Left-Restoring Pill

Left-Restoring Pill

Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (Shu Di Huang) 8 liang (240g), Dioscoreae Rhizoma (Shan Yao dry-fried) 4 liang (120g), Lycii Fructus (Gou Qi Zi) 4 liang (120g), Corni Fructus (Shan Zhu Yu) 4 liang (120g), Cyathulae Radix (Chuan Niu Xi wash with wine and steamed) 3 liang (90g), Cervi Cornus Colla (Lu Jiao Jiao broke into pieces and fried) 4 liang (120g), Testudinis Plastri Colla (Gui Ban Jiao broke into pieces and fried) 4 liang (120g), Cuscutae Semen (Tu Si Zi prepared) 4 liang (120g)

Di huang is steamed, made into paste and prepared into pills the size of a phoenix tree seed using honey. A little more than a hundred pills, which equals to about nine grams, are swallowed before meals with boiled water or slightly salted water. It can also be prepared as a decoction by adjusting the medicinal quantities based on the original medicinal ratios.

Enriches kidney yin, supplements essence, and boosts marrow.

Zuo Gui Wan is used to treat patterns of true yin deficiency marked by dizziness, blurred vision, soreness of the waist and knees, seminal emission, efflux diarrhea, spontaneous sweating, night sweat, a dry mouth and tongue, a red tongue with a scanty coating, and a thready pulse.

This pattern is caused by deficiency of the true yin, essence, and marrow. The kidney stores the essence, is in charge of the bones, and generates marrow. Deficiency of kidney yin, essence, and marrow causes less essence to be stored causing symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, soreness of the waist and knees, seminal emission, and efflux diarrhea. Yin deficiency with yang hyperactivity, forcing body liquids to leak out, causes symptoms of spontaneous sweating and night sweat. Yin deficiency, which fails to moisten the upper part of the body, causes a dry mouth and tongue and a red tongue with little coating. The thready pulse is a sign of true yin deficiency. The treatment is to supplement the water and cultivate true yin.

1. Essential pattern differentiation Zuo Gui Wan serves as the most common formula applied for true yin deficiency. The medicinals in this formula are mainly used to supplement yin. Therefore, long-term administration may cause stagnation of the spleen and stomach. This formula is to be used cautiously for patients suffering from diarrhea due to spleen deficiency. This clinical pattern is marked by dizziness, blurred vision, soreness of the waist and knees, scanty coating, thready pulse. 2. Modern applications This formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders when the patient shows signs of deficiency of kidney yin, essences, and marrow: senile dementia, menopausal syndrome, senile osteoporosis, amenorrhea, and oligohypomenorrhea. 3. Cautions and contraindications Ingredients in the formula are mainly of yin nature and are nourishing and moistening. Long-term administration may cause impairment of the spleen and stomach. Therefore, it should be used with caution in patients with diarrhea due to spleen deficiency.

Zuo Gui Yin (Left-Restoring Beverage 左歸飲)