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*Chanbao* (Treasures of Obstetrics) states: Postpartum emaciation and weakness are all caused by the depletion of Qi and Blood after childbirth. One must be cautious with daily activities, regulate diet, avoid the Six Evils (Wind, Cold, Summerheat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire) and Seven Emotions (Joy, Anger, Worry, Pensiveness, Sorrow, Fear, Fright), and maintain recuperation for one hundred days to ensure freedom from disease. For women in middle age or those who experienced difficult labor, regardless of the time elapsed since delivery, they must wait until their body has fully recovered through recuperation before exposing themselves to noisy environments; otherwise, Qi and Blood will be injured again, and symptoms of postpartum emaciation and weakness will arise.

Xue Ji stated: For the aforementioned conditions caused by injury to Qi and Blood during childbirth, use Bazhen Tang (Eight Treasure Decoction). If dietary indiscretion injures Stomach Qi, use Sijunzi Tang (Four Gentlemen Decoction). If food stagnation injairs Spleen Qi, use Liujunzi Tang (Six Gentlemen Decoction). If overwork injures Original Qi, use Buzhong Yiqi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction). If belching occurs with a medicinal taste, this indicates that the medicine is further injuring the Stomach Qi; in such cases, only use Sijunzi Tang, drinking it slowly and in small amounts to regulate the Spleen and Stomach. Once Stomach Qi becomes robust, Qi and Blood will naturally generate, and all symptoms will heal themselves.

*Daquan* (Complete Collection) states: Cold Lao (Consumptive Disease due to Cold) arises because childbirth causes fatigue and injury to Qi and Blood, leading to weakness of the Zang-Fu organs, allowing Wind-Cold pathogens to invade. (If it is merely Qi and Blood deficiency, it is a deficiency of Original Qi resulting in cold, meaning there is no external Wind-Cold pathogen invading, yet cold is still felt; practitioners must understand the distinction between deficiency and excess.) When Cold combats Qi and Blood, the Qi and Blood cannot warm the skin and muscles, causing the person to feel weak, fatigued, and emaciated, failing to recover. If recovery is delayed for a long time, Wind-Cold enters the Zi Zang (Uterus), causing coldness in the Bao Zang (Womb), leading to infertility. (Initial invasion is Cold; prolonged stagnation may transform into Heat. If the Bao is truly cold, it is Original Qi deficiency; if there is Heat, it is Blood deficiency.)

Xue Ji stated: For the aforementioned conditions, if Qi and Blood are weak, use Bazhen Tang (Eight Treasure Decoction); if Qi and Blood are deficient and cold, use Shiquan Dabu Tang (Ten Complete Tonic Decoction); if Stomach Qi is weak, use Buzhong Yiqi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction); if Spleen Qi is weak, use Liujunzi Tang (Six Gentlemen Decoction); if Mingmen Fire (Gate of Life Fire) is declining, use Bawei Tang (Eight Flavor Pill/Decoction); if Liver and Spleen Blood are deficient, use Jia Wei Xiaoyao San (Modified Free and Easy Wanderer Powder); if Liver and Spleen are affected by depression and anger, use Jia Wei Guipi Tang (Modified Restore the Spleen Decoction).

Buxu Tang (Deficiency-Tonifying Decoction): Treats all miscellaneous diseases after childbirth, focusing primarily on greatly tonifying Qi and Blood.
Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix), Baizhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma) (each 1 qian), Huangqi (Astragali Radix), Chuanxiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma), Chenpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium) (each 0.5 qian), Gancao (Licorice Radix et Rhizoma) (roasted, 0.3 qian).
Crush the herbs, add three slices of Shengjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens), decoct in water, and take orally. (This formula focuses on Middle Qi and Original Qi and contains no blood-tonifying herbs because Spleen-Stomach deficiency leads to insufficiency of Original Yuan. The only blood herb used is Chuanxiong, which moves Liver Blood within the context of Qi-tonifying herbs; this is an excellent formula for generating Blood by tonifying Qi, benefiting the Spleen, and nourishing Blood in cases of Blood loss.) [Note: The original text includes a parenthetical remark "Error, referring to Baihu Tang" likely indicating a differential diagnosis point or editorial note regarding heat syndromes.] If heat is mild, double the amount of Fuling (Poria); if heat is severe, add 0.3 qian of roasted black Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma).

