1. Lizhong Dingluan Decoction [Ingredients] Prepared Aconite (Pao Shu Fuzi), Stir-fried Atractylodes (Chao Cangzhu), Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes) (each) 9g, Poria with skin (Lianpi Fuling) 15g, Sichuan Magnolia Bark (Shang Chuan Houpu) 1.5g, Jujube (Zao Binglang), Agastache (Guang Huo Geng), and Pelargonium (Peilan Geng) (each) 4.5g, Guang Muxiang (Guang Wood Fragrance) 0.9g, Chen Pi (Dried Tangerine Peel) and Old Ginger (Lao Shengjiang) (each) 3g. Decoct to a concentrated soup to take with the following Xu’s Sha Yao San. Xu’s Sha Yao San: Musk (Dangmenzi) 0.03g, Cinnamon (Shang Rougui) and Clove (Gong Dingxiang) (each) 0.6g, Yellow Wax (Shang Yaohuang) and White Alum (Ming Bai Fan) (each) 0.3g, ground into a fine powder for later use. [Effects] Warms the middle, dispels cold, transforms dampness, regulates qi, and eliminates filth. [Clinical Application] Used for the initial stage of cholera with vomiting and diarrhea, where the form and qi have not changed, cold sweat is not severe, and the limbs are slightly cold. This formula is derived from Zhang Zhongjing’s Fuzi Decoction and the Fuzi Wenzhong Decoction from the “Hygiene Treasure”. After severe vomiting and diarrhea, yang qi gradually weakens, and yin cold accumulates internally, hence the formula primarily uses the strongly warming and spicy Fuzi to invigorate the body’s yang and dispel yin cold; Cangzhu (best quality from Jiangsu Maoshan), Sichuan Houpu, and Poria with skin can dry and drain dampness while regulating the spleen, assisted by Huo Geng, Peilan Geng, and Jujube (unripe Areca fruit) to eliminate filth and turbidity; complemented by Muxiang and Chen Pi to regulate qi and harmonize the middle. Additionally, Old Ginger is added to warm the middle and stop vomiting. This formula is decocted and taken with Xu’s Sha Yao San, which also has the effects of dispelling summer heat, eliminating filth, detoxifying, and opening the orifices.
2. Huayang Laifu Pill [Ingredients] Processed Sulfur (Wei Liuhuang) and Purified Nitre (Jing Huoxiao) each 0.3g, Dragon’s Blood (Longxianxiang) 0.09g, Cinnamon (Shang Rougui), Evodia (Wu Zhu Yu), Psoralea (Bu Guo Zhi), Cooked Meat Fruit (Wei Rouguo), and Xuanjing Stone (Xuanjing Shi) each 0.3g, Wulingzhi (Wuling Zhi) 0.6g, Fine Green Peel (Xi Qingpi, meat removed) and Xinhui Chenpi (each) 0.3g. Grind the above medicines into a fine powder, then add Biezhi (Bie Zhi) and prepared Aconite (Pao Hezi) (each) 9g, Stir-fried Atractylodes (Chao Bai Zhu) 15g, Late Silkworm Excrement (Wan Can Shi, wrapped for decoction) 30g, Two-Headed Sharp (Liang Toudian, wrapped for decoction) 9g, and Fulong Gan (Fu Long Gan, wrapped for decoction) 30g. Decoct to a concentrated juice for administration. [Effects] Revives yang and rescues from reversal, warms the middle, and guides turbidity. [Clinical Application] Used for cholera with vomiting and diarrhea, where the form and qi are weak, cold sweat increases, and the limbs feel icy. This formula contains the original formula from the “Taiping Huimin Heji Ju Fang” (Nitre, Sulfur, Xuanjing Stone, Wulingzhi, Qingpi, Chenpi), where sulfur and nitre are warm in nature, capable of washing away cold phlegm and residual filth. Xuanjing Stone is sweet and salty, and when used with sulfur and nitre, it can treat excess above and deficiency below, rescuing yin and assisting yang, with the ability to support the critical and reverse conditions. It is complemented by Wulingzhi, Qingpi, and Chenpi (Xinhui Chenpi) to dispel stasis and promote qi flow. The formula also incorporates modifications from the “Women’s Good Formula” (Sishen Wan), removing five flavors and