, spiny jujube [kernel]).
- Bleeding: Add Sān qī (三七 Notoginseng Radix, notoginseng [root]) and Bái jí (白及 Bletillae Rhizoma, bletilla [root]).
Spleen-stomach vacuity cold : Add Pào jiāng (炮姜 Zingiberis Rhizoma Praeparatum, blast-fried ginger).Poor appetite : Use the pellet form of ē jiāo (阿胶 Asini Corii Colla, ass hide glue) and add Chén pí (陈皮 Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, tangerine peel) and Bàn xià (半夏 Pinelliae Rhizoma, pinellia [rhizome]).Qì vacuity : Add Dǎng shēn (党参 Codonopsis Radix, codonopsis [root]) and Huáng qí (黄芪 Astragali Radix, astragalus [root]).- Spleen-kidney vacuity: Add Ròu guì (肉桂 Cinnamomi Cortex, cinnamon bark) and Bǔ gǔ zhī (补骨脂 Psoraleae Fructus, psoralea [fruit]).
- Zhě shí (赭石 Haematitum , hematite) is a substitute for Fú lóng gān (伏龙肝 Terra Flava Usta , oven earth).