Belamcanda and Ephedra Decoction

射干麻黄汤〔射干麻黃湯〕shè gān má huáng tāng

Source: Jīn Guì Yào Lüè 金匮要略

Ingredients:

Action: Warms the lung and transforms rheum; relieves cough and calms panting.

Indication: Cough and panting due to cold rheum amassing in the lung and counterflow ascent of lung qì with rale in the throat, copious phlegm, oppression in the chest, and absence of thirst. Tongue fur: White and slimy or glossy. Pulse: Stringlike and slippery.

Category: Exterior-resolving formulas / Warm acrid exterior-resolving formulas

Method: Decoct with water.

Rationale: Shè gān downbears counterflow and precipitates qì, as well as eliminating phlegm and breaking binds. It is highly effective for cough and counterflow qì ascent and phlegm rale in the throat. Warm acrid Má huáng diffuses the lung and disperses cold. With cold bitter Shè gān, it downbears qì and calms panting. Bàn xià is a warm acrid agent that precipitates qì and disperses binds, helping the action of Shè gān. These three agents together address the main signs. Zǐ wǎn and Kuǎn dōng huā transform phlegm and relieve cough. Xì xīn and Shēng jiāng warm the lung transform rheum when combined with Bàn xià. Dà zǎo banks up earth to dam water and helps the action of Xì xīn. Wǔ wèi zǐ constrains the lung, thus safeguarding lung qì.

Variations:

Absence of sore throat: Use Xìng rén (杏仁 Armeniacae Semen, apricot kernel) instead of Shè gān (射干 Belamcandae Rhizoma, belamcanda [root]).
Infection: Add Yú xīng cǎo (鱼腥草 Houttuyniae Herba, houttuynia), Jīn yín huā (金银花 Lonicerae Flos, lonicera [flower]), Lián qiào (连翘 Forsythiae Fructus, forsythia [fruit]), and Huáng lián (黄连 Coptidis Rhizoma, coptis [root]).
High fever: Add shenshigao and Jīng mǐ (粳米 Oryzae Semen, non-glutinous rice).

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Belamcanda and Ephedra Decoction

射干麻黄汤 〔射干麻黃湯〕shè gān má huáng tāng

Help us to improve our content

射干麻黄汤〔射干麻黃湯〕shè gān má huáng tāng