adding cinnamon to combine with Psoralea to tonify the Mingmen fire, nourish spleen yang, and pair with Wu Zhu Yu and Cooked Meat Fruit to warm the middle and astringe the intestines. Additionally, Dragon’s Blood is added, which is sweet, sour, and aromatic, capable of promoting qi, invigorating blood, and unblocking the blood vessels, treating dizziness, chest fullness, and abdominal pain. The decoction is taken with the concentrated juice, using Biezhi, black Aconite slices, and Bai Zhu to support the original yang, warm the spleen and kidneys, and dispel cold dampness; Late Silkworm Excrement, Two-Headed Sharp, and Fulong Gan guide turbidity and resolve stagnation, warming the middle and drying dampness.Note: The above two formulas are contraindicated for pregnant women. If the condition is critical and cannot be balanced, taking it alone can save the adult, and there are cases where the illness resolves without miscarriage. If the illness is severe, two or three doses can be combined into one dose.
3. Sanya Dingluan Decoction [Ingredients] Late Silkworm Excrement 30g, Xia Mouse Excrement, and Dried Chicken Excrement (Stir-fried) (each) 15g, Purified Yellow Sand (Stir-fried Red) 120g, Burnt Salt and White Alum (each) 9g, Xiang (Xiang) 3g. Decoct in Yin-Yang Water, filter out the residue, and take when sweating and slight vomiting occur. [Effects] Warms the middle, dries dampness, regulates qi, and eliminates filth. [Clinical Application] Used for turbid cholera and critical cholera after the condition has not cleared, and it is not convenient to perform follow-up adjustments. This formula is neither cold nor hot, suitable for cholera without significant cold or heat, and can also be used for prevention. The ingredients Late Silkworm Excrement, Xia Mouse Excrement, and Chicken Excrement can dispel wind and eliminate dampness, guide turbidity, and detoxify, treating muscle and tendon spasms; Stir-fried Yellow Sand, Burnt Salt, and White Alum can warm the middle, dry dampness, and unblock the meridians; Xiang promotes qi and eliminates filth. Yin-Yang Water (also known as Sheng Shu Tang, which is a mixture of freshly drawn water and boiled water) is used to decoct the medicine, as it is believed that cholera is caused by the confusion of the two qi of yin and yang, where turbid yin does not descend, and clear yang does not ascend. Therefore, Yin-Yang Water is used to separate yin and yang, achieving balance.4. Runfei Kaiwei Decoction [Ingredients] South Sand Ginseng and North Sand Ginseng each 12g, Cordyceps (Dong Chong Xia Cao) 3-9g, Wintergreen Seed, Poria, Bean Pod Skin, and Sichuan Fritillaria (Chuan Bei Mu) each 9-12g, Dendrobium (Shi Hu), Trichosanthes Peel (Gua Lou Pi), and Fresh White Peony (Sheng Bai Shao) (each) 4.5-6g, Winter Melon Seed 12g, Fresh Barley Sprout 30g, Fresh Licorice 1.5g, and Bamboo Leaf Heart 6g. Cooked Swallow’s Nest (Mao Yan, wrapped) 3g is boiled in soup to replace water for decocting the above medicines. [Effects] Benefits qi, moistens the lungs, generates fluids, and nourishes the stomach. [Clinical Application] Used for lung qi deficiency, easily affected by external pathogens. Symptoms include skin heat, red face and lips, cough or hemoptysis, nocturnal emissions, alternating constipation and diarrhea, and red urine. This formula is derived from the “Yichun Yi – Autumn Dryness” Qingjin Baofei Decoction (Tian Dong, Kuan Dong, South Sand Ginseng, North Sand Ginseng, Dendrobium, Yuzhu, Fritillaria, Qian Gen, Apricot Kernel, Trichosanthes Peel, Poria, Clam Powder, Pear, Lotus Root) and is classified as a light and clear formula. The ingredients Sand Ginseng, Cordyceps, Dendrobium, Wintergreen