Honey-Fried Licorice Decoction

Honey-Fried Licorice Decoction

Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Zhi Gan Cao) 4 liang (12g), Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens (Sheng Jiang) 3 liang (9g), Cinnamomi Ramulus (Gui Zhi) 3 liang (9g), Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Ren Shen) 2 liang (6g), Rehmanniae Radix (Sheng Di Huang) 1 jin (50g), Asini Corii Colla (E Jiao) 2 liang (6g), Ophiopogonis Radix (Mai Dong) 0.5 liang (10g), Cannabis Fructus (Ma Ren) 0.5 liang (10g), Jujubae Fructus (Da Zao) 30 pieces

Add all the medicinals except e jiao into seven sheng of wine and eight sheng of water. Decoct until three sheng remain. Remove the dregs, and then put e jiao in until it melts thoroughly. Take the decoction when it is warm, one sheng three times a day. (Modern preparation: Prepare as a common decoction with e jiao infused.)

Boosts qi, enriches yin, unblocks yang, and restores the pulse.

1. Zhi Gan Cao Tang is indicated for patterns of yin-blood and yang-qi deficiency with malnutrition of the heart vessel. The symptoms are intermittent or knotted pulse, palpitations, weakness, emaciation, weak breathing, etc. The tongue is peeled with a scanty or dry and thin coating.

Zhi Gan Cao Tang is a well-known formula from《Treatise on Cold Damage》used to treat an intermittent or knotted pulse and palpitations. This pattern is always seen in one of two circumstances. The first is the mistreatment of cold-induced diseases by sweating, vomiting, or purging; or from blood loss after catching a cold-induced disease. The second is a miscellaneous disease due to yin-blood insufficiency and deficiency of yang qi. The insufficient yin-blood fails to fill in the blood vessel and deficient yang qi fails to activate or pump the blood vessel, these two leading to an intermittent or knotted pulse. Yin-blood insufficiency fails to nourish the heart mind and heart yang deficiency fails to warm the heart vessels, so the patient complains of palpitations. The treatment should be to enrich heart yin, nourish heart blood, boost heart qi, and warm heart yang in order to restore the pulse and calm palpitations.

1. Essential pattern differentiation Zhi Gan Cao Tang is a formula that supplements yin, yang, qi, and blood at the same time. This clinical pattern is marked by intermittent or knotted pulse, palpitation, weakness, emaciation, weak breathing, peeled, pale tongue with a scanty coating. 2. Modern applications Zhi Gan Cao Tang is commonly, and effectively, used for functional arrhythmia and extra systole. It can be used, with appropriate modifications, for disease conditions such as coronary disease, rheumatic heart disease, viral myocarditis, hyperthyroidism, etc. that present with palpitations, shortness of breath, and an intermittent or knotted pulse. These conditions must be identified as patterns of yin-blood insufficiency and yang qi deficiency according to traditional Chinese medical differentiation. It is also applicable for deficiency-consumption and dry cough resulting from both qi and yin consumption. 3. Cautions and contraindications When Zhi Gan Cao Tang is used to treat deficiency-consumption and lung wei disease due to qi-yin deficiency, one should decrease the dosage of, or omit, the warm medicinals such as sheng jiang, gui zhi, and wine since they will cause more yin-fluids deficiency.

Jia Jian Fu Mai Tang (Pulse-Restoring Variant Decoction 加減復脈湯)

Ginseng ( Panax ginseng ) is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II. Its trade is allowed but subject to licensing controls.