【Source】

“Wen Bing Tiao Bian”

 【Composition】

Perilla leaf, Pinellia tuber, Poria cocos, Peucedanum praeruptorum root, Platycodon root, Fructus aurantii immaturus, Licorice root, Fresh ginger, Jujube, Orange peel, Apricot kernel
(11)

 【Category】

<Regulating Qi>: Orange peel, Fructus aurantii immaturus

<Tonifying Spleen and Middle Qi>: Licorice root, Jujube

<Dispersing Wind and Cold>: Perilla leaf, Fresh ginger

<Tonifying Spleen and Promoting Water Metabolism>: Poria cocos

<Resolving Phlegm>: Pinellia tuber, Platycodon root, Peucedanum praeruptorum root

<Stopping Cough and Calming Asthma>: Apricot kernel

【Rationale】

This formula employs a bitter-warm and sweet-acrid method. For external contraction of dry-cold, Perilla leaf and Peucedanum praeruptorum root are used to mildly disperse the exterior with their warm and pungent properties. For absence of sweat and a tight pulse, Angelica dahurica is added with its strongly warm and pungent properties to induce slight sweating. Gan Cao and Jie Geng open the upper part of the body, while Zhi Ke, Xing Ren, Qian Hu, and Huang Qin direct downwards. This clears the throat and nasal passages, relieving cough. Ju Pi, Ban Xia, and Poria cocos expel fluid and tonify the lung and stomach’s yang. Replacing the original Bai Zhu with Angelica sinensis is because Bai Zhu is a spleen herb for the middle jiao, while Angelica sinensis is a herb for the lung and stomach meridians. It also warms the muscles and reaches the skin and pores. Ginger and Jujube are used to harmonize the Ying and Wei. If the exterior cold recedes but the interior pathogen remains, causing persistent cough, remove the Perilla leaf that disperses the exterior and add Su Geng to direct downwards. For fullness and diarrhea, indicating a severely deficient interior of the metal element, remove the bitter-cold Huang Qin and add the bitter-acrid-warm Cang Zhu and Hou Po.

 【Functions】

Mildly disperses dry-cold, promotes lung function and resolves phlegm, dispels wind-cold.

 【Indications】

External contraction of dry-cold, where dryness damages the primary organ, presenting with mild headache, aversion to cold, thin phlegm with cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, white tongue coating, and a string-like pulse.

 【Applications】

Common cold, nasal congestion, headache, cough, influenza, bronchitis.

 【Contraindications】

Avoid wind after sweating. Consume only thin congee. Avoid meat and rich foods.

 【Mnemonic】

Er Chen (two aged herbs) asks Sister Xing Su to borrow money (Zhi Ke, Da Zao, Xing Ren, Su Ye, Jie Geng, Qian Hu).

 【Modifications】

(1) For concurrent diarrhea and abdominal fullness, add Atractylodes lancea and Magnolia officinalis to resolve dampness and relieve fullness. (2) For headache accompanied by pain in the supraorbital ridge, add Angelica sinensis to dispel wind and relieve pain. (3) For persistent cough after sweating, remove Perilla leaf and Angelica dahurica, and add Su Geng to descend lung qi. (4) For little phlegm, remove Pinellia tuber and Poria cocos. (5) For severe aversion to cold, add Fermented soybean to release the exterior. (6) For headache, add Chuan Xiong and Saposhnikovia root to dispel wind and relieve pain. (7) For cough with phlegm-fluid, increase Er Chen Tang to resolve dampness and phlegm. (8) For absence of sweat, and a very string-like or purplish pulse, add Angelica dahurica. For severe heat, add Scutellaria baicalensis. Do not use for diarrhea and abdominal fullness.