Seed, Trichosanthes Peel, and White Peony nourish without being greasy, clearing heat with sweetness and cold as the main focus, avoiding bitter and cold items that harm yin. Cooked Swallow’s Nest (with more gray feathers) can nourish yin and moisten dryness, making it an excellent choice for regulating deficiency. This formula does not use the Four Gentlemen or Six Flavors but employs a light and clear formula, allowing patients to feel comfortable in the chest and not feel bloated, while also achieving good results. This is due to the dryness and heat above, causing the lung and stomach yin to dry up, leading to phlegm production, hence the symptoms of poor appetite, steaming heat, excessive phlegm, and red urine are due to insufficient transformation, rather than lower jiao damp-heat, thus it is necessary to nourish the transformation source, clear floating heat, transform dry phlegm, nourish stomach yin, and revive stomach qi. Clinical Case Example: A patient named Sheng, with congenital deficiency, has been ill since childhood, and in recent years, while studying and reviewing, his lung condition has worsened. He is easily affected by external pathogens, often experiences fever, and has difficulty stopping. He had diarrhea in childhood, which later turned into constipation, and now has swelling in the ankles. After the New Year, he started coughing and choking without stopping, and recently he has also experienced loss of redness, first bright and then pale, nocturnal emissions, dry mouth, clean tongue coating, red tongue, and persistent steaming heat, with a thin and weak pulse, red face and lips, indicating a critical condition. The method to save him is to avoid dispersing, draining dampness, warming dryness, and transforming phlegm, but to clear and nourish the yin of the five organs, moisten the lungs, and open the stomach, while ensuring appetite and stopping heat. Prescription: South Sand Ginseng and North Sand Ginseng each 12g, Cordyceps, Wintergreen Seed, and Poria each 9g, Bean Pod Skin 12g, Sichuan Fritillaria 9g, Dendrobium 4.5g, Fresh Trichosanthes Peel 6g, Fresh White Peony 4.5g, Winter Melon Seed 12g, Fresh Barley Sprout 30g, Fresh Licorice 1.5g, Bamboo Leaf Heart 6g, and Cooked Swallow’s Nest 3g (wrapped) decocted in soup to replace water. In the second diagnosis, the loss of blood temporarily stopped, appetite slightly improved, sleep was quite peaceful, cough phlegm was slightly thinner, phlegm was still not clear, daytime heat was slightly lighter, but at night it was heavier, pulse slightly stronger, and urine was very red, indicating significant lung heat. In the previous formula, add 6g of Dihuang (Rehmannia) and 1 stick of dried reed root, and increase Bamboo Leaf Heart to 9g. In the third diagnosis, the right pulse changed from weak and floating to sinking and thin, and the left pulse also became more restrained, with symptoms of deficiency heat and dry cough significantly reduced, tongue color bright red, urine slightly longer and lighter, and bowel movements not smooth, with slight improvement in sleep and appetite. Generally, for deficiency and damage diseases, the medication must be sustained for a long time to gradually achieve success. Then, in the previous formula, remove North Sand Ginseng and Poria, and add 3g of original (branch) American Ginseng, 4.5g of Sichuan Lily, 9g of Hemp Seed and Silk Gourd Cord, 4.5g of Fresh Bamboo Leaf, replace Fulong Gan with 18g of Tiepi Hu and replace Trichosanthes Peel with 9g of whole Trichosanthes. Increase Barley Sprout to 60g. After more than ten follow-up visits and taking over a hundred doses, he was cured.
