Chenxiang Fuzi Tang: Eaglewood and Aconite Decoction for Yang-Deficiency Edema

Chenxiang Fuzi Tang comes from Wei Shi Jia Cang Fang (Wei Family's Concealed Formulas). It consists of Chenxiang (aquilaria/eaglewood) 5 qian (15 g) and Fuzi (processed aconite) 9 qian (27 g, fired, rootlet and skin removed, sliced). At use, take 1 zhan of water (150 ml), grind the eaglewood 300 turns against a bowl, and rinse it down with the rest of the water. Divide the aconite into three portions; decoct each portion in the eaglewood water, adding 5 slices of fresh ginger each time, and decoct to two-thirds of a zhan (100 ml). Take before meals, three times daily.

Chenxiang Fuzi Tang warms the kidney and disperses cold. It treats kidney-yang insufficiency with cold congealing and qi stagnation, water-damp retention, swelling of the body and face, distention and panting, stuffy chest and diaphragm, and difficult urination. In this formula, aconite belongs to the medicinals that supplement fire and support yang, dispel cold and stop pain. Eaglewood is a qi-moving medicinal; it moves qi and stops pain, warms the middle and stops vomiting, and absorbs qi to calm panting. Used together, they treat the failure of the kidney to absorb qi due to decline of kidney yang, leading to counterflow qi and edema.

Chenxiang Fuzi Tang can treat generalized swelling caused by modern diseases such as cor pulmonale and emphysema. Modern pharmacology shows that aconite has cardiotonic and diuretic effects, while eaglewood stops pain and calms panting; hence together they treat the difficult urination and generalized swelling caused by cor pulmonale and emphysema. This condition usually also has yang-deficiency signs such as aversion to cold and cold limbs.