Da chai hu tang
chai hu 24 huang qin 9 ban xia 12 sheng jiang 15 da zao 9 bai shao 9 zhi shi 6 da huang 6
When touched, there is fullness and pain under the heart, for this is excess, and should be purged, for which da chai hu tang governs.
When in cold damage there is heat effusion and sweating that brings no resolution, hard glomus below the heart, retching, vomiting, and diarrhea then da chai hu tang governs.
This is a variation of xiao chai hu tang. It is xiao chai hu tang minus the ren shen and zhi gan cao, sheng jiang to 15, plus bai shao 9 zhi shi 6 da huang 6.
This formula can be used for constipation as in dry Metal or for diarrhea as in tai yin damp center depending on the modification.
Chai hu, huang qin, and ban xia form the trio for treating shao yang damp and heat. But now yang ming is dry causing fullness and pain.
Ren shen has been removed because it raises the tai yin and we want to descend Metal to control Wood.
Chai hu, Bupleuri radix is bitter draining of damp and heat in the liver, gall bladder and san jiao. It is pungent and aromatic dispersing of heat in liver blood and the ministerial fire in the san jiao.
Chai hu frees the raising of the clear subtle essences of water and grain of the tai yin spleen. The transformation of Earth relies on the free movement of the element wood.
Huang qin, Scutellaria radix is bitter draining and cooling of heat in the san jiao, stomach domain, lungs, liver, gall bladder, and bladder.
Ban xia, Pinelliae rhizoma is pungent dispersing of the liver blood and the ministerial fire in the san jiao. It is pungent dispersing of the cold and dampness in the stomach domain, spleen and lung. It transforms tai yin damp phlegm generated from excessive and stagnant cold dampness and counteracts nausea and adverse flow.
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.
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.
It is sweet and neutral and can tonify the middle. The combination of da zao and sheng jiang tonifies the spleen and harmonizes the stomach. Da zao combined with bai shao strengthens the creation of fluids through sweet and sour taste.
Bai shao, Paeoniae radix lactiflora is sour, bitter and cool. It is sour collecting of yin fluids and blood. It is bitter descending of heat. It nourishes dryness in yang ming and the jue yin. It descends Earth and Metal and calms Wood wind.
Bai shao nourishes blood and astringes yin while calming cramping and pain. It lubricates the intestines and descends its qi. It is sour and astringing of liver qi while softening the liver by replenishing its yin blood. Together with chai hu that has a tendency to disperse liver fluids bai shao prevents damage to liver yin fluids by replenishing them.
Zhi shi, Aurantii fructus immaturus is bitter draining and descending of the stomach domain. It is bitter draining of the liver, gall bladder and san jiao.
Zhi shi moves the shao yang gall bladder downward to descend yang ming stomach and large intestine qi and restores the descent of qi to eliminate stagnation and create space for the raising of clear yang of jue yin liver and tai yin spleen. Used together with chai hu, it supports the dispersing of liver qi. Zhi shi aids the descent of gall bladder qi, and so restores the pivotal impairment of the middle.
Da huang, Rhei rhizoma is bitter draining of excess heat and dry stool in the stomach domain.
Da huang clears yang ming congestion by disinhibiting bowel movement and clearing the congested excessive heat. It descends yang ming and assists huang qin in clearing damp heat.