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Source: Shāng Hán Lùn 伤寒论

Ingredients:

• Huáng qín (黄芩 Scutellariae Radix, scutellaria [root]) 9g
• Bái sháo (白芍 Paeoniae Radix Alba, white peony [root]) 9g
• Gān cǎo (甘草 Glycyrrhizae Radix, licorice [root]) 3g
• Dà zǎo (大枣 Jujubae Fructus, jujube) 4 pieces

Action: Clears heat and checks diarrhea; relaxes tension and relieves pain.

Indication: Generalized heat effusion with bitter taste in the mouth, and abdominal pain, diarrhea or dysentery. Tongue: Red with yellow fur. Pulse: Stringlike and rapid.

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

Method: Decoct with water.

Warnings: This formula is unsuitable for cold-damp dysentery with white glossy tongue fur, slow or moderate pulse, and absence of dry mouth and thirst.

Rationale: This formula treats greater yáng and lesser yáng combination disease, with emphasis on lesser yáng. The lesser yáng gallbladder channel is intimately related to the reverting yīn liver channel. Liver and gallbladder disease are mutually conducive, and disease of either or both organs can affect the spleen and stomach according to the five-phase logic of wood evils overwhelming earth. This formula uses Huáng qín as the sovereign agent to enter lesser yáng and clear gallbladder heat, and Bái sháo as the support to enter reverting yīn and clear liver heat. Dà zǎo and Gān cǎo function as assistant and courier to fortify the spleen to treat the diarrhea.

Variations:

• Damp-heat dysentery: Omit the Dà zǎo (大枣 Jujubae Fructus, jujube), increase the Bái sháo (白芍 Paeoniae Radix Alba, white peony [root]), and add xianglianwan.
• Retching: Add Bàn xià (半夏 Pinelliae Rhizoma, pinellia [rhizome]) and Shēng jiāng (生姜 Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, fresh ginger).
• Additional presence of exterior pattern: Add Gé gēn (葛根 Puerariae Radix, pueraria [root]), Jīng jiè (荆芥 Schizonepetae Herba, schizonepeta), Jīn yín huā (金银花 Lonicerae Flos, lonicera [flower]), and Lián qiào (连翘 Forsythiae Fructus, forsythia [fruit]).
• Abdominal pain: Omit Dà zǎo (大枣 Jujubae Fructus, jujube), and add Mù xiāng (木香 Aucklandiae Radix, costusroot), and Bīng láng (槟榔 Arecae Semen, areca [nut]).
• Blood and pus in the stool: Add stir-fried Shān zhā (山楂 Crataegi Fructus, crataegus [fruit]) and Dì yú (地榆 Sanguisorbae Radix, sanguisorba [root]).

Similar: Gé gēn huáng qín huáng lián tāng (葛根黄芩黄连汤 Pueraria, Scutellaria, and Coptis Decoction)

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