[Efficacy]

regulating qi and relieving depression.

[Indications]

Treats symptoms of qi, blood, phlegm, fire, dampness, and food six stagnations. Chest and diaphragm stuffiness, abdominal distension and fullness pain, acid swallow vomiting, fluid retention, inability to digest food.

[Prescription]

This prescription is an agent for ruling six stagnations, and is a representative prescription for regulating qi and relieving depression. Six stagnations is a disease, mainly caused by poor spleen and stomach qi function, abnormal rise and fall, resulting in stagnation of dampness, food, phlegm, fire, qi and blood. Common chest and abdominal stuffiness, belching acid swallow, indigestion and other symptoms. The prescription Cyperus regulates qi and relieving depression, cures qi depression, chest abdominal distension and fullness; Sichuan Lovage Rhizome invigorating blood and removing stagnation, cures blood stagnation and stabbing pain; Atractylodes Rhizome Dry and invigorating the spleen, cure dampness in chest stuffiness phlegm; Gardenia clearing heat and purging fire, cure fire stagnation epigastric upset acid swallow; medicated leaven promoting digestion to harmonize the middle, treating food depression and not thinking about fluid retention food. Phlegm depression is mostly caused by qi, fire, dampness, and food stasis. If the flow of qi is smooth and the dampness is removed and the fire is cleared, the phlegm depression will also be resolved accordingly, so no additional phlegm-resolving medicine is needed. Although this prescription governs six stagnations, it actually focuses on the functions of regulating and harmonizing the liver and spleen qi movement. If qi movement is unobstructed, blood will flow when qi moves smoothly, and when qi moves smoothly, phlegm, fire, dampness, and food stagnation will be relieved. Even so, it is just a demonstration of its effectiveness. When applied clinically, it must be flexibly tailored according to the six stagnations in order to improve the curative effect.

1. Chest and diaphragm stuffiness.
2. bitter taste in mouth acid swallow.
3. fluid retention cannot be eaten.

[Addition and subtraction]

1. Qi depression: Add Aucklandia Root, Submature Bitter Orange.
2. Blood stagnation is severe: add Peach Kernel and Carthamus.
3. fire stagnation emphasis: add Skullcap Root, Coptis Rhizome.
4. Dampness is severe: add Alisma and Poria.
5. For severe food depression, add Germinated Barley and hawthorn fruit.
6. Phlegm is more severe: add Dried Tangerine Peel, Pineilia, Mongolian Snakegourd Seed, Bile Star.
7. Cold evil: add Dried Ginger and Evodia Fruit.
8. Menstrual pain: add Curcuma Root, Corydalis Tuber, Finger Citron.
9. Acid swallow vomiting: Add Pineilia, Poria.

[Attention to taboos]

All depressions treated by this prescription belong to excess syndrome/pattern. If it is deficiency syndrome/pattern stagnation, it should not be used alone.

[Modern application]

This recipe adjusts gastrointestinal function, is choleretic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory. Used for chronic gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcer, chronic hepatitis, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, intercostal neuralgia, neurasthenia, menopausal syndrome, vomiting of pregnancy, dysmenorrheal, amenorrhea, and indigestion.