Huangqi Siwu Tang (Astragalus Four Substances Decoction): Do not use Shaoyao (Paeoniae Radix Alba/Rubra) immediately after childbirth because its sour and cold nature can damage the generative Qi. Replace Shaoyao with Huangqi (Astragali Radix) as a key herb for tonifying deficiency.
Huangqi (Astragali Radix), Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Chuanxiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma), Shudihuang (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata) (equal parts).
Crush the herbs, take 4 qian per dose, decoct in water, and take orally. For Qi deficiency, add Renshen (Ginseng Radix), Baizhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), Fuling (Poria), and Gancao (Licorice Radix et Rhizoma); for fever, add Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma); for excessive spontaneous sweating, reduce Chuanxiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma), omit Fuling (Poria), and double the amount of honey-processed Huangqi (Astragali Radix); for thirst, add Wuweizi (Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus) and Maimendong (Ophiopogonis Radix); for abdominal pain, Baishao (Paeoniae Radix Alba) is indispensable; even in immediate postpartum, it can be used if stir-fried with wine. (Replacing Shaoyao with Huangqi follows the principle of Bu Xue Tang where Huangqi is the sovereign herb, illustrating that Qi generates Blood but Blood does not generate Qi. Since Shaoyao has a destructive nature without generative capacity, it is removed. The modifications are ingenious; frequent use of wine-frying aids the generation of Qi, a method of Danxi.)

Shiquan Dabu Tang (Ten Complete Tonic Decoction): Treats postpartum Qi and Blood not yet restored, physical weakness, fever, aversion to cold, and inability to eat.
Renshen (Ginseng Radix), Baizhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), Fuling (Poria), Huangqi (Astragali Radix), Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Chuanxiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma), Baishao (Paeoniae Radix Alba) (stir-fried), Shudihuang (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata) (each 1 qian), Rougui (Cinnamomi Cortex), Gancao (Licorice Radix et Rhizoma) (each 0.5 qian).
Crush the herbs, add five slices of Shengjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens) and three dates (Jujubae Fructus), decoct in water, and take orally. (Aversion to cold indicates Yang deficiency; fever indicates Yin deficiency. This utilizes the Eight Substances. Rougui (Cinnamomi Cortex) can unblock Ying and Wei (Nutritive and Defensive Qi) and harmonize Yin and Yang, like a feudal lord's jade tablet facilitating harmony between two parties.)

Danggui Yangrou Tang (Angelica Lamb Meat Decoction): Treats postpartum weakness accompanied by heart and abdominal pain, even if no other disease is present.
Fat lamb meat (1 jin, remove fat), Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) (5 liang), Huangqi (Astragali Radix) (4 liang), Shengjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens) (6 liang).
First, boil the lamb meat in one dou of water, obtain eight sheng of broth. Then add the other three ingredients, boil to obtain two sheng and five he, and divide into four doses. (*Bencao* states: Renshen (Ginseng Radix) and Huangqi (Astragali Radix) have the same efficacy as lamb meat. It also says lamb meat tonifies form. Generally, tangible substances belong to Blood, while Ginseng and Astragalus tonify Qi, and lamb meat tonifies form; these seem vastly different, how can they be equated? However, the tangible arises from the intangible, hence it is said, "For insufficiency of form, warm with Qi." Thus, lamb meat, Ginseng, and Astragalus become one. These four ingredients contain both Qi and Blood, capable of tonifying and moving, so they are suitable even without disease.) If lochia (E Lu) is not exhausted, add Rougui (Cinnamomi Cortex) 3 liang; if lochia discharge is excessive, add Chuanxiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma) 3 liang; if there is Cold, add Zhuyu (Corni Fructus) 1 liang; if there is Qi stagnation, add Xixin (Asari Radix et Rhizoma) 2 liang; if there is Heat, add Shengdihuang juice (Rehmanniae Radix) 2 he.

