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

Treats excess fire and damp-heat in the Liver-Gallbladder meridians, with symptoms including hypochondriac pain (胁痛), deafness (耳聋), bitter taste in the mouth due to Gallbladder Qi reflux (胆溢口苦), sinew atrophy (筋痿), sweating in the genital area (阴汗), swelling and pain of the genitals (阴肿阴痛), white turbidity (白浊), and hematuria (溲血). (The hypochondrium is the region of the Liver and Gallbladder; excess fire causes pain; the Gallbladder meridian connects to the ear, hence deafness; the Liver is called the General, governing strategy and planning. The Gallbladder is called the Official of Justice, governing decision-making. Deficiency of the Gallbladder leads to inability to decide despite having plans; upward reflux of Gallbladder Qi causes bitterness in the mouth; the Liver governs the sinews; damp-heat dominance leads to sinew atrophy; the Liver meridian... [text interrupted here])

Long Dan Cao (Gentianae Radix, wine-fried), Huang Qin (Scutellariae Radix, fried), Zhi Zi (Gardeniae Fructus, wine-fried), Ze Xie (Alismatis Rhizoma), Mu Tong (Akebiae Caulis), Che Qian Zi (Plantaginis Semen), Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix, wine-washed), Sheng Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix Recens)... [text interrupted here]

This acts on the Foot-Jueyin Liver meridian and Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder meridian. Long Dan Cao drains heat from the Jueyin Liver (Liver); Chai Hu pacifies heat in the Shaoyang Gallbladder (Gallbladder); Huang Qin and Zhi Zi clear heat from the Lung and Sanjiao to assist; Ze Xie drains dampness from the Kidney meridian; Mu Tong and Che Qian Zi drain dampness from the Small Intestine and Bladder to assist; however, these are all bitter-cold purgative drugs, so use... [text interrupted here]

Li Dongyuan: Without Huang Qin, Zhi Zi, and Gan Cao, it is also named Long Dan Xie Gan Tang: Treats itching and foul odor in the anterior yin (This is caused by drinking alcohol, where wind-damp-heat combines in the Lower Jiao as pathogenic factors; the Foot-Jueyin Liver meridian connects to the genital organs; Chai Hu enters the Liver as a guiding herb; Ze Xie, Che Qian Zi, and Mu Tong promote urination, also removing the foul odor, as stated in "Below"... [text interrupted here])

Another prescription removes Dang Gui, Sheng Di Huang, Mu Tong, Ze Xie, and Che Qian Zi, adding Ren Shen, Wu Wei Zi, Tian Dong, Mai Dong, Huang Lian, and Zhi Mu, also named Long Dan Xie Gan Tang: Treats sinew atrophy with spasms and tightness, bitter taste in the mouth, and withered nails; also treats the above conditions (Adding Ren Shen supports Earth to suppress Wood; using Tian Dong, Mai Dong, and Wu Wei Zi clears Metal to level Wood, moistens dryness to nourish sinews; using Huang Lian and Zhi Mu clears Heart Fire upwards and Kidney Fire downwards; one is the Son of the Liver, one... [text interrupted here])

(Also known as Zuo Jin Wan / Zhu Lian Wan)

Treats excessive dryness and heat of Liver Fire, pain in the left hypochondrium, acid regurgitation (吞酸吐酸), sinew hernia (筋疝), and epigastric fullness/mass (痞结) (Excess Liver Fire causes hypochondriac pain; acid regurgitation is also due to Liver Fire harassing the Lung... [text interrupted here]).

The Jueyin Liver meridian connects to the genital organs; invasion by cold-dampness leads to sinew hernia; excessive Liver Wood overacting on Spleen Earth leads to epigastric fullness/mass); also treats dysentery with inability to swallow food (Jin Kou Li), where decoctions are vomited immediately upon entry (Add a pinch of glutinous rice to this formula, decoct strongly; if three spoonfuls can be swallowed without vomiting, it will stop).

Huang Lian (6 liang, stir-fried with ginger juice), Wu Zhu Yu (1 liang, soaked in salt water). Make into water pills.

This acts on the Foot-Jueyin Liver meridian. Liver excess causes pain; the Heart is the Son of the Liver; for excess syndromes, drain the Son; thus, Huang Lian is used to drain Heart and clear fire, serving as the Sovereign herb, preventing fire from... [text interrupted here]

As a counter-agent; one cold and one hot, cold is the direct treatment, hot is the contrary treatment (treating heat with heat, following its nature to treat it, also called contrary treatment), so they can assist each other to achieve efficacy. The Liver resides on the left, the Lung is on the right; "Zuo Jin" means enabling the Metal command to circulate on the left to pacify the Liver. Li Dongyuan said: The *Nei Jing* states that various types of vomiting acid belong to heat. This is due to external pathogens affecting the Upper Jiao. Discussing from the perspective of miscellaneous diseases, severe cases of vomiting acid involve acid soaking the Heart, followed by sour teeth unable to meet; treating with large acrid-hot agents reduces it. If treated as heat according to the *Bing Ji*, it is an error. Someone asked why *Su Wen* considers acid regurgitation as heat, while Li Dongyuan considers it cold? Zhu Danxi said: Vomiting acid (Tu Suan) differs from swallowing acid (Tun Suan). Vomiting acid involves expelling sour fluid like vinegar; normally, body fluids accumulate due to rising Qi stagnation, generating heat within dampness, transforming via Wood, thus becoming sour—is this not heat? In some cases, stagnation lies deep in the intestines and stomach for a long time, unable to be coughed up or swallowed; when the skin surface is affected by wind-cold, internal heat becomes more stagnant, and the sour taste pierces the heart; when the skin surface is warm and pores open, or after consuming aromatic-hot soups/pills, body fluids move, providing temporary relief—is this not cold? *Su Wen* speaks of heat regarding the root; Li Dongyuan speaks of cold regarding the branch. I once treated swallowing acid using Huang Lian and Zhu Yu prepared by stir-frying, selecting assistants according to seasons, with Cang Zhu and Fu Ling as辅 (supporting herbs), made into pills with steamed dough soaked in soup, and advised eating vegetables and fruits for self-care, leading to easier recovery. Danxi's discussion was not exhaustive; ultimately, this syndrome has both cold and heat aspects, and one should not adhere rigidly to one view. Dai Shi said: People with Kidney deficiency due to sexual exhaustion often have dull pain in the chest and diaphragm; this is because Kidney deficiency fails to grasp Qi, and Qi deficiency fails to generate Blood. Qi and Blood are like water; when abundant, they flow smoothly; when deficient, stagnation is inevitable, causing pain. It is appropriate to use Gu Bu Zhi to tonify the Kidney, and Xiong Gui to tonify Blood. If treated as ordinary hypochondriac pain, it would be dangerous.)

Adding Chao Huang Qin, Cang Zhu, and Chen Pi to this formula is also named Zhu Lian Wan: Treats the same condition. Adding equal parts of Bai Shao to this formula and making pills is named Wu Ji Wan: Treats heat dysentery and heat diarrhea (Heat diarrhea features yellow stool and a涩 sensation in the anus. Wu represents Stomach Earth, Ji represents Spleen Earth; adding Bai Shao attacks Liver and drains Wood, preventing it from overacting on Spleen Earth).

Removing Wu Zhu Yu and adding 1 liang of Fu Zi to this formula is named Lian Fu Liu Yi Tang: Treats epigastric pain, utilizing heat to treat cold (Han Yin Re Yong). Using only Huang Lian from this formula, soaked in Wu Zhu Yu Tang... [text interrupted here]