Insights and Updates

"Dilong San" comes from the Shengji Zonglu. Its composition is: Dilong (Earthworm, stir-fried), Banxia (Pinellia, pounded with ginger juice into a cake, baked dry, then ground into powder), and Fuling (Poria), each 15 g. Make the three above into a powder; each time take 5…

Yangxin Dingji Gao is a tonifying paste (gao zi) recorded in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, Volume I, 2005 edition. Its composition is: Shengdihuang (Raw Rehmannia) 120 g, Maimendong (Ophiopogon) 60 g, Hongshen (Red Ginseng) 20 g, Dazao (Jujube) 60 g, Ejiao…

Lu Xun had a classic saying: "The joys and sorrows of humanity are not connected." His words had a specific context; read in context, I suspect he meant that because each person's present circumstances differ, one cannot empathize with others. But the saying can bear…

The Chinese herb Yuzhu is the rhizome of Polygonatum odoratum, a plant of the genus Polygonatum in the lily family. In ancient bencao works it is often called Weirui; because it has a certain tonic action, some bencao works also call it Weishen. Yuzhu, as…

Tianwang Buxin Dan (Heavenly Emperor's Heart-Supplementing Pellet) is a famous TCM formula for treating spirit and mind disorders. TCM "spirit disorders" relate to psychiatric and cardiac diseases in modern medicine; in fact, the two often occur comorbidly. Historically several formulas have borne the name Tianwang…

"Qinjiao Biejia San" comes from the Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang. Its composition is: Jingjie (Schizonepeta, stem removed), Beimu (Fritillary Bulb, core removed), Tianxianteng (Dutchmanspipe Vine), Qianhu (Peucedanum), Qingpi (Green Tangerine Peel, white removed), Chaihu (Bupleurum), Zhi Gancao (honey-fried Licorice), Chenpi (Tangerine Peel, white removed), Qinjiao…

Formula 1: Pianfeng San (from the Liangfang Jiye) Composition: Danggui (Angelica, Radix Angelicae Sinensis) 4 liang (120 g, washed in wine, sun-dried, stir-fried), Baishao (White Peony, Radix Paeoniae Alba) 4 liang (120 g, stir-fried until yellow), Shigao (Gypsum, calcined) 4 liang (120 g), and Niubangzi…

"San Huang Shu Ai Tang" comes from the Lei Zheng Huoren Shu. Its composition is: Huanglian (Coptis, Rhizoma Coptidis), Huangqin (Scutellaria, Radix Scutellariae), and Huangbai (Phellodendron, Cortex Phellodendri), each 7 qian 5 fen (22.5 g), and Shu Aiye (processed Mugwort Leaf, Folium Artemisiae Argyi) 5…

"Yufeng Zaoshi Huatan Wan" comes from the Ming dynasty physician Zhang Jingyue's Jingyue Quanshu (Complete Works of Zhang Jingyue). Its composition is: Baizhu (White Atractylodes, stir-fried), Cangzhu (Atractylodes, soaked in rice-water), and Duzhong (Eucommia Bark, stir-fried in ginger juice), each 2 liang (60 g); Niuxi…

In the Ming dynasty physician Gong Tingxian's work Wanbing Huichun (Restoring Health to Ten Thousand Diseases) there is a formula called "Fenxiao Tang." Its composition is: Cangzhu (Atractylodes, soaked in rice-water and stir-fried), Baizhu (White Atractylodes, awn removed), Chenpi (Tangerine Peel), Fuling (Poria), Houpo (Magnolia…