bubble_chart Efficacy

For treating constipation, dark and scanty urine, swelling of the body and face, yellow complexion, numbness, heavy body like a mountain, panting and weakness, spitting phlegm and saliva, fever with occasional agitation, agitation followed by chills, cold neck and forehead, fiery eyes, inability to smell, pulsating sensation in the navel, and sharp pain in the lower abdomen ⁽¹⁾.

1. , Dongyuan said: This is due to latent heat hidden in the blood, with wood and fire overwhelming the yang channels, leading to upper excess, shortness of breath and panting, as yin fire injures qi, and the four limbs becoming weak and impeded, due to insufficient kidney water. In winter, when cold water dominates, it restricts fire and overwhelms wood, leading to a strong reaction, hence the appearance of these symptoms.

bubble_chart Formula Principles

This is a formula that treats the three yang and three yin meridians comprehensively. The previous syndrome is caused by the injury of both the exterior and interior, where the yang qi is suppressed and cannot rise, hence wind, fire, and dampness heat stagnation cause the disease. Cinnamon Twig Ephedra releasing exterior dispelling windCimicifuga RhizomeBupleurum raises yang and disperses fire, Coptis Rhizomephellodendron bark dries dampness and clears heat, and phellodendron bark also nourishes the kidney and enriches yin, Kou Pu Qing Chen regulates qi and disperses fullness, while Qing Chai also pacifies the liver, Kou Pu also warms the stomach, Bitter Apricot Seed benefits the lungs and lowers qi, Medicated Leaven resolves stagnation and regulates the middle, Wu Zhu Yu warms the kidney and liver, Shen Qi Liquorice Root Cang Bai Er Zhu tonifies the spleen and replenishes qi, Er Ling Alisma promotes urination, causing dampness to leave and heat to also dissipate. The formula does not contain any laxative, as when clear yang rises, turbid yin naturally descends.

Ang's note: This formula combines the Four Gentlemen Decoction, Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria, Tonifying the Middle Decoction, and Stomach-Calming Decoction, along with Ephedra and Evodia for removing toxins, into a single prescription. Since it treats a wide range of symptoms, it includes medicinal ingredients that address both exterior and interior conditions, as well as cold, heat, tonification, and purgation. However, it consists solely of qi-regulating herbs and lacks blood-regulating herbs, which distinguishes it from the Five Accumulations formula. Nevertheless, it is recorded as a formula from Li Dongyuan to demonstrate that within the realm of treatment, there exists this particular approach.