5. Wencu She Na Decoction [Ingredients] Biezhi (Bie Zhi) 9-15g, Yellow Aconite (Huang Fuzi) 15-30g, Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes) 9g, Fresh Eucommia (Sheng Duzhong) and Sword Bean (Dao Douzi) (each) 30g, Sweet Goji Berries (Gan Gouqi) and Cuscuta (Sheng Tusi) each 15g. Decoct in water. Additionally, Cinnamon powder (made into pills with rice) 1.5g. [Effects] Benefits qi, supports yang, and secures the lower source. [Clinical Application] Used for elderly patients with deficiency of both heart and kidneys. Symptoms include facial swelling, foot edema, loose stools, excessive sweating, or hiccups, with a weak pulse. In this formula, Biezhi greatly tonifies the original qi; Yellow Aconite warms the kidneys and supports yang, and the combination of these two herbs enhances the effect of supporting yang and benefiting qi. Additionally, Cinnamon is added to strengthen yang and benefit fire, while Bai Zhu strengthens the spleen and dries dampness, and Fresh Eucommia, Cuscuta, Goji Berries, and Sword Bean secure kidney qi, stop hiccups, and descend qi. If sweating occurs with cold limbs and a flushed face, Dragon Bone and Oyster (each) 30-60g can be added, or Deer Antler and Black Tin can be added to strengthen original yang and expel yin cold. Clinical Case Example: A patient named Mou, elderly, overweight, pale complexion, with deficiency of heart and kidneys, presents with facial swelling, foot edema, loose stools, excessive sweating, and a confused state of consciousness, with a weak pulse and shallow breathing, indicating a critical condition. The method to save him is to use a tonifying formula. Prescription: Biezhi and Yellow Aconite each 15g, Bai Zhu 9g, Fresh Eucommia and Sword Bean (each) 30g, Sweet Goji Berries and Cuscuta each 15g, decocted in water, and additionally, 1.5g of Cinnamon in pill form. In the second diagnosis, the previous formula was used to tonify the middle and lower, and the consciousness was slightly clearer, but still not fully clear. In the middle age, there was a sign of heat above and cold below, and as he aged, the yang qi weakened further, so the previous formula was adjusted to increase Yellow Aconite to 30g and Cinnamon to 3g, and additionally, 60g of Dragon Bone (first decocted), 1.5g of Deer Antler, and 9g of Black Tin (taken in pill form). In the next diagnosis, sweating stopped, consciousness cleared, and loose stools ceased, although the pulse remained extremely weak, still following the previous method of adjustment until recovery.
6. Rumen Swelling Formula [Ingredients] Schizonepeta (Jing Jie) 4.5g, Burdock Seed (Niu Bang Zi) (stir-fried) 9g, Platycodon (Jie Geng) 6g, Qian Hu, Silkworm (Jiang Can), Bitter Apricot (Ku Xing Ren), and Large Fritillaria (Da Bei Mu) (each) 9g, Radish Seed (Lai Fu Jia) 12g (or fresh green radish 30g), White Thistle (Bai Ji Li) 12g, Red Peony (Chi Shao) and Moutan (Dan Pi) (each) 9g. Decoct in water. Externally, use Jin Suo Yu Shi San to blow into the throat. [Effects] Disperse wind, scatter cold, clear heat, transform phlegm, cool blood, and detoxify. [Clinical Application] Used for initial swelling and pain of the breast. Xu believes that the initial swelling of the breast is often due to wind-cold entering the blood level, with phlegm-heat obstructing the lung and stomach. Therefore, the formulas used are often for dispelling cold and transforming phlegm while also employing light and heat-clearing methods, avoiding excessively cold and sweet items like Scrophularia, Belamcanda, and Licorice to prevent hindering the dispelling of wind-cold and obstructing the discharge of phlegm. If there is significant internal heat, it is also necessary to use sufficient penetrating medicines, rather than clearing being greater than dispersing, to ensure that wind-cold can be resolved and phlegm-heat can be cleared, preventing obstruction and allowing for gradual recovery.
