Course: / Formulas 3 / Date: / May 5, 2010
Class #: / 4 – dryness formulas

Dryness Formulas

Dryness can result from external or internal reasons. External dryness invasion can be coupled with either cool or dry. In either case you need to disperse this dryness. When dryness occurs due to internal reasons it results from consumption of fluids and of the essence of the Kidney, Lung, Stomach and intestines. This can come from taking hot herbs in excess, overworking, loss of fluids (i.e., vomiting, diarrhea), etc. The treatment in the case of an internal cause of dryness is to nourish and tonify yin fluids.

You may see both internal and external dryness simultaneously.

Xing Su San

Functions:

[  Disperse cool dryness

[  Open lung

[  Transform phlegm

Indications:

[  Exterior cool dryness

Herb / Function in Formula
Zi su ye / Disperse evil
Qian hu
Xing ren / Open lung qi
Relieve cough
Jie geng
Ban xia / Transform phlegm
Fu ling
Zhi qiao / Move qi
Open chest
Ju pi
(older chen pi)
Sheng jiang / Harmonize ying wei
Harmonize herbs
Da zao
Gan cao

Exterior cold and dryness that invades the lungs. Nasal congestion, cough. Zi su ye is for dispersing and warming as it is a leaf. Resolves phlegm and stops coughing. Small amounts of xing ren – 5g – because it’s toxic. Xing ren ascends, jie geng descends. Can also resolve phlegm, can expectorate more smoothly. Ban xia and fu ling drain damp/phlegm. Fu ling works on spleen to help with transformation. Ju pi is also chen pi. Zhi qiao can open the chest. Zhi qiao and jie geng are also combined in a move blood formula for blood yu in chest – addresses chest tightness and opens the chest.

Sang Xing Tang

Functions:

[  Disperse warm dryness

Indications:

[  Mild exterior warm dryness

Herb / Function in Formula
Sang ye / Open lung qi
Disperse evil
Dou zhi
Xing ren / Open lung qi
Sha shen / Moisten lung
Relieve cough
Bei mu
Li pi
Zhi zi / Drain heat from chest

Sticky phlegm, hard to expectorate phlegm. Might also be no phlegm. Sang ye and dou zhi are light herbs, opening qi. (similar actions in sang ju yin.) Li pi is the peel of the pear and moistens the lung as well as clearing mucus. Fresh daikon will also clear mucus. By the way, meat makes mucus much worse as does most rich yummy goodness because it’s salty, spicy, greasy….you know…restaurant food.

Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang

Functions:

[  Clear dryness

[  Moisten lung

Indications:

[  Severe warm dryness injuring lung

Herb / Function in Formula
Sang ye / Disperse lung dryness
Shi gao / Clear lung heat
Moisten yin
Mai dong
Xing ren / Open lung qi
Pi pa ye
E jiao / Moisten lung yin
Hu ma ren
Ren shen / Tonify the middle
Gan cao

Irritability, thirst, heat, dryness. Shi gao is very cold – you can see the greater severity of heat in this formula as compared to the formula just above this one. Shi gao + mai dong = cold + sweet which generates yin/fluid better than just one or the other.

Enrich Yin and Moisten Dryness Formulas

Yang Yin Qin Fei Tang

Functions:

[  Tonify yin

[  Clear lung

Indications:

[  Yin xu, accumulation of heat

Herb / Function in Formula
Sheng di / Tonify ki yin
Mai dong / Tonify lung yin
Xuan shen / Clear deficient fire
Clear toxins
Mu dan pi / Cool blood
Reduce swelling
Bei mu / Moisten lung
Transform phlegm
Bai shao / Astringe yin
Clear heat
Bo he / Disperse evil
Benefit throat
Gan cao / Harmonize formula
Disperse toxins

Zeng ye tang (see inset above) are a classic yin tonic.

Was used in the past to treat diptheria, but now used for burning dry throat, pain and throat spasms, etc. See green inset above to right.

Bai He Gu Jin Tang

Functions:

[  Moisten lung qi

[  Transform phlegm

[  Relieve cough

Indications:

[  Lung and kidney yin xu

Herb / Function in Formula
Sheng di / Cool blood, stop bleeding
Tonify Kidney
Shu di / Tonify Kidney
Mai dong / Moisten lung yin
Transform phlegm
Stop coughing
Bai he
Bei mu
Xuan shen / Tonify yin
Cool blood
Dang gui / Tonify blood
Moisten dryness
Bai shao
Jie geng / Open lung qi
Gan cao / harmonize

Blood in mucus or coughing blood. Possible malar flush, drenching nite sweats - big time , bone steaming, emaciation, and other yin xu signs. Red tongue, little coat. Tuberculosis patients might exhibit these signs, but severely yin xu patients of other varieties will as well. And by the way, you really shouldn’t have contact with TB patients outside of a hospital setting. It’s making a comeback and not in the good pop star kind of way.

Mai Men Dong Tang

Functions:

[  Nourish lung and stomach

[  Descend rebellious qi

[  Harmonize the middle

Indications:

[  Lung yin xu

[  Stomach yin xu

Herb / Function in Formula
Mai dong / Nourish lung and stomach yin
Ban xia / Descend rebellious qi
Transform phlegm
Ren shen / Tonify the middle
Jing mi / Tonify spleen and stomach
Da zao
Gan cao

Ban xia balances mai dong. Mai dong is sticky which could hurt the stomach. Ban xia is drying and it’s pungent taste can prevent mai dong’s stickiness. Ren shen, when combined with mai dong, generates yin. Ren shen, when combined with the final 3 herbs, protects the root. And on the topic of the final 3 herbs, the principle here is nourishing earth to generate metal (lung). Nourishing the spleen/stomach will help to ascend fluids to the Lung.

This is a zhang zhongjing formula, which you can see in the last 4 herbs since he used these to protect the stomach/middle over and over again.

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