"Fushou Yanchun Dan" from the <em>Pujifang</em> (Prescriptions for Universal Relief) for Post-Stroke Paralysis

Fushou Yanchun Dan comes from the Pujifang (Prescriptions for Universal Relief). Its composition is: Renshen (Ginseng Radix, ginseng) and Baifuling (Poria, white poria) 2 liang each; Yuanzhi (Polygalae Radix, polygala, pith removed), Niuxi (Cyathulae Radix, achyranthes, soaked in wine), Duzhong (Eucommiae Cortex, eucommia, fried to remove the fibrous strands), Huangqi (Astragali Radix, astragalus), Changpu (Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma, acorus), Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix, dong quai), Cangzhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma, atractylodes, soaked in rice-water and peeled), Ganju (Chrysanthemi Flos, chrysanthemum flower), and Digupi (Lycii Cortex, lycium bark) 1 liang each (30 g); Tianma (Gastrodiae Rhizoma, gastrodia), processed Banxia (Pinelliae Rhizoma, prepared pinellia), Shengdihuang (Rehmanniae Radix, raw rehmannia), Shudihuang (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, processed rehmannia), Yizhiren (Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus, alpinia fruit), Bixie (Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma, dioscorea, soaked in wine), and Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma, notopterygium) 5 qian each (15 g).

Grind all the above herbs into a fine powder, then form pills with wine paste, the size of a Wutongzi (firmiana seed). Take 30–50 pills each time with warm wine on an empty stomach. This formula supplements qi and blood, dispels wind-dampness, and strengthens the sinews and bones. It is indicated for left or right paralysis, deviation of the mouth and eye, and hemiplegia—symptoms corresponding to cerebral infarction or sequelae of stroke in modern medicine.

In this formula, Renshen, Fuling, Huangqi, Danggui, Shudihuang, Shengdihuang, Yizhiren, Ganju, and Digupi strengthen the spleen, supplement qi, nourish yin and blood; Niuxi, Duzhong, Yuanzhi, Tianma, Changpu, Banxia, and Bixie resolve phlegm, lower blood pressure, nourish the brain and calm the spirit. Used in combination, they show good efficacy in improving cerebral circulation.

This condition follows a long course and improvement is gradual, so pills for slow treatment rather than decoctions for urgent treatment should be used, and therapy must be persisted in. If the patient improves after taking the medicine, treatment should continue for at least half a year. The therapeutic effect is most obvious in the early stage after onset; after six months, results are harder to achieve, though medication can still improve the patient's quality of life.