Inheriting the legacy of Qi Huang, a public account with substance and warmth.Each category of formulas in the Treatise on Febrile Diseases has a foundational formula (except for miscellaneous formulas). Understanding the foundational formula in each category will aid in learning and applying similar formulas. Today, we will categorize them.
1. Gui Zhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction) Category:(1) Foundational Formula: Gui Zhi Tang: Treats Taiyang Wind Stroke and Taiyin Wind.The symptoms of wind stroke in exterior conditions are relatively simple, including aversion to wind and cold, fever, headache, body aches, stiffness in the neck and back, sweating, nasal congestion or runny nose, nausea, cough, and a floating and relaxed pulse. Overall, the person is not too weak. (Note: Taiyin Wind may have mild or no fever).Gui Zhi: Warm and acrid, disperses wind-cold and reverses qi stagnation, sweet and warm, nourishes fluids and stomach qi. Shao Yao (Peony): Sour and cool, regulates and eliminates blood stasis and water retention. Gan Cao (Licorice): Sweet and neutral, nourishes stomach qi and fluids. Sheng Jiang (Fresh Ginger): Warm and acrid, disperses wind-cold, assists Gui Zhi. Da Zao (Jujube): Sweet and slightly warm, nourishes fluids and harmonizes stomach qi, assists Shao Yao. The efficacy of the formula: disperses wind evil, harmonizes Ying and Wei, replenishes fluids.(2) Similar Formulas: 1. Gui Zhi Jia Fu Zi Tang: Shaoyin Wind Stroke, cold body, aversion to wind, excessive sweating, fluid deficiency. Adds Fu Zi for warm yang.2. Gui Zhi Jia Gui Tang: Taiyang Wind Stroke, with severe upward qi reversal. Adds Gui Zhi to further descend the reversed qi.3. Gui Zhi Qu Shao Yao Tang: Taiyang Wind Stroke, with easy movement due to interior deficiency (i.e., easy diarrhea). Removes the cool and unblocking Shao Yao.4. Gui Zhi Qu Shao Yao Jia Fu Zi Tang: Taiyang Wind Stroke, with easy movement due to interior deficiency and insufficient true yang. Removes the cool and unblocking Shao Yao. Adds Fu Zi for warm yang.5. Gui Zhi Jia Hou Po Xing Ren Tang: Taiyang Wind Stroke, with pre-existing phlegm and wheezing. Adds Hou Po (acrid and salty, warm) to unblock qi stagnation, adds Xing Ren (bitter and acrid, warm) to disperse cold and descend phlegm.6. Xiao Jian Zhong Tang: Taiyang Wind Stroke, with Yangming interior heat damaging fluids. Adds Shao Yao (bitter and sour, cool) to reduce Yangming interior heat, adds Yi Tang to replenish fluids.7. Gui Zhi Jia Shao Yao Sheng Jiang Ren Shen Xin Jia Tang: Taiyang Wind Stroke, sweating damages fluids, wind evil still unresolved, body aches with a deep pulse (and dry mouth, tongue showing signs of stagnant heat). Adds Shao Yao (bitter and sour, cool) to unblock superficial blood vessels, adds Ren Shen (sweet and slightly cold) to replenish fluids, adds Sheng Jiang (acrid and warm) to disperse exterior evil.8. Gui Zhi Gan Cao Tang: Excessive sweating, insufficient fluids to nourish the heart, palpitations, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, and discomfort in the heart area. Disperses and descends reversed qi, replenishes fluids.9. Fu Ling Gui Zhi Gan Cao Da Zao Tang: Excessive sweating (due to mismanagement or ineffective treatment), upper jiao fluid deficiency, upper middle not controlling lower, lower jiao turbid qi and water rising, causing discomfort below the navel. Resolves exterior and transforms phlegm, replenishes fluids.10. Gui Zhi Ma Huang Ge Ban Tang: Taiyang disease with simultaneous febrile and wind symptoms. Aversion to cold and fever, no sweating, itchy skin, more heat than cold, face has a red hue, occurring two to three times a day.Resolves exterior and disperses wind-cold. 11. Gui Zhi Er Ma Huang Yi Tang: Taiyang disease with simultaneous febrile and wind symptoms. Aversion to cold and fever, no sweating, occurring again in one day (two occurrences). Resolves exterior and disperses wind-cold.12. Gui Zhi Er Yue Bi Yi Tang: Taiyang and Yangming diseases. Fever and aversion to cold, more heat than cold, weak floating pulse. Surface fluid deficiency, with water dampness and heat in the interior, initial heat in the interior. Resolves exterior and disperses wind-cold and dampness, using Shi Gao to clear the heat from above and outside.13. Gui Zhi Qu Shao Yao Jia Fu Ling Bai Zhu Tang: Taiyang and Taiyin combined disease. Exterior symptoms unresolved, internal fluid deficiency and reverse, fullness and slight pain below the heart, headache, fever, no sweating, and difficulty urinating. Resolves exterior and transforms water in the lower jiao.14. Gui Zhi