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Source: Wēn Bìng Tiáo Biàn 温病条辨

Ingredients:

• Qīng hāo (青蒿 Artemisiae Annuae Herba, sweet wormwood) 6–12g
• Biē jiǎ (鳖甲 Trionycis Carapax, turtle shell) 9–15g
• Shēng dì huáng (生地黄 Rehmanniae Radix Exsiccata seu Recens, dried/fresh rehmannia [root]) 9–15g
• Zhī mǔ (知母 Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, anemarrhena [root]) 6–12g
• Dān pí (丹皮 Moutan Cortex, moutan [bark]) 6–9g

Action: Clears heat, cools the blood, and nourishes yīn.

Indication: Evening heat effusion abating in the morning in the final stages of febrile disease when yīn humor has been damaged, but before evil heat has completely abated. Tongue: Red with scant fur. Pulse: Fine and rapid. Effective for yīn vacuity tidal heat effusion in pulmonary tuberculosis.

Category: Heat-clearing formulas / Vacuity-heat-clearing formulas

Method: Decoct with water.

Rationale: Biē jiǎ directly enters the yīn aspect to abate vacuity heat. Qīng hāo conducts the residual heat out of the yīn aspect. Shēng dì huáng and Zhī mǔ boost yīn and clear heat, helping the Biē jiǎ to abate vacuity heat. Mǔ dān pí cools the blood and helps the Qīng hāo to the outthrust the yīn-aspect heat. Thus, the formula as a whole nourishes yīn and outthrusts the evil.

Variations:

• Pulmonary consumption with tidal heat effusion: Add Shā shēn (沙参 Adenophorae seu Glehniae Radix, adenophora/glehnia [root]), Mò hàn lián (墨旱莲 Ecliptae Herba, eclipta), or lucaohua.
• Unabating yīn vacuity with effulgent fire: Add Bái wēi (白薇 Cynanchi Atrati Radix, black swallowwort), Dì gǔ pí (地骨皮 Lycii Cortex, lycium bark), and Shí hú (石斛 Dendrobii Herba, dendrobium).
• Summer heat effusion in children, with yīn vacuity heat effusion at night the cools by the morning: Add Bái wēi (白薇 Cynanchi Atrati Radix, black swallowwort), Hé gěng (荷梗 Nelumbinis Petiolus seu Pedicellus, lotus stalk), or Yù zhú (玉竹 Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma, Solomon's seal [root]).

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