Library

(Zhang Jingyue) This is a formula for tonifying the fire of the Mingmen (Gate of Life). For conditions where the Yang Qi of the Mingmen is deficient and Yin Cold prevails, this formula should be used with modifications. For example, in treating conditions such as Yin excess repelling Yang, or true cold with false heat, it is advisable to add Ze Xie (Alisma Rhizoma) two qian after decoction, soak it in cold water until cool, and then take it; the effect is particularly excellent.

Shu Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata) (3-4 qian, or increased to 1-2 liang), Shan Yao (Dioscoreae Rhizoma, stir-fried), Du Zhong (Eucommiae Cortex, processed with ginger juice), Gou Qi Zi (Lycii Fructus, roasted) (2 qian), Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma) (1-2 qian), Rou Gui (Cinnamomi Cortex) (1-2 qian), Zhi Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) (1-3 qian), Yu Rou (Corni Fructus) (1 qian). Add two zhan of water, decoct to obtain 0.7 zhan, take after meals.
In cases of Qi deficiency and blood collapse, or when there are symptoms such as cold extremities, coma, sweating, dizziness, manic delirium due to deficiency, or shortness of breath, Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix) and Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) must be added in large amounts according to the specific situation. If there is frequent pain in the lower abdomen, add Wu Zhu Yu (Evodiae Fructus) 6-7 fen. If Fire deficiency fails to warm the Spleen Earth, leading to vomiting, hiccups, or acid regurgitation, add Pao Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Praeparatum) 2-3 qian. If Yang deficiency causes middle Jiao cold, resulting in diarrhea and abdominal pain, add Ren Shen and Rou Dou Kou (Myristicae Semen) according to the situation. If there is continuous stranguria and leukorrhea, add Po Gu Zhi (Psoraleae Fructus) 1 qian. If there is blood deficiency and blood stasis causing soreness and pain in the waist and knees, add Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) 2-3 qian.

(Qian Yi / Xue Ji citing) Treats insufficiency of the Liver and Kidney, depletion of True Yin, exhaustion of Essence and Blood, emaciation and weakness, low back pain and sore feet, spontaneous sweating and night sweats, water overflowing to transform into phlegm, (Zhu Danxi said: In chronic illness, Yin Fire rises, fluids transform into phlegm rather than generating blood; one should nourish blood to control Minister Fire, and the phlegm will clear itself.) fever and cough, (Kidney deficiency transfers heat to the Lung causing cough; pressing to the bone reveals heat that burns the hand, and skeletal fatigue indicates Kidney heat.) dizziness and vertigo, (*Zhizhi Fang* states: Excessive sexual indulgence prevents Kidney Qi from returning to its root, causing Qi-deficiency dizziness. Hematemesis, epistaxis, metrorrhagia, where the Liver fails to contain blood, causing reckless blood movement, results in blood-deficiency dizziness.) tinnitus and deafness, spermatorrhea and hematochezia, Xiao Ke (wasting-thirst) and stranguria, loss of voice due to bleeding, dry tongue and sore throat, toothache due to deficient fire, heel pain, sores and ulcers in the lower body, and other syndromes. (All these syndromes are caused by insufficient Kidney Water and rising deficient fire.)
Shu Di Huang (8 liang), Shan Zhu Yu (Corni Fructus, moistened with wine), Shan Yao (4 liang), Fu Ling (Poria, mixed with milk), Mu Dan Pi (Moutan Cortex), Ze Xie (Alismatis Rhizoma) (3 liang). Prepare pills as described previously.
When Kidney Water is deficient and cannot control Fire, this formula is indicated. Nowadays, people often experience heat in the soles of the feet, heat in the medial thigh, and pain in the lumbar spine; these are mostly this syndrome, which is a precursor to hemoptysis. Shu Di Huang nourishes Yin and tonifies the Kidney, generates blood and essence; Shan Zhu Yu warms the Liver and expels wind, secures essence and consolidates Qi; Mu Dan Pi clears latent fire of the Sovereign and Minister, cools blood and reduces steaming bone sensation. (Li Shizhen said: Latent fire is Yin Fire. Yin Fire is Minister Fire. People usually use Huang Bo (Phellodendri Cortex) to treat Minister Fire, not knowing that Mu Dan Pi is more effective; Mu Dan Pi enters the Kidney to drain Yin Fire and reduce wuxiang (bone-steaming without sweat).) Shan Yao clears deficient heat in the Lung and Spleen, tonifies the Spleen and consolidates the Kidney. (It can secure essence.) Fu Ling leaches damp-heat from the Spleen and connects the Kidney with the Heart. Ze Xie drains water pathogens from the Bladder and improves hearing and vision. "Strengthen the master of Water to control the sunlight" refers to this formula.
