[Source]

“Essentials of Pediatric Formulas”

 [Composition]

Angelica sinensis, borneol (Borneolum), Ligusticum chuanxiong, Gardenia fruit (Gardenia), Rhubarb (Rhubarb), Notopterygium, Saposhnikovia
(7)

 [Classification Group]

<Blood Nourishing>: Angelica sinensis

<Purgative>: Rhubarb (Rhubarb)

<Exterior Releasing by Pungent Warmth>: Notopterygium, Saposhnikovia

<Blood Invigorating and Stasis Removing>: Ligusticum chuanxiong

<Heat Clearing and Fire Purging>: Gardenia

<Calf Opening>: Borneolum

[Formula Meaning]

“Medical Formulas”: (1) This is a formula for the Liver and Gallbladder channels. (2) The Liver is the official of the general; when wind invades and fire rages, it is difficult to calm. (3) Gentiana, Rhubarb: Bitter and cold with a thick flavor, they sink downwards, directly entering the Liver channel to disperse and purge, thus suppressing anger and making it descend. (4) Notopterygium is powerful in qi, and Saposhnikovia is good at dispersing. Therefore, they can search out liver wind and disperse liver fire, thus ascending with their nature to the upper part. (5) When the Gallbladder fire is stagnant, there is often vexation; Gardenia can disperse the stagnant fire of the three burners and cause the evil heat to descend through urination. (6) When the Gallbladder fire is replete, there is often headache and red eyes. Ligusticum chuanxiong can ascend to the head and eyes to dispel wind evil. Moreover, Ligusticum chuanxiong and Angelica sinensis are blood-acting herbs that can nourish liver blood and moisten liver dryness. They are also qi-acting herbs within the blood, pungent to disperse and warm to harmonize, thus supplementing it. (7) One purges, one disperses, one nourishes, and together they form a formula to calm the Liver, hence the name “Xie”. “Shou Bu”: Gentiana root directly enters the Liver channel to purge its fire, assisting Gardenia and Rhubarb, allowing the purged fire to exit through the upper and lower Jiao, which treats the superficial symptoms of fire. The Liver governs wind, and wind can generate fire; treating the Liver without treating the wind is not the correct approach. Therefore, Notopterygium and Saposhnikovia are used to disperse liver wind, which is the way to disperse liver fire, treating the root of fire. The Liver’s nature desires to disperse, so Ligusticum chuanxiong’s pungent nature is used to disperse it. The Liver’s substance desires nourishment, so Angelica sinensis‘s moistening property is used to nourish it. Thus, while purging the Liver, it also nourishes it. Purging the Liver means purging the Liver’s illness; nourishing the Liver means pleasing the Liver’s spirit. The Liver wood governs spring, the beginning of yang rising and movement, the source of all things’ birth and transformation, and must not be harmed. Bamboo leaf clears heat and removes vexation, guiding heat to exit through urination, acting as a corroborating herb; Honey and Sugar harmonize the herbs, acting as guiding herbs. The herbs work together to clear heat, purge fire, nourish the liver, and disperse stagnation.

 [Functions]

Clears the Liver and purges fire.

 [Indications]

Stagnant fire in the Liver channel, red and swollen painful eyes, vexation, irritability, frequent dreams, easily startled, inability to sleep peacefully, dizziness, headache, roaring in the ears, dry stools, yellow-red urine, red tongue with yellow coat, rapid wiry pulse, and other syndromes of liver fire stagnation. Also for infantile sudden seizures with excessive heat and convulsions. “Medical Formulas”: Treats stagnant heat fire in the Liver, inability to sleep peacefully, frequent frights and anger, flaccid tendons, red and swollen painful eyes. “Shou Bu”: Treats liver fire wind-heat, inability to sleep peacefully, frequent frights and anger, red and swollen painful eyes, and infantile sudden seizures with convulsions.

 [Clinical Applications]

Subarachnoid hemorrhage, congestive glaucoma, hypertension, various pain syndromes.

 [Mnemonic]

Xie Qin (Xie Qing) — Dragon grabs the house, daring business (Dragon, Qiang, Fang, Zhi, Da, Xiong, Dang) #

 [Modifications]

(1) Add Indigo naturalis, Mentha, Schizonepeta to treat infantile fever, convulsions, and fright. (2) If accompanied by insomnia, add Uncaria, Jujube seed to soften the Liver and calm the spirit. (3) Add Xanthium, Magnolia flower, Angelica dahurica, Coix seed to expel pus and open the orifices, for sinusitis. (4) Add Dandelion, Poria, Rhubarb to enhance heat-clearing, fire-purging, and detoxification, for herpes zoster.

 [Pharmacology]

Has anti-inflammatory, sedative, analgesic, and cardiovascular effects.