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Source: Xiǎo ér Yào Zhèng Zhí Jué 小儿药证直诀

Alternate Chinese names: 泻肺散

Ingredients:

• Sāng bái pí (桑白皮 Mori Cortex, mulberry bark) 6–12g
• Dì gǔ pí (地骨皮 Lycii Cortex, lycium bark) 6–12g
• Gān cǎo (甘草 Glycyrrhizae Radix, licorice [root]) 3–6g
• Jīng mǐ (粳米 Oryzae Semen, non-glutinous rice) 15–30g

Action: Clears lung heat; relieves cough and panting.

Indication: Lung heat with cough and panting, expectoration of blood, tidal heat effusion, and dry mouth and lips. Tongue: Red with thin fur. Pulse: Fine and rapid.

Category: Heat-clearing formulas / Bowel and visceral heat-clearing formula

Method: Now usually prepared as a decoction.

Warnings: Do not use for cough and panting due to either external contraction of wind-cold or vacuity cold.

Rationale: Sāng bái pí is sweet and cold. It clears lung heat, relieves cough, and calms panting. Dì gǔ pí is also sweet and cold, and combined with the Sāng bái pí it drains the deep-lying heat in the lung. Zhì gān cǎo and Jīng mǐ regulate and nourish the lung and stomach qì and yīn.

Variations:

• Severe lung channel heat: Add Huáng qín (黄芩 Scutellariae Radix, scutellaria [root]), Zhī mǔ (知母 Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, anemarrhena [root]), and Yú xīng cǎo (鱼腥草 Houttuyniae Herba, houttuynia).
• Dryness-heat cough with sticky yellow phlegm: Add Guā lóu pí (瓜蒌皮 Trichosanthis Pericarpium, trichosanthes rind), Chuān bèi mǔ (川贝母 Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus, Sìchuān fritillaria [bulb]), Zhī mǔ (知母 Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, anemarrhena [root]), and Xìng rén (杏仁 Armeniacae Semen, apricot kernel).
• Pronounced yīn vacuity tidal heat effusion: Add Qīng hāo (青蒿 Artemisiae Annuae Herba, sweet wormwood), Biē jiǎ (鳖甲 Trionycis Carapax, turtle shell), and Yín chái hú (银柴胡 Stellariae Radix, stellaria).
• Initial-stage pneumonia or bronchitis in children: Add agents such as Niú bàng zǐ (牛蒡子 Arctii Fructus, arctium [seed]), Xìng rén (杏仁 Armeniacae Semen, apricot kernel), Chán tuì (蝉蜕 Cicadae Periostracum, cicada molting), Bò hé (薄荷 Menthae Herba, mint), Jīn yín huā (金银花 Lonicerae Flos, lonicera [flower]), and Lián qiào (连翘 Forsythiae Fructus, forsythia [fruit]).
• Pronounced vacuity of right qì, add Dǎng shēn (党参 Codonopsis Radix, codonopsis [root]) and Bái zhú (白朮 Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, white atractylodes [root]).
• Liver fire invading the lung with rib-side pain and expectoration of blood: Add qingdaisan, which comprises Qīng dài (青黛 Indigo Naturalis , indigo), Shí gāo (石膏 Gypsum Fibrosum, gypsum), Huá shí (滑石 Talcum , talcum), and Huáng bǎi (黄柏 Phellodendri Cortex, phellodendron [bark]).
• Phlegm congestion and qì counterflow: Add Tíng lì zǐ (葶苈子 Lepidii/Descurainiae Semen, lepidium/descurainia), and Bái qián (白前 Cynanchi Stauntonii Rhizoma, willowleaf swallowwort [rhizome]).

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