Add Huang Bo (Phellodendri Cortex) and Zhi Mu (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma) each 2 liang, named Zhi Bai Ba Wei Wan. It treats Yin deficiency with hyperactive fire, bone atrophy and marrow exhaustion (due to damp-heat in the Lower Jiao), suitable for those with a vigorous Chi pulse. Add Rou Gui 1 liang, named Qi Wei Di Huang Wan. It guides rootless fire down to return to its origin. It treats Liver channel Qi deficiency where sinews lack nourishment, transforming into cold syndromes causing joint and bone pain, weak legs and reluctance to walk. It also treats cases where excessive use of cooling medicines in Shang Han (Cold Damage) depletes Fire in Wood, causing twitching of hands and feet. Or Liver blood deficiency causing fire-dryness and sinew contraction, transforming into tubercles and scrofula. The *Classic* says: "Acrid flavors moisten"; this formula embodies this principle. Add Wu Wei Zi (Schisandrae Fructus), named Du Qi Wan, treating laborious cough. (Tonifies the source of the Lung to generate Kidney Water.) Add Rou Gui 1 liang and Wu Wei Zi 2 liang, named Jia Jian Ba Wei Wan. It treats insufficient Kidney Water with rising deficient fire, fever and thirst, sores on the mouth and tongue, or ulcerated gums, sore throat, emaciation, night sweats with fever, and damage to all five Zang organs. Add Wu Wei Zi 2 liang and Mai Dong (Ophiopogonis Radix) 3 liang, named Ba Xian Chang Shou Wan, treating consumptive febrile disease. Add Chao Du Zhong (processed Eucommiae Cortex) and Niu Xi (Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix, washed and soaked in wine) each 2 liang, treating Kidney deficiency with soreness and pain in the waist and knees. Remove Ze Xie, add Yi Zhi Ren (Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus) 3 liang (stir-fried with salted wine), treating frequent urination. (Yi Zhi Ren is acrid and hot, securing essence and consolidating Qi.) Use Shu Di Huang 2 liang, Shan Yao, Shan Zhu Yu, Mu Dan Pi, Dang Gui Wei (tail of Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Wu Wei Zi each 5 qian, Fu Shen (Poria with Hostwood) and Ze Xie each 2.5 qian, honey-pilled, coated with Cinnabar, named Yi Yin Shen Qi Wan (also known as Ming Mu Di Huang Wan, from Li Dongyuan). It treats Kidney deficiency causing blurred vision. (Chai Hu is added to raise Yang Qi upward.) Add Chai Hu (Bupleuri Radix), Wu Wei Zi, Bai Zhu, Dang Gui, and Gan Cao, named Zi Shen Sheng Gan Yin, treating blood deficiency and Qi stagnation. It treats shoulder and back stiffness and pain, epigastric pain below the heart, or Liver fire constrained within the Stomach causing lethargy, preference for lying down, poor appetite, dry mouth and throat, and women's urinary incontinence with frequent, uncontrolled urination. It is used when thirst appears after the fever has subsided following Shang Han. Xue Ji used it to treat women whose Liver and Spleen were injured by depression and anger, causing difficult and scanty urination, irregular menstruation, distension and fullness in the hypochondrium, lower abdominal pain, alternating chills and fever, chest and breast pain, a wiry and surging Left Guan pulse, and a wiry and rapid Right Guan pulse. This is pathology due to depression and anger injuring the Liver and Spleen, resulting in blood deficiency and Qi stagnation. (Gao Gugeng said: Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, transformed by Xue Ji into Zi Shen Sheng Gan Yin, uses half the dosage of Liu Wei Di Huang Wan plus Chai Hu, Wu Wei Zi, Bai Zhu, Dang Gui, and Gan Cao, combining to "generate Metal to control Wood." Controlling is generating, the natural order of Heaven and Earth.) Remove Shan Zhu Yu, add Chai Hu, Dang Gui Wei, Sheng Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix), and Wu Wei Zi, coated with Chen Sha (Cinnabar), named Zi Yin Shen Qi Wan. It treats widening and scattering of the Shen Shui (spiritual water of the eye), visual disturbances like walking in fog, seeing black spots in the air, diplopia, eventual failure of light convergence, and internal cataracts. The Shen Shui is pale white. (Gao Gugeng said: Another transformation is Zi Yin Shen Qi Wan, uniquely removing Shan Zhu Yu and adding Chai Hu, Dang Gui