7. Dysentery Formula [Ingredients] Kudzu Root (Ge Gen), Platycodon (Jie Geng), Bitter Orange Peel (Zhi Ke), and Fresh Cyperus (Sheng Xiang Fu) (each) 9g, Sichuan Coptis (Chuan Huang Lian) and Galangal (Gao Liang Jiang) (each) 3g, Red Peony (Chi Shao) 15g, Angelica (Dang Gui) 4.5g, and Fresh Licorice (Sheng Gan Cao) 1.5g. Decoct in water. [Effects] Disperse wind-cold, clear heat, transform stagnation, nourish blood, and moisten the intestines. [Clinical Application] Used for dysentery with red and white diarrhea, abdominal pain, and urgency. Xu believes that dysentery is often caused by dryness, with one aspect being autumn dryness as a new evil, and the other being summer heat damaging yin. Therefore, it is necessary to disperse wind-cold, clear heat, and transform stagnation, using ingredients like Kudzu Root, Platycodon, Bitter Orange Peel, Cyperus, Galangal, Coptis, and Licorice, while also nourishing blood and moistening the intestines with Angelica and Red Peony. If accompanied by fever, add Schizonepeta and Fangfeng (each) 6-9g; if there is a sense of heat, add fresh Sichuan Dahuang (6-9g); if there is nausea and vomiting, remove Angelica and Licorice, and add Codonopsis, Tangerine Peel, and Bamboo Leaf (each) 6g; if nausea is severe, remove Kudzu Root and Platycodon.
8. Blood Collapse Formula [Ingredients] Biezhi (Bie Zhi) 9g, Fresh Astragalus (Sheng Huang Qi) 30g, Ejiao (A Jiao, melted and taken in the middle) 12g, Cimicifuga (Sheng Ma) 9g, Eucommia (Du Zhong) 30g, Kan (without fire) strips, and Purple River Car (Zi He Che) 12g, Charred Lotus Seed (Lian Fang Tan) 2 pieces, Longan Flesh (Long Yan Rou) and Red Dates (Hong Zao) (each) 10 pieces. Decoct in water. [Effects] Benefits qi, nourishes blood, lifts and stops bleeding. [Clinical Application] Used for women with blood collapse, excessive menstruation, or pale and thin blood. In this formula, Biezhi greatly tonifies the original qi; Huang Qi benefits qi and strengthens the spleen, while Angelica, Ejiao, Longan Flesh, and Red Dates nourish yin and blood. Zi He Che, Kan (without fire), and Eucommia warm and secure kidney qi, nourishing essence and blood, while Charred Lotus Seed is bitter and warm, also capable of dispelling stasis and stopping bleeding. Additionally, Sheng Ma is used to lift and secure the clear yang, solidifying the counterflow and stopping bleeding. Xu believes that using a single Ginseng Decoction for more severe cases of collapse is overly simplistic. Therefore, he often combines qi-nourishing, blood-replenishing, and lifting medicines with hemostatic herbs, achieving effective results, with many cases showing improvement after three to four doses.
9. Nausea Formula Xu’s treatment for women’s nausea focuses on transforming phlegm and harmonizing stomach qi, minimizing the use of bitter and pungent medicines. Commonly used formula: Banxia (Ginger) 9g, Chenpi (Dried Tangerine Peel) 6g, Xuanfu Flower (wrapped for decoction) 9g, Bamboo Leaf, and Sand Ginger (each) 6g, Fresh Ginger 2 slices, South Sand Ginseng 9g, Fresh White Peony 6g, and Fulong Gan 9g. If the tongue is peeled and flowered, add Dried Ginger and Coptis (each) 1.5g; if there is belching and reduced appetite, add Xiangfu and Bitter Orange Peel (each) 4.5g; if liver qi cannot be restrained, add Hawthorn (Mu Guo) 4.5g among the qi-regulating herbs, and pay attention to diet and rest, generally taking five to six doses for noticeable effects.
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