Qu Shao Yao Jia Shu Qi Mu Li Long Gu Jiu Ni Tang: Taiyang Wind Stroke exterior symptoms, fluids damaged, internal cold and phlegm rising, heart and brain not nourished, may have spasms or be easily startled or manic, unable to sit or lie still. Shu Qi (acrid and slightly warm) disperses cold phlegm, Long Gu (sweet and neutral) and Mu Li (salty and cool) calm and remove phlegm, harmonizing yin and yang.15. Gui Zhi Gan Cao Long Gu Mu Li Tang: Exterior symptoms, mistakenly damaging fluids. Heart and brain not nourished, palpitations, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, restlessness. Resolves exterior and calms the spirit.16. Gui Zhi Jia Ge Gen Tang: Taiyang disease with wind stroke, combined with Yangming upper jiao heat dryness and fluid deficiency, neck and back soreness and tightness. Uses Ge Gen (sweet and bitter, slightly cold) to clear heat and generate fluids, relieving obstruction.17. Gui Zhi Jia Shao Yao Tang: Taiyang Wind Stroke, with mild Yangming interior heat excess, abdominal fullness and pain. Adds Shao Yao to unblock and relieve Yangming qi in the interior, or to stop pain from heat damaging Ying blood.18. Gui Zhi Jia Da Huang Tang: Taiyang Wind Stroke, with Yangming interior heat excess, abdominal fullness and persistent pain. Uses Da Huang (bitter and salty, cold) to unblock and break blood stasis, cleanse the stomach and intestines, eliminate retained fluids and food, promote new growth, unblock water and grain, and harmonize digestion. There are a total of 19 formulas in the Gui Zhi Tang category. They can essentially be seen as Gui Zhi Tang with added medicinal symptoms, making them easier to understand and apply.2. Ma Huang Tang (Ephedra Decoction) CategoryMa Huang Tang: Taiyang disease with febrile symptoms. The symptoms of Taiyang disease with febrile symptoms are simple: aversion to cold and fever, headache and body pain, joint pain, no sweating, cough and wheezing, with a floating and tight pulse. Overall, the person is not too weak. Differentiation can be made based on mental state. Ma Huang: Acrid and bitter, neutral. Opens and disperses exterior wind-cold evil. Acrid can disperse, bitter can drain (drain: downward). Gui Zhi: Warm and acrid. Disperses wind-cold and reverses qi stagnation, sweet and warm, nourishes fluids and stomach qi. Xing Ren (Apricot Kernel): Bitter and slightly acrid, warm. Warms and disperses, descends phlegm upward, also invigorates blood. Main functions: descends reversed qi, eliminates obstruction. Gan Cao: Sweet and neutral. Nourishes stomach qi and fluids. The efficacy of the formula: induces sweating, eliminates exterior cold evil, descends reversed qi and phlegm, replenishes fluids.(2) Similar Formulas:1. Ma Huang Xing Ren Gan Cao Shi Gao Tang: Taiyang disease, with Yangming heat in the upper and outer. Shi Gao disperses Yangming heat evil and relieves restlessness.2. Da Qing Long Tang (Major Blue Dragon Decoction): Taiyang febrile disease, or Taiyang febrile disease with exterior water dampness accumulation, combined with Yangming interior heat. Ma Huang Tang disperses exterior cold, using Shi Gao (acrid and cold) to clear and disperse Yangming heat evil and relieve restlessness. Adds Sheng Jiang (acrid and warm) to assist in resolving the exterior, adds Da Zao (sweet and slightly warm) to replenish fluids.3. Xiao Qing Long Tang (Minor Blue Dragon Decoction): Taiyang (or Shaoyin) febrile disease, combined with Taiyin water retention not resolving, internally reversing in the San Jiao. Takes Gui Zhi Tang and adds Ma Huang to disperse exterior evil. Adds Ban Xia, Xi Xin, and Wu Wei Zi, which are acrid and warm to disperse, sour to gather and warm to unblock, descending and transforming water upward.4. Ma Huang Fu Zi Gan Cao Tang: Shaoyin febrile disease, mild symptoms. True yang deficiency, body function weakened (differentiated by mental state). Resolves exterior, warms yang, and replenishes fluids.5. Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang: Shaoyin febrile disease. True yang deficiency, body function weakened (differentiated by mental state), cold evil constricting limbs causing pain. Resolves exterior, and heavily uses acrid and warm herbs to unblock the channels. There are a total of six formulas in the Ma Huang Tang category.3. Ge Gen Tang (Kudzu Decoction) Category(1) Ge Gen Tang: Taiyang and Yangming combined disease. Taiyang febrile disease combined with Yangming upper jiao heat damaging fluids (neck and back soreness and tightness, thirst with desire to drink), or Yangming lower jiao damp-heat leading to diarrhea (heat diarrhea, symptoms include loose stools or diarrhea, burning sensation in the anus, red tongue with yellow greasy coating). This Ge Gen Tang is essentially Gui Zhi Jia Ma Huang Tang, plus Ge Gen (therefore specific herbs are not listed one by one), and the dosage of Gui Zhi Tang has been adjusted, not the original amount. It induces slight sweating to resolve the exterior, as there is Yangming heat damaging fluids in the pathogenesis. Ge Gen clears Yangming heat and replenishes fluids. Ge Gen: Sweet and bitter, slightly cold. Treats thirst, high fever, vomiting, various obstructions, raises yin qi, resolves various toxins. This herb specifically targets the Yangming disease location, generates fluids, clears heat, especially effective for treating “obstruction pain” in the back and neck (due to blood vessel blockage).(2) Similar Formulas:1. Ge Gen Jia Ban Xia Tang: Taiyang febrile disease combined with Yangming upper jiao damp-heat leading to vomiting. Adds Ban Xia to the medicinal symptoms. (Yangming upper jiao heat damaging fluids may also occur simultaneously. Symptoms include neck and back soreness and tightness, thirst with desire to drink).Ban Xia: Acrid and warm. Warms and moistens, descends qi, stops vomiting, eliminates water retention upward. Treats hardness below the heart, throat swelling and pain, dizziness and chest fullness, cough and rumbling in the intestines.2. Ge Gen Huang Qin Huang Lian Tang: Taiyang Yangming wind combined disease belonging to Yangming, with Yangming lower jiao damp-heat leading to persistent diarrhea. Primarily clears heat and stops diarrhea, also resolves exterior. Huang Qin: Bitter and cold. Treats various heat, jaundice, intestinal dysentery, expels water, stops bleeding, and treats sores. Clears Yangming interior heat, opens blood stasis. Huang Lian: Bitter and cold. Treats heat, eye pain, eyelid injury, clears vision, intestinal dysentery, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Clears Yangming interior damp-heat. Gan Cao: Sweet and neutral. Treats cold and heat evil in the five organs and six bowels, strengthens muscles and bones, promotes muscle growth, detoxifies, and prolongs life. Nourishes stomach qi and replenishes fluids. There are a total of three formulas in the Ge Gen Tang category.4. Chai Hu Tang (Bupleurum Decoction) Category(1) Foundational Formula: Xiao Chai Hu Tang: Shaoyang Wind, or Shaoyang primary disease, or combined three Yang diseases. Shaoyang disease, with cold and heat evil qi residing in the slightly upper jiao’s half-exterior and half-interior yang position, causing disharmony between exterior and interior yin and yang, with heat evil predominating, heat dryness damaging fluids, and some water retention. The qi mechanism in the upper jiao (also involving the middle jiao) is obstructed, and the qi transformation cannot ascend, leading to an inability to generate fluids. The qi in the upper jiao and heart fire cannot descend smoothly, causing qi to accumulate in the upper jiao, forming the basic pathogenesis of heat dryness damaging fluids.Another pathogenesis: upper jiao not unobstructed, lower jiao’s water and fluids vaporizing upward is obstructed, and cannot transform into fluids in the upper jiao, leading to a reversal into the lower jiao, causing water and grain to be indistinguishable and resulting in diarrhea. This is a very important pathological mechanism that should be emphasized. Symptoms include: alternating chills and fever, sweating during heat, dizziness, stiffness and headache, tinnitus, red eyes, dry nose, nasal sores, irritability, chest tightness, shortness of breath, palpitations, bitter mouth, dry throat, lack of desire to eat, nausea, poor sleep, stomach pain, chest and flank fullness, abdominal pain and diarrhea, red tongue, white coating. Pulse is wiry or thin, slightly rapid.Chai Hu: Acrid and bitter, cool. Acrid opens, bitter descends, cool clears heat. Can resolve exterior, can clear the interior, can guide internal and external, harmonize yin and yang cold and heat, specifically targeting the Shaoyang and Yangming disease locations. It is the main herb for Shaoyang disease. Huang Qin: Bitter and cold. Clears and descends Yangming interior heat, opens blood stasis. Ban Xia: Acrid and warm. Warms and moistens, descends qi, eliminates water retention upward. Enters Taiyin and Jueyin disease locations (removes Jueyin cold water). Ren Shen: Sweet and slightly cold. Replenishes fluids, clears slight heat. Ren Shen is often used as Bai Ren Shen. Gan Cao: Sweet and neutral. Nourishes stomach qi, replenishes fluids. Sheng Jiang: Acrid and warm, disperses exterior evil. Da Zao: Sweet and slightly warm, nourishes fluids and harmonizes stomach qi. The efficacy of the formula: harmonizes exterior and interior, clears upper jiao Yangming heat, descends and transforms lower jiao water retention, replenishes fluids.