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Source: Jīn Guì Yào Lüè 金匮要略

Ingredients:

• Fú líng (茯苓 Poria , poria) 15g
• Gān cǎo (甘草 Glycyrrhizae Radix, licorice [root]) 6g
• Gān jiāng (干姜 Zingiberis Rhizoma, dried ginger) 10g
• Xì xīn (细辛 Asari Rhizoma et Radix, asarum) 6g
• Wǔ wèi zǐ (五味子 Schisandrae Fructus, schisandra [berry]) 6g

Action: Warms the lung and transforms rheum.

Indication: Cough due to insufficiency of spleen yáng and phlegm-rheum collecting internally. Accompanying signs include thin white phlegm, sleepiness, fullness in the chest, and retching counterflow. Tongue fur: White and glossy. Pulse: Sunken and slow.

Category: Phlegm-dispelling formulas / Cold phlegm warming and transforming formula

Method: Decoct with water.

Rationale: Gān jiāng is the sovereign agent in the formula because it warms the lung and dries dampness. Xì xīn warms the lung and disperses cold. Combined with Gān jiāng, it warms and transforms cold phlegm, treating phlegm-rheum that has already gathered. Fú líng percolates dampness and fortifies the spleen, and combined with Gān jiāng and Gān cǎo helps to eliminate the source of the phlegm. Wǔ wèi zǐ constrains lung qì and relieves cough and prevents Xì xīn from dispersing lung qì.

Variations:

• Copious phlegm with nausea and vomiting: Add Fǎ bàn xià (法半夏 Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum, pro formula pinellia [rhizome]) and Chén pí (陈皮 Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, tangerine peel).
• Severe cough: Add Zǐ wǎn (紫菀 Asteris Radix, aster [root]) and Kuǎn dōng huā (款冬花 Farfarae Flos, coltsfoot).
• Counterflow upsurge of qì: Guì zhī (桂枝 Cinnamomi Ramulus, cinnamon twig) and Hòu pò (厚朴 Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex, officinal magnolia bark).
• Qì stagnation with abdominal distension: Add zhike and Shā rén (砂仁 Amomi Fructus, amomum [fruit]).
• Spleen vacuity with reduced eating.

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