Commentary: The five added methods and their varying dosages all carry significance. For instance, Chuanxiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma) treating excessive lochia discharge represents raising Yang within Yin; adding Xixin (Asari Radix et Rhizoma) for Qi stagnation uses its acridity to disperse Liver Qi; the rest can be inferred similarly.

Huangciji Tang (Yellow Hen Chicken Decoction): Treats postpartum emaciation and abdominal pain.
Small yellow hen chicken (one whole, remove wings, feet, head, feathers, intestines, and stomach, cut finely), Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Baizhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), Shudihuang (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata), Guixin (Cinnamomi Cortex), Huangqi (Astragali Radix) (stir-fried, each 0.5 liang).
First, boil the chicken in seven zhong of water until reduced to three zhong. Take one zhong of broth per dose, decoct with four qian of herbs, and take three times daily. (The Liver belongs to Xun Wood; the chicken belongs to Xun Animal. The female hen is Yin within Yang; the yellow color is the correct color of Ji Earth. Postpartum Liver deficiency and Blood weakness warrant using this for tonification. The correct color suits the Spleen. The paired herbs focus primarily on Qi and Blood, hence called Tonifying Emaciation. Its treatment of abdominal pain relies entirely on Guixin (Cinnamomi Cortex).)

*Chanbao* Formula: Treats postpartum emaciation and failure to build muscle.
Huangqi (Astragali Radix) (stir-fried), Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Baishao (Paeoniae Radix Alba) (stir-fried), Renshen (Ginseng Radix) (each 0.3 qian), Guixin (Cinnamomi Cortex), Gancao (Licorice Radix et Rhizoma) (roasted), Chuanxiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma), Shengjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens) (each 0.4 qian), Dazao (Jujubae Fructus) (12 pieces).
Boil the nine ingredients in seven sheng of water until reduced to three sheng, divide into three warm doses. (This is a variation of Shiquan Dabu Tang (Ten Complete Tonic Decoction). Removing Shudihuang (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata), Baizhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), and Fuling (Poria) avoids concerns about phlegm retention, Qi stagnation, and the draining/diuretic effect depleting Qi.)

Another Formula: Treats postpartum consumptive disease with bone and joint pain, headache, and incessant sweating.
Huangqi (Astragali Radix) (3 liang), Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Renshen (Ginseng Radix), Shengjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens) (each 2 liang), Danshi (Fermented Soybean) (3 he), Zhu Shen (Porcinis Ren) (2 pieces), Jingmi (Oryza Sativa Var. Glutinosa), Xiebai (Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus) (each 3 he).
First, boil the pig kidneys in one dou and five sheng of water until six sheng remain. Add the other herbs and boil to obtain two sheng, divide into three doses. (This formula corresponds internally and externally to the previous Lamb Meat Decoction, with the latter four ingredients being particularly excellent as they assist Stomach Qi, internally unblock Ying and Wei and San Jiao, and externally reach the head, eyes, hair, and skin. Congenital Qi originates from the Kidney; acquired Qi originates from the Spleen; Yuan Shen (Original Spirit) arises prior to these two Qis, forming an indescribable entity whose virtue is hidden and unused. This formula uses Renshen (Ginseng Radix) to return Original Qi from the realm of non-being, Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) to generate Qi and Blood at the gateway of Original Qi, Zhu Shen (Porcinis Ren) and Jingmi (Oryza Sativa Var. Glutinosa) to benefit Spleen and Kidney Qi in both congenital and acquired aspects, Shengjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens), Danshi (Fermented Soybean), and Xiebai (Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus) to connect spirit and intelligence internally and externally, dispersing evil turbidity throughout heaven and earth. It circulates through the blood vessels without obstruction, suitable for nourishing all bones and healing all diseases. Therefore, for symptoms like bone pain, headache, and spontaneous sweating, it disperses evil if present and tonifies if absent. This illustrates wondrous application without fixed forms, responding instantly to stimuli; those treating postpartum consumptive disease should reflect upon this.)

Another Method: Boil two pig kidneys, add scallions and fermented soybeans to make a soup, and consume it as a regular meal.