(2) Similar Formulas:1. Da Chai Hu Tang: Shaoyang Wind combined with Yangming interior excess causing abdominal distension and pain with hard stools. Uses Xiao Chai Hu Tang, removes Ren Shen and Gan Cao, uses Da Huang and Shao Yao to address interior excess abdominal pain, and uses Zhi Shi to unblock and break qi. Da Huang: Bitter and salty, cold. Regulates the middle, transforms food, cleanses the stomach and intestines, unblocks water and grain, promotes new growth, harmonizes the five organs. Enters Yangming disease location. Shao Yao: Sour and cool. Removes Yangming interior excess causing abdominal pain, and alleviates pain from Yangming heat entering Ying blood causing stasis pain.2. Chai Hu Gui Zhi Tang: Taiyin and Shaoyang combined disease with wind. The formula is a combination of Xiao Chai Hu Tang and Gui Zhi Tang, with reduced dosages. Shaoyang interior heat, fluid deficiency, delirium; Taiyin wind, excessive sweating leading to yang deficiency and exterior cold. Resolves exterior and harmonizes Shaoyang.3. Chai Hu Jia Long Gu Mu Li Tang: Combined three Yang diseases with Taiyin interior and exterior water retention. Chai Hu Gui Zhi Tang removes Shao Yao, adds Da Huang to address interior excess, adds Qian Dan to calm and descend the upward reversing lower jiao water retention, adds Fu Ling to promote water and nourish the heart, adds Long Gu and Mu Li to remove phlegm and resolve internal disturbances. Qian Dan: Acrid and salty, slightly cold. Clears heat, calms and restrains downward qi. Treats water retention with heat in the stomach causing nausea and upward reversal, water qi disturbing the heart causing easy fright. Fu Ling: Sweet and neutral. Promotes water, stops upward reversal, treats chest and flank qi disturbance, heart fullness, fright, cough, and difficulty urinating. Long Gu: Sweet and neutral. Treats heart and abdominal disturbances, fright, cough, diarrhea, and menstrual issues. Calms and descends water retention. Mu Li: Salty and cool. Descends reversed qi, relieves fullness in the heart. Treats febrile and cold diseases, regulates skin pores. Clears heat and stops sweating, regulates skin moisture. Da Huang—bitter and salty, cold. “Shen Nong’s Materia Medica”: Treats blood stasis, cold and heat, breaks accumulations, cleanses retained fluids and food, promotes new growth, unblocks water and grain, harmonizes digestion, and stabilizes the five organs. It enters the Yangming disease location, unblocks and breaks blood stasis. (Indications: yellow thick tongue coating, firm pulse). The efficacy of the formula: resolves exterior, unblocks the intestines, calms and transforms water retention, harmonizes yin and yang.4. Chai Hu Gui Zhi Gan Jiang Tang: Jueyin Wind symptoms or Jueyin primary disease. Upper jiao has Shaoyang and Yangming heat, fluid deficiency, lower jiao has virtual cold water retention leading to diarrhea, water retention rising to the middle jiao, causing mutual binding of cold and heat in the middle jiao, leading to yin and yang obstruction and four reversals, with a deep wiry pulse. Gan Jiang: Acrid and warm. The main herb for cold reversal symptoms. Can remove cold water, warm the middle. Treats chest fullness, cough, and upward qi disturbance, diarrhea and lower abdominal pain. Gua Lou Gen: Sweet and bitter, cold. Clears Yangming heat, nourishes fluids. Treats thirst, high fever, and fullness. The efficacy of the formula: harmonizes yin and yang, exterior and interior, cold and heat.5. Chai Hu Jia Mang Xiao Tang: Shaoyang and Yangming combined disease belonging to Yangming. Upper middle jiao has Shaoyang fullness and vomiting, with Yangming exterior heat sweating, and Yangming lower jiao interior excess. Reduces the dosage of each herb in Xiao Chai Hu Tang, adds Mang Xiao to address Yangming interior excess and hard stools. Mang Xiao: Bitter and salty, cold. “Shen Nong’s Materia Medica”: Treats five organs with heat, stomach fullness, cleanses and softens hard accumulations, promotes new growth, and unblocks. This herb enters the Yangming disease location, treats interior and lower issues. The efficacy of the formula: harmonizes Shaoyang, also unblocks Yangming interior accumulation, and slightly harmonizes stomach qi.The content of this article is for reference only,not for professional doctors.Please do not attempt acupuncture or medication.