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An individual, upon encountering even minor unfavorable events, feels anger filling the chest and is unable to dispel it, remaining incessantly irritable. People attribute this to rebellious Liver Qi (Liver Qi Rebelliousness), yet little do they know that it stems from a deficiency of Liver Blood (Liver Blood Deficiency). The nature of the Liver is impatient; it should be smoothed rather than opposed. Events causing irritation are precisely those that suppress and thwart one's will. Suppression inevitably leads to anger, and extreme anger inevitably damages the Liver. Mild cases result in undigested food diarrhea (Suxie), while severe cases often lead to hematemesis (vomiting blood). However, these conditions arise suddenly due to anger causing disease in the Liver Meridian. In contrast, those with deficient Liver Blood may become extremely angry without provocation or feel intense irritation towards people without cause.

This occurs because blood deficiency leads to Liver dryness, and Liver dryness causes Qi rebellion. Therefore, although both present as Qi-related irritability symptoms, treatment must distinguish between excess and deficiency. The former condition is an excess pattern, while the latter is a deficiency pattern. Although, the excess pattern involves Fire Excess rather than Blood Excess; the deficiency pattern involves Blood Deficiency rather than Fire Deficiency. Thus, while the symptoms differ, the methods for treating deficiency and excess are essentially similar. The formula used is Jieniu Bogan Tang (Resolve Anger and Nourish Liver Decoction): Baishao (Caulis Paeoniae Albae Radix, 1 liang), Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis, 5 qian), Zexie (Rhizoma Alismatis, 1 qian), Chaihu (Radix Bupleuri, 1 qian), Jingjie (Fructus Schizonepetae, 1 qian), Gancao (Radix Glycyrrhizae, 1 qian), Zhike (Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Viride, 3 fen), Danpi (Cortex Moutan, 3 qian), Tianhuafen (Radix Trichosanthis, 2 qian). Decoct in water and take orally. After one dose, the Qi calms down; after several doses, irritability naturally subsides.

This formula consists entirely of herbs that soothe the Liver, not herbs that purge the Liver. When the Liver is nourished, Blood is generated; when Blood is sufficient, stagnation disperses easily. If Liver Qi does not stagnate, how can anger arise? Even if one has a naturally erratic temperament and suffers no illness but frequently experiences irritability, how can anger fail to arise? However, long-term use of this medicine can also prevent symptoms such as hematemesis and undigested food diarrhea.

For this condition, Jiawei Guishao Tang (Modified Angelica and White Peony Decoction) is also effective: Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis), Baishao (Caulis Paeoniae Albae Radix) (each 1 liang), Shengdi (Radix Rehmanniae Preparata, 5 qian), Maidong (Radix Ophiopogonis, 5 qian), Tianhuafen (Radix Trichosanthis, 2 qian), Chao Zhizi (Fructus Gardeniae Praeparatus, 2 qian). Decoct in water and take orally.

Some individuals experience frequent anger in the morning and evening without specific triggers, feeling restless and unable to calm themselves. At night, they suffer from dry mouth and tongue, sleeping soundly only during the first watch (Yi Geng), while remaining awake throughout the rest of the night. People attribute this to deficient Liver Blood, yet little do they know it is due to exhaustion of Kidney Water (Kidney Yin Deficiency). The Liver is the child of the Kidney; insufficiency of the Liver (child) stems from insufficiency of the Kidney (mother). The Liver belongs to Wood, which requires Water irrigation to flourish. Now, as Kidney Water is consumed daily, the Kidneys cannot even attend to themselves, leading inevitably to the withering of Liver Wood. Furthermore, with unfavorable circumstances exacerbating the situation, Liver dryness increases. Without fluids to nourish the Heart, sleep becomes uneasy. The treatment method must greatly nourish Kidney Water. Like abundant rain falling on fertile fields, withered plants revive instantly, shoots grow vigorously, creating a scene of mental satisfaction. Naturally, Heart Fire draws support from the Kidney; when Kidney Water is sufficient to assist the Heart, and Liver Qi circulates freely and smoothly, harmony is achieved. The formula used is Run Gan Tang (Moisten Liver Decoction): Shudi (Radix Rehmanniae Preparata, 1 liang), Shanzhuyu (Fructus Corni, 4 qian), Baishao (Caulis Paeoniae Albae Radix, 5 qian), Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis, 5 qian), Wuweizi (Fructus Schisandrae, 1 qian), Xuanshen (Radix Scrophulariae, 3 qian), Danpi (Cortex Moutan, 3 qian), Chao Zhizi (Fructus Gardeniae Praeparatus, 1 qian). Decoct in water and take orally. After ten doses, nighttime sleep stabilizes; after another ten doses, anger subsides; after another ten doses, even when facing provoking events, anger does not arise.

This formula contains six herbs tonifying the Kidney and four tonifying the Liver. It does not directly treat the Heart, yet Heart Qi naturally communicates with the Kidney because sufficient Kidney Water prevents the Heart from fearing the blazing of Wood and Fire, thereby opening the pathway to the Kidney.

For this condition, Yushao Shudi Tang (Cornus, White Peony, and Prepared Rehmannia Decoction) is also effective: Shudi (Radix Rehmanniae Preparata, 2 liang), Shanzhuyu (Fructus Corni, 1 liang), Baishao (Caulis Paeoniae Albae Radix, 1 liang). Decoct in water and take orally.