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Source: Wēn Bìng Tiáo Biàn 温病条辨

Ingredients:

• Xuán shēn (玄参 Scrophulariae Radix, scrophularia [root]) 9–30g
• Shēng dì huáng (生地黄 Rehmanniae Radix Exsiccata seu Recens, dried/fresh rehmannia [root]) 9–24g
• Mài dōng (麦冬 Ophiopogonis Radix, ophiopogon [root]) 9–24g

Action: Nourishes yīn, engenders liquid, and moistens the intestines.

Indication: Damage to liquid due to exuberant heat in warm disease with signs such as thirst and sore throat. Tongue: Dry and red or crimson. Also treats yīn vacuity with constipation due to intestinal dryness.

Category: Dryness-relieving formulas / Internal dryness formulas

Method: Decoct with water.

Rationale: Xuán shēn is salty and bitter and slightly cold. It nourishes yīn and engenders liquid. Mài dōng is cold and sweet, and slightly bitter. It enriches yīn and moistens dryness. Shēng dì huáng is cold and sweet. It clears heat, cools the blood, and engenders liquid. These three agents combined have the additional effect of increasing water to move the ship, i.e., the hard dry stool that sticks in the intestines owing to damage to yīn. Although this formula was originally devised for external contractions, it can be used in internal damage or miscellaneous disease for any yīn vacuity pattern with red tongue.

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