【Source】

Volume Zhong of “Treatise on the Spleen and Stomach”.

 【Composition】

Radix Astragali (Huang Qi), Rhizoma Atractylodis (Cang Zhu), Rhizoma Cimicifugae (Sheng Ma), Radix Ginseng (Ren Shen), Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Bai Zhu), Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Chen Pi), Massa Medicata Fermentata (Shen Qu), Rhizoma Alismatis (Ze Xie), Radix Ophiopogonis (Mai Men Dong), Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui), prepared Radix Glycyrrhizae (Gan Cao), Cortex Phellodendri (Huang Bai), Radix Puerariae (Ge Gen), Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Viride (Qing Pi), Fructus Schisandrae (Wu Wei Zi)
(15 herbs)

 【Categories】

<Tonify Blood>: Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui)

<Nourish Yin>: Radix Ophiopogonis (Mai Men Dong)

<Regulate Qi>: Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Chen Pi), Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Viride (Qing Pi)

<Tonify Spleen and Middle Jiao>: Radix Glycyrrhizae (Gan Cao), Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Bai Zhu)

<Release Exterior with Acrid-Cool Herbs>: Radix Puerariae (Ge Gen), Rhizoma Cimicifugae (Sheng Ma)

<Clear Heat and Dry Dampness>: Cortex Phellodendri (Huang Bai)

<Tonify Qi>: Radix Astragali (Huang Qi), Radix Ginseng (Ren Shen)

<Aromatize and Transform Dampness>: Rhizoma Atractylodis (Cang Zhu)

<Astringent>: Fructus Schisandrae (Wu Wei Zi)

<Induce Diuresis and Leach out Dampness>: Rhizoma Alismatis (Ze Xie)

<Aid Digestion>: Massa Medicata Fermentata (Shen Qu)

【Formula Rationale】

《Yi Fang》: Hand-foot Taiyin and Foot Yangming medicine. (1) When heat injures Qi, Ren Shen and Huang Qi replenish Qi and consolidate the exterior. (2) When dampness injures the Spleen, Cang Zhu and Bai Zhu dry dampness and strengthen the Spleen. (3) When fire is excessive, Metal is diseased and Water declines, therefore Mai Men Dong and Wu Wei Zi are used to protect the Lungs and generate fluids. (4) Huang Bai: to drain heat and nourish water. (5) Qing Pi: to calm the Liver and break stagnation. (6) Dang Gui: to nourish blood and harmonize Yin. (7) Shen Qu: to aid digestion and resolve accumulation. (8) Sheng Ma and Ge Gen: to release muscle heat and raise clear Qi. (9) Ze Xie: to drain damp-heat and descend turbid Qi. (10) Chen Pi: regulates Qi, Gan Cao: harmonizes the middle. Combined, they replenish Qi, strengthen the Spleen, eliminate dampness, and clear heat. (Li Dongyuan said: When the Spleen is deficient, Lung Qi is first depleted, therefore Huang Qi is used to close the pores, stop sweating, and replenish Qi.)《Shan Bu》: Wu Kun said: Summer heat prevails around summer solstice, and late summer is accompanied by dampness. This formula treats both. Intense heat easily dissipates exterior Qi, and accompanying dampness makes the middle Qi unstable. Huang Qi strengthens the exterior; Bai Zhu, Shen Qu, Gan Cao regulate the middle; severe heat affects Lung Metal, thus Ren Shen, Wu Wei Zi, Mai Men Dong nourish, astringe, and clear the Lungs, which is called supporting what is weak. When fire is excessive, water declines, so Huang Bai and Ze Xie nourish the source of transformation. Loss of body fluids causes thirst, so Dang Gui and Ge Gen generate stomach fluids. If clear Qi fails to ascend, Sheng Ma can raise it; if turbid Qi fails to descend, Chen Pi and Qing Pi (the two peels) can regulate it. Cang Zhu is used for the dampness of late summer.

 【Functions】

Clears summer heat and eliminates dampness, replenishes Qi and generates fluids, strengthens the Spleen and dries dampness.

 【Indications】

Habitual Qi deficiency, injured by summer heat and dampness, spleen dampness failing to transform, body heat, headache, thirst, spontaneous sweating, lassitude of limbs, loss of appetite, chest fullness, heavy sensation in body, loose stools, scanty dark urine, greasy tongue coating, weak pulse.《Yi Fang》: (1) Treats summer exterior damp-heat steaming, lassitude of limbs, reduced spirit, chest fullness, shortness of breath, body heat, vexation, thirst, aversion to food. (2) Spontaneous sweating, heavy body, limb pain, scanty dark urine, loose yellow stools, and weak pulse.《Shan Bu》: Late summer damp-heat steaming, lassitude of limbs, reduced spirit, body heat with elevated Qi, vexation, yellow stools, thirst with spontaneous sweating, and weak pulse are treated by this formula.

 【Applications】

Miscellaneous summer diseases, dizziness, syncope, nephritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.

 【Mnemonic】

Qing Shu is prone to anger (Qing Shu Yi Qi) — The singing in the morning annoys the fifth elder, it’s time to reprimand the son (This mnemonic uses phonetic similarities in Chinese to remember the herbs: Qing (Qing Pi), Chen (Chen Pi), Ge (Ge Gen), Sheng (Sheng Ma), Cao (Gan Cao), Wu (Wu Wei Zi), Bo (Huang Bo), Shen (Ren Shen), Qi (Huang Qi), Dang (Dang Gui), Qu (Shen Qu), Ze (Ze Xie), Mai (Mai Men Dong), Er Zhu (Cang Zhu, Bai Zhu))#

 【Modifications】

(1) If summer heat is severe, add Gypsum Fibrosum (Shi Gao) to clear heat. (2) If summer heat is combined with dampness and the tongue coating is white and greasy, remove the nourishing and cloying Mai Men Dong, Caulis Dendrobii (Shi Hu), Rhizoma Anemarrhenae (Zhi Mu), and add Herba Agastachis (Huo Xiang), Liu Yi San to clear summer heat and dampness. (3) If summer heat is not severe, remove Rhizoma Coptidis (Huang Lian). (4) For pediatric summer heat, if prolonged fever does not subside, with vexation, thirst, body fatigue due to deficiency of Qi and fluids, remove Huang Lian and add Cortex Lycii (Di Gu Pi), Radix Cynanchi Atrati (Bai Wei) to reduce fever. (5) If there is epigastric fullness, remove Gan Cao. (6) If coughing is severe, remove Ren Shen. (7) If dry mouth or throat, add Gan Ge (Ge Gen). (8) If vexation and restlessness persist, add a small amount of Huang Lian to clear it. (9) If Qi floats and the mind is disturbed, stabilize it with Cinnabar Calming Pill (Zhu Sha An Shen Wan); once vexation subsides, stop taking it. (10) If there is epigastric glomus, also add a small amount of Huang Lian. In late summer, dampness is dominant and pathogenic fire is strong, so Cang Zhu, Bai Zhu, Ze Xie can be temporarily added to divide and resolve damp-heat Qi both above and below. (11) If dampness is greatly predominant, leading to indigestion, reduced appetite, and lack of taste for grains, add stir-fried Shen Qu to aid digestion.

 【Pharmacology】

Has anti-fatigue effects.