Left Metal Pill

Left Metal Pill

Coptidis Rhizoma (Huang Lian) 6 liang (600g), Euodiae Fructus (Wu Zhu Yu) 1 liang (100g)

Grind the medicinals into a crude powder. Use the powder to make pills with water or steam the powder into pills. Take 50 pills each time with warm water. (Modern use: take powder directly, 3~6g per time, twice a day. Otherwise, use water to decoct huang lian 6g and wu zhu yu 1g).

Clears and drains liver fire, directs counterflow downward, and arrests vomiting.

This formula is indicated for liver fire invading the stomach, which causes burning pain in the rib-side, vomiting and bitter taste in the mouth, epigastric upset and acid swallowing, a red tongue with yellow coating, and a wiry, rapid pulse.

This is a pattern of liver constraint transforming into fire. Liver fire runs across and invades the stomach, which causes liver-stomach disharmony. Since the liver channel runs along the rib-side, fire constraint in the liver channel causes burning pain in the region. Liver fire invades the stomach and the stomach qi fails to descend, which causes epigastric upset, acid swallowing, vomiting, and bitter taste in the mouth. A red tongue body with a yellow coating and a wiry, rapid pulse are signs of fire constraint in the liver channel. In this pattern, the liver fire is the root, and the counterflow of the stomach qi is the branch. Therefore, the therapeutic method is to clear and drain liver fire, direct counterflow downward, and arrest vomiting.

1. Essential pattern differentiation Zuo Jin Wan is a commonly used formula used to treat liver fire invading the stomach, and liver-stomach disharmony. This clinical pattern is marked by burning pain in the rib-side, bitter taste in the mouth, acid swallowing, red tongue with yellow coating, wiry, rapid pulse. 2. Modern applications This formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders when the patient shows signs of liver fire invading the stomach: gastritis, esophagitis, and gastric ulcers. 3. Cautions and contraindications Do not use this formula in patients with acid swallowing caused by deficiency-cold of the stomach.

1. Wu Ji Wan (Wu Ji Pill, 戊己丸)