Fang ji huang qi tang
fang ji 9 huang qi 30 sheng jiang 12 bai zhu 6 da zao 3 zhi gan cao 3
In disease of skin water, the four extremities are swollen, for there is water qi in the skin, and the four extremities move and contract, fang ji huang qi tang governs.
In wind dampness, with a floating pulse, heavy body, sweating and aversion to wind fang ji huang qi tang governs. If there is abdominal pain, add bai shao.
Clears the water qi out and raises yang to clear the surface so yang and blood can return.
Fang ji, Stephaniae radix is pungent dispersing of the lung, spleen, bladder and kidney. It is bitter draining of fluids in the lung, spleen, bladder and kidney.
Fang ji clears dampness and works together with bai zhu and sheng jiang in this regard.
Huang qi, Astragali radix is sweet and warm tonifying and nourishing. Huang qi connects the tai yin with the tai yang. It raises clear qi to the chest and the 100 vessels.
Huang qi is warm and sweet, and tonifies and raises qi of tai yin, nourishes yin and blood, generates fluids. It is the core taxation herb. It counters the collapse of yang and blood.
Sheng jiang, Zingiberis rhizoma recens is pungent dispersing of the liver and pericardium blood and the ministerial fire in the san jiao. Sheng jiang is pungent dispersing of dampness and cold in the stomach domain, spleen and lung. Sheng jiang is pungent connecting of the tai yin with the tai yang. It supports raising of the clear qi to the chest and the 100 vessels.
Sheng jiang mildly promotes sweating and mobilizing of the exterior tai yang fluid metabolism, while harmonizing and drying earth. Disperses the surface and warms the earth to dry internal dampness. It moves and transforms dampness and supports bai zhu in tonifying the spleen to clear excessive water.
Bai zhu, Atractylodis macrocephalae rhizome is sweet tonifying of the stomach domain and spleen. Bai zhu is bitter draining of excess fluids in the stomach domain, spleen, lungs and bladder.
Bai zhu tonifies the spleen by drying damp and moving spleen water metabolism and assists in draining fluids away from earth towards the bladder.
Da zao, Jujubae fructus is sweet tonifying and moderating. It tonifies and nourishes the stomach domain, spleen, lungs, and heart. It directly nourishes the shao yin heart.
Gui zhi, da zao and zhi gan cao tonify and nourish the heart. Da zao calms excessive movement of Wood wind.
Gui zhi, Cinnamomi cassiae ramulus is pungent sweet and warm dispersing of the imperial and ministerial fire. It warms and tonifies the shao yin and jue yin. In doing so it warms and tonifies the whole body.
Da zao and zhi gan cao tonify the Earth and add fluids which prevents excessive drying of sheng jiang and bai zhu.