Wen Xiaoshu says Making Traditional Chinese Medicine more beautiful, interesting, and closer to life
The main ingredients of this formula are a leaf and a flower.
Not just any flower, but the beloved chrysanthemum. Yes, this flower is the favorite of scholars and elegant individuals.
And what about the leaf? It is the leaf that descendants of Yan and Huang think of when they miss their hometown, known as Sang Ye (Mulberry Leaf).
If chrysanthemum is the pure and elegant goddess, then Sang Ye is the dignified and virtuous woman. One day, when chrysanthemum and mulberry leaf met, they could not bear to part, thus creating a classic formula—Sang Ju Yin (Mulberry Leaf and Chrysanthemum Decoction).
In April, the weather gets warmer day by day, and spring is a season when liver qi is relatively vigorous. If you eat more warming and drying foods, wind-heat colds can easily strike you. But don’t worry, Sang Ju Yin—this classic formula that can nip wind-heat colds in the bud—is here for you.
Sang Ju Yin has a significant origin, coming from the work of the famous Qing Dynasty physician Wu Jutong, titled Wen Bing Tiao Bian. This book has influenced many, and it is still treasured by many as a medical classic.
When should you use Sang Ju Yin?
Wu Jutong stated: “Taiyin wind-heat, only cough, body not very hot, slight cough, use light cool herbs, Sang Ju Yin is the main treatment.”
This statement is quite straightforward; the term “Taiyin” refers to one of the six channels, specifically the lung channel, and “wind-heat” refers to what we now call wind-heat.
Translated, this means: wind-heat has stealthily attacked our lungs, at this time our body feels a bit warm, but not very hot, and we have a slight cough, but it’s not severe. These are the initial symptoms of a wind-heat cold, and for the mildest symptoms, we should use the mildest formula. Good steel should be used on the blade; you wouldn’t use a cannon to swat a mosquito. This formula is Sang Ju Yin.
In summary, Sang Ju Yin is perfect for the early stage of wind-heat colds.
However, many people are still confused and do not know how to distinguish whether their cold is wind-cold or wind-heat. Just like this friend below, who furrowed their brow and asked, “So, Xiaoshu, can I use a sore throat to distinguish between wind-cold and wind-heat? A sore throat means wind-heat, and no sore throat means wind-cold?”
Wen Xiaoshu seriously tells everyone: Absolutely not!
Because wind-heat colds usually cause a sore throat, but a sore throat does not equal a wind-heat cold; wind-cold colds can also cause a sore throat.
How to distinguish? One symptom is not enough; usually, you have at least two or three symptoms when you have a cold. If you have a sore throat, are thirsty, feel hot, your breath is warm, your stool is dry, and your tongue coating is yellow, then it is wind-heat.
The most obvious feature of wind-heat colds is that they immediately invade your lungs, unlike wind-cold colds, which initially invade your surface, making you feel cold and causing clear nasal discharge. Wind-heat colds do not fear the cold. The throat is the gateway to the heart and lungs, so if you have a swollen throat or tonsillitis right away, you can basically determine it is a wind-heat cold.
If the first stage of a wind-heat cold is not handled well, it will enter the second stage, where heat invades the pericardium, leading to fever. If this heat is not resolved, it can harm the spirit, causing high fever and convulsions, especially in children who may experience sudden convulsions.
If you have a sore throat, feel cold, have a heavy head, a headache, clear nasal discharge, sneezing, body aches, and want to drink hot water, with a white tongue coating, then it is wind-cold. However, it is worth noting that if a wind-cold cold is not addressed immediately, it can transform into heat, resulting in a pattern of both surface cold and internal heat.
Alright, now that we know when to use Sang Ju Yin, let’s explore its endless benefits.
The formula for Sang Ju Yin is as follows:
Sang Ye (Mulberry Leaf)9g, Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum)12g, Xing Ren (Apricot Kernel)9g, Lian Qiao (Forsythia)9g, Bo He (Peppermint)6g, Jie Geng (Platycodon)9g, Lu Gen (Reed Rhizome)30g, Gan Cao (Licorice)9g
This is the amount for one dose, one dose per day, boil five bowls of water down to two bowls. Here, peppermint, chrysanthemum, and mulberry leaves should not be boiled for too long, just five to six minutes. If you don’t want to go through the trouble, you can directly purchase the granules of Sang Ju.
Friends, think about it, what is the central idea of this formula?
It’s simple, just four words: disperse wind and clear heat! Since wind-heat has stealthily attacked our body, we should disperse the wind and clear the heat.
Dispersing wind and clearing heat mainly relies on which herbs in the formula? Undoubtedly, it is Sang Ye and Ju Hua. The name of this formula is Sang Ju Yin, and Sang Ye and Ju Hua are the absolute monarch herbs, the most important. It is not an exaggeration to say that the other herbs can be omitted, and these two can still carry the responsibility of dispersing wind and clearing heat.
Sang Ye and Ju Hua both have the effect of dispersing wind and clearing heat, but their focuses are different. Sang Ye mainly disperses wind; wind can be internal or external. External wind is like the wind from trees, while internal wind is from the liver, which can easily trigger internal wind if liver qi is particularly vigorous. Children are prone to convulsions when they catch a cold because their liver qi is very vigorous. Now, with Sang Ye, there is no need to worry; Sang Ye is cool and slightly sweet, and it can handle both internal and external wind.
