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(From *Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang*)

Treats blood deficiency with liver dryness, bone-steaming tidal fever, cough with tidal fever, alternating chills and fever, dry mouth, constipation, and irregular menstruation.

**Composition**: Chai Hu (Bupleuri Radix), Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) (soaked in wine), Bai Shao (Paeoniae Radix Alba) (stir-fried with wine), Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) (stir-fried with soil), Fu Ling (Poria), Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma) (roasted, 5 fen).
**Usage**: Add Wei Jiang (Roasted Ginger) and decoct.

This formula consists of herbs for the Foot-Taiyang Bladder channel and the Foot-Jueyin Liver channel. Liver deficiency leads to blood pathology; Dang Gui and Bai Shao nourish blood and astringe yin. When Liver wood is excessive, Spleen earth declines; thus, "purging" is used as "tonifying," taking the meaning of unblocking. Fu Ling clears heat and promotes dampness drainage, assisting Gan Cao and Bai Zhu to benefit earth, thereby calming Heart qi (Fu Ling can communicate between Heart and Kidney); Sheng Jiang (Fresh Ginger) warms the stomach, dispels phlegm, regulates the middle jiao, and resolves depression; Bo He (Menthae Haplocalycis Herba) searches out liver pathogens, purges lung heat, regulates blood, dispels wind, and smooths rebellious qi to harmonize the middle jiao; various symptoms resolve naturally, hence the name "Xiao Yao San."

(For patients with dry cough, Zhu Danxi stated: it is extremely difficult to treat. This belongs to fire stagnation syndrome, where phlegm traps fire pathogen in the middle jiao; use Xiao Yao San to open it, and tonify below... [text implies combination with lower tonification]).

Adding Mu Dan Pi (Moutan Cortex) and Zhi Zi (Gardeniae Fructus) to this formula creates Ba Wei Xiao Yao San (created by Xue Ji): It treats anger injuring the liver, resulting in blood deficiency and dim vision (the eyes are the orifice of the liver. The *Classic* states: "The eyes see when they receive blood." Liver injury and blood deficiency lead to blurred vision. Mu Dan Pi clears latent fire in the blood, and Zhi Zi clears stagnant fire in the Triple Burner; thus, Xue Ji added them to suppress liver qi and regulate menstruation. *Yi Guan* states: The ancient Xiao Yao San consists of Chai Hu, Bo He, Dang Gui, Bai Shao, Chen Pi, Gan Cao, Bai Zhu, and Fu Shen. The added ingredients are Mu Dan Pi and Zhi Zi. I use Shan Zhi (Gardeniae Fructus) which curves downward to drain water, replacing it with Wu Zhu Yu (Evodiae Fructus) stir-fried with Huang Lian (Coptidis Rhizoma). In his discussion on the Five Stagnations, he said: The East corresponds to Wood. Wood represents the vital generating qi, which is also Fire qi; Fire attaches to Wood. If Wood stagnates, Fire also stagnates; if Fire stagnates, Earth naturally stagnates; if Earth stagnates, Metal stagnates; if Metal stagnates, Water stagnates. The five elements are interrelated, which is the natural principle. I use one formula to treat Wood stagnation, and all stagnations are cured; Xiao Yao San is such a formula. Among the formula, Chai Hu and Bo He are the most excellent. The Gallbladder is the Shaoyang qi of Jia Wood. Its qi is tender, like grass piercing the ground but not yet extending. If at this time it is constrained by cold wind, it becomes soft, withered, and suppressed, unable to extend upward. If it does not extend upward, it will downwardly overcome Spleen Earth, causing simultaneous disease in Metal and Water; only when warmed by a gentle breeze can the stagnant qi become free-flowing. Wood delights in the shaking of wind; cold causes withering, while warmth promotes growth. Chai Hu and Bo He are pungent and dispersing, and warm, entering the Shaoyang. Such is the subtlety of ancient physicians in formulating prescriptions. For severe cases, add Wu Zhu Yu stir-fried with Huang Lian to the formula, which is Zuo Jin Wan. Huang Lian clears Heart fire; Wu Zhu Yu has a fishy odor, and Liver qi also has a fishy odor. Like attracts like, used to pacify Liver Wood. When Liver Wood is pacified, it does not generate Heart fire; Heart fire does not control Lung Metal, so Lung Metal can restrain Liver Wood. Instead of directly attacking Wood, it assists Metal to restrain Wood; this is why Zuo Jin Wan is named so. Although this method is clever, it is not enough. Subsequently, use Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (Six-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia) plus Chai Hu and Bai Shao to nourish Kidney Water, enabling it to generate Wood; Xiao Yao San uses wind herbs to disperse it, and Di Huang Yin (Rehmannia Decoction) uses rain-like moisture to moisten it. How could Wood fail to obtain its nature? Once this method is established, the stagnation of Wood and Fire is relieved. Wood no longer downwardly overcomes Earth, and Earth receives moistening, avoiding dryness. Metal and Water naturally generate each other. I say that one method can understand five methods in this way. Extending this, for any symptoms such as alternating chills and fever, aversion to cold and heat, vomiting, acid regurgitation, epigastric discomfort, chest pain, hypochondriac pain, lower abdominal distension, dizziness, night sweats, jaundice, warm epidemics, hernia, and undigested food diarrhea, this is a symptomatic formula. Extending to Taiyang Cold Damage, Wind Strike, and Dampness Injury, except for direct invasion of the interior, all external contractions should be viewed as stagnation syndromes. Using Xiao Yao San with modifications yields effective results. Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction), Si Ni San (Four Counterflow Powder), and Qiang Huo Tang (Notopterygium Decoction) are largely similar, yet none match the efficacy of this formula. If relief occurs after one dose but recurs shortly after, or if attacks are frequent and worsening, this must be a false syndrome of cold below and heat above. This decoction should not be reused; instead, switch to warming and tonifying agents. For Yang deficiency, use Si Jun Zi Tang (Four Gentlemen Decoction) with warming herbs; for Yin deficiency, use Liu Wei Tang (Six Ingredient Decoction) with warming herbs. Those versed in profound principles need no further elaboration from me. Furthermore, I state: In winter, when encountering standard Taiyang Cold Damage patterns indicated by Ma Huang Tang (Ephedra Decoction) or Gui Zhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction), I treat them as Cold Stagnation; cases without aversion to cold are treated as Fire Stagnation. This is my innovative theory. Since it is said to be a cold pathogen, why does it enter the interior and turn into heat? One must realize that this is the body's own fire, constrained by cold. Step by step returning to the source, over time it becomes pure heat. San Huang Jie Du Tang (Three Yellows Detoxification Decoction)... [text cuts off] This principle is very simple... regarding Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang (Nine-Ingredient Notopterygium Decoction)... during peak times, there is no generation... much so)."