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When a woman experiences sudden profuse uterine bleeding, dimness in both eyes, fainting to the ground, and loss of consciousness, people invariably attribute it to excessive fire disturbing the blood. However, this is not excess fire (Shi Huo), but deficiency fire (Xu Huo). Upon seeing uterine bleeding, people often employ astringent herbs; although they may achieve temporary effect, if yin-nourishing herbs are not used concurrently, the deficiency fire is prone to flare up again. It is feared that the bleeding will stop and then recur immediately, leading to cases where complete recovery takes years or even decades. Therefore, hemostatic drugs should not be used alone; the method of stopping bleeding must be implemented within a regimen of nourishing yin.

The formula used is Gu Ben Zhi Beng Tang (Solidify the Root Decoction to Stop Uterine Bleeding).
Prepared Rehmannia Root (Shu Di Huang) - 1 liang, steamed nine times; Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome (Bai Zhu) - 1 liang, stir-fried with soil until charred; Astragalus Membranaceus Root (Huang Qi) - 3 qian, raw; Angelica Sinensis Root (Dang Gui) - 5 qian, washed with wine; Charred Ginger (Hei Jiang) - 2 qian; Ginseng Root (Ren Shen) - 3 qian.
Decoct in water and take orally. One dose stops the bleeding; ten doses prevent recurrence. If one halves the dosage due to fear of the heavy medicinal taste, the potency will be too weak to stop the bleeding. The brilliance of this formula lies in its focus on not directly arresting bleeding but rather on nourishing blood; furthermore, it does not merely nourish blood but also tonifies qi; and not only tonifies qi but also tonifies fire (Ming Men Fire). When uterine bleeding progresses to dimness and fainting, it indicates that blood has been largely lost, leaving only a thread of primordial qi to sustain life. If one does not urgently tonify qi to generate blood, but instead prioritizes nourishing blood while neglecting qi, the substantial blood may fail to regenerate quickly, while the insubstantial qi will surely dissipate completely. This is why qi is tonified before blood. However, tonifying qi alone makes blood difficult to generate; nourishing blood alone without tonifying fire causes blood stagnation, preventing it from generating rapidly along with the qi. Moreover, Charred Ginger guides blood back to its vessels, offering the subtle benefit of astringency within tonification. Hence, it is used together with qi- and blood-tonifying herbs.

Marginal Note: If uterine bleeding persists for several days, with blood loss amounting to several dou, and all six pulses are imperceptible, yet there is a faint breath in the nose, do not administer this formula immediately, as the qi may be on the verge of collapse and unable to withstand strong tonification. Those with financial means should use 3 qian of Liaoning Ginseng (Ren Shen), de-gorged, decocted, and taken with 1 qian of Cyperus Rotundus Charcoal Powder (Guan Zhong Tan); once the breath strengthens slightly, administer this formula again, adding another 1 qian of Cyperus Rotundus Charcoal Powder. Cases treated this way invariably show efficacy. For those with limited means, use 3 qian of Cyperus Rotundus Charcoal Powder mixed with unadulterated yellow wine; once their qi recovers and consciousness clears, they may take this formula, substituting Codonopsis Pilosula Root (Dang Shen) for Ginseng, and adding 1 qian of Cyperus Rotundus Charcoal Powder just before administration.

Rhyme Formula:
Sudden uterine bleeding strikes a woman,
Loss of consciousness, deep coma ensues.
Due to vigorous deficiency fire disturbing the blood,
Never forget to nourish yin when stopping bleeding.
Gu Ben Zhi Beng Tang should nourish yin,
With Prepared Rehmannia, White Peony, Angelica, and Ginseng.
Astragalus and Charred Ginger decocted together,
Without astringents, the merit is profound.