Ju Hua, you are all familiar with it; it is often used with Goji berries to make tea for clearing the liver and brightening the eyes. Ju Hua is cool in nature, white in color, and enters the lungs, thus clearing lung heat. Why can Ju Hua also clear liver heat? Because Ju Hua blooms in autumn, embodying the autumn qi of heaven and earth. Autumn corresponds to the metal element, which means Ju Hua is filled with metal qi. Metal restrains what? Metal restrains wood, and wood corresponds to the liver. Therefore, Ju Hua can calm and clear liver heat. Drinking some Ju Hua tea when liver fire is vigorous can help. However, it should not be consumed daily.
When Sang Ye and Ju Hua are combined, they can resolve dizziness, red eyes, bitter mouth, and fever caused by wind-heat colds.
Whether it is wind-cold or wind-heat, we need to release the exterior, because only by releasing the exterior can the pathogenic factors be expelled smoothly. Treating illness has similarities to warfare, but also differences. In warfare, you can close the door and fight, but in treating illness, you cannot close the door and leave the enemy inside; we must open the door to let the enemy out. Releasing the exterior is like opening the door, providing a way out for the pathogenic factors and a way for ourselves to recover. If it results in mutual destruction, it is not worth the loss.
How to release the exterior? How to open the door? What do we rely on? We rely on Bo He (Peppermint). Wind-cold binds the exterior, requiring warm acrid herbs to release the exterior, such as Gui Zhi (Cinnamon Twig), Ma Huang (Ephedra), Sheng Jiang (Fresh Ginger), Zi Su Ye (Perilla Leaf), and Cong Bai (Scallion). Here, wind-heat is attacking the lungs, so we can only use acrid-cool herbs to release the exterior, and the best representative of acrid-cool herbs is Bo He. Everyone has eaten peppermint candy, which is incredibly refreshing; when you hold one in your mouth, that coolness quickly spreads from head to toe. This shows how powerful Bo He’s ability to disperse and release the exterior is.
Having dispersed the wind, cleared the heat, and released the exterior, what about the cough?Don’t worry, Jie Geng (Platycodon) and Xing Ren (Apricot Kernel) will help you.
What causes the cough here? It is due to lung heat. Well, Jie Geng has a lifting and dispersing power that drives the lung heat upwards, expelling it through our mouth and nose. Xing Ren, on the other hand, has a constricting effect on lung qi, with a descending power that pushes the lung heat downwards through the intestines and out as stool. This upward and downward movement ensures that lung qi flows smoothly, and naturally, there will be no cough, how wonderful.
Jie Geng and Xing Ren are often found in many cough treatment formulas; they are a perfect pair.
Next is Lian Qiao (Forsythia). We know that Lian Qiao and Jin Yin Hua (Honeysuckle) are sister flowers, and it is mainly used here for clearing heat and detoxifying. Lian Qiao can clear heart fire and stomach fire. Actually, whether or not Lian Qiao is included does not matter much; it serves as an assistant. Once the exterior is released and the interior is clear, the heat will automatically dissipate, and adding Lian Qiao is like opening a window in a stuffy room, allowing the heat to disperse even faster.
Some friends may ask, “Why is Lu Gen (Reed Rhizome) included in this formula?” It’s simple; heat injures yin. If heat persists, our body’s fluids will be insufficient, leading to dryness and thirst. Lu Gen, being the root of a plant that grows in water, has excellent fluid-generating and yin-nourishing properties. Lu Gen also has the effect of clearing heat and reducing fever.
The last one, Gan Cao (Licorice), needs no introduction. It acts as a mediator, harmonizing the various herbs, allowing them to work together effectively, achieving a synergistic effect. Of course, Gan Cao also has a heat-clearing effect and can protect the spleen and stomach.
This is Sang Ju Yin, a simple yet profound formula, like a woman with a plain face but deep inner qualities. The miraculous Sang Ju Yin can nip wind-heat colds in the bud, and it can resolve the issue in just one day, so please keep it well.
What kind of people are prone to wind-heat colds?
Children with pure yang bodies! Because children have two major characteristics: one is that their yang qi is particularly vigorous, and they often have internal heat due to yin deficiency. Secondly, children have weak spleen and stomach, which can easily lead to food stagnation, transforming into heat. With a bit of external heat, they can easily catch wind-heat colds. Many children experience tonsil swelling right away when they catch a cold, so mothers should pay attention to whether it is a wind-heat cold.
The second group is those with insufficient body fluids and yin deficiency, as yin deficiency leads to internal heat, making them prone to wind-heat colds.
People with wind-heat colds should not only use this formula but also replenish their righteous qi, ensuring their body fluids are sufficient. When body fluids are adequate, the meridians will be unblocked, and the righteous qi will reach the exterior in time to expel the external pathogens.
How to nourish yin?Use Wu Mei San Dou Yin (Black Plum and Three Bean Decoction) with a bit of sugar.
If the first stage of a wind-heat cold is not controlled well, this formula may not be strong enough, and a stronger formula called Yin Qiao San (Yin Qiao Powder) should be used, with the granules known as Yin Qiao Jie Du Wan.
Special reminder: A beautiful day begins! I hope Xiaoshu’s article brings you a good mood for the day. If you like the article, don’t forget to click the “Like” button at the bottom right of the article or share it with your friends. The formulas shared in Xiaoshu’s articles should be taken under the guidance of a physician. Due to limited energy and ability, I cannot reply to all messages, please forgive me. May you become your own divine physician.
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