Wei, Sheng Di Huang, and Wu Wei Zi, still combining principles of Xiao Yao San and Du Qi Wan, treating Liver and Kidney together. Dang Gui Wei and Sheng Di Huang are used to move stasis; Chai Hu soothes Liver Qi; Shao Yao is removed to avoid hindering the dispersing action. Named Zi Yin because it involves Jue Yin. All use Wu Wei Zi to prevent Wood from counter-attacking Earth, having the meaning of draining Ding (Heart Fire). Removing Shan Zhu Yu avoids strengthening Wood excessively.) Remove Ze Xie, use Ren Shen, Dang Gui, Bai Zhu, Chen Pi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium), Gan Cao, Wu Wei Zi, and Mai Dong, named Ren Shen Bu Qi Tang. It treats insufficient Kidney Water with rising deficient fire, cough with purulent blood, fever and thirst, and abnormal urination. (Gao Gugeng said: Another transformation into Ren Shen Bu Qi Tang shows infinite variation, truly like a swimming dragon playing in the sea. Bai Zhu and Liu Wei Di Huang Wan have contrary effects, how can they be combined? The answer is: Derived from He Sheng Mai San, there is a natural connection. Using Fu Ling combines the wonder of Yi Gong San; using Dang Gui combines the miracle of nourishing blood. It does not use Ze Xie because fever, thirst, and abnormal urination imply no reason to further exhaust the Kidneys. Since there is no reason to exhaust, one must urgently generate; this is the origin of Sheng Mai San. Since Sheng Mai is needed, Yi Gong San can be incorporated. Moreover, Water generates the High Source (Lung), Qi transformation emerges; if Lung Qi is failing, thirst and abnormal urination occur. Thus, Ze Xie is urgently removed to generate Metal and nourish Water. Then Earth is fortified to generate Metal; how could one not know this painstaking effort?) Add Sheng Di Huang, Chai Hu, and Wu Wei Zi in equal parts, named Jia Wei Di Huang Wan, also known as Yi Yin Di Huang Wan. It treats Liver-Kidney Yin deficiency with itchy and painful ears discharging fluid, blurry vision with phlegm and panting, or fever with thirst and difficult urination. (Gao Gugeng said: Another transformation into Jia Wei Di Huang Wan is truly increasingly miraculous. Chai Hu comes from Xiao Yao San, Sheng Di Huang solidifies the root, Wu Wei Zi still combines with Du Qi Wan. The symptoms of ear itch/pain/discharge, blurry vision/phlegm-panting, or fever/thirst/difficult urination all point to Liver-Kidney Yin deficiency, indicating that Yin deficiency is partly caused by Fire constraint. Thus, Chai Hu is used to disperse it. Constrained Fire cannot be cooled without Sheng Di Huang, hence its use. Wu Wei Zi is used to drain Ding and tonify Metal, tonifying Metal to generate Water. Called Yi Yin because constrained Fire is too strong and must be dispersed; dispersion is the method of inhibition. Sheng Di Huang cools blood, having a draining meaning, and draining is the method of inhibition.) Add Wu Wei Zi, Sheng Di Huang, and Dang Gui, named Yi Yin Shen Qi Wan. It treats deficiency of all Zang organs, chest and diaphragm stuffiness, fever, tidal fever, afternoon fever, or alternating chills and fever, five-palm heat. Or dry mouth with thirst, irregular menstruation, soreness and fatigue of bones and sinews, poor appetite. Or unclear head and eyes, phlegm-Qi obstructing upwards, cough worse in the evening. Or red and frequent urination, hot and painful feet, weak and soft waist and knees, body pain, and other syndromes. Remove Ze Xie, add Chuan Lian Zi (Toosendan Fructus), Dang Gui, Shi Jun Zi (Quisqualis Fructus), Chuan Xiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma), replacing Bai Fu Ling with Chi Fu Ling (Poria with Red Sandalwood), named Jiu Wei Di Huang Wan, treating Kidney Gan (pediatric malnutrition due to parasitic infection). Add Chai Hu and Shao Yao, named Shu Gan Yi Shen Tang. It treats epigastric pain with dry stool constipation, which is Liver blood deficiency; this formula is superior to Xiao Yao San for such cases. Add Dang Gui, Shao Yao, Chai Hu, Suan Zao Ren (Ziziphi Spinosae Semen), and Zhi Zi (Gardeniae Fructus), named Zi Shui Qing Gan Yin. It treats dry epigastric pain, Qi rebelling upward to the left hypochondrium, vomiting sour fluid, intermittent fever, and other syndromes.