Ma huang lian qiao chi xiao dou tang
ma huang 6 xing ren 6 lian qiao 6 chi xiao dou 24 sheng jiang 6 da zao 6 zhi gan cao 6 yin chen hao 24
In cold damage where there is stasis heat in the interior, the body imperatively will be yellow, and ma huang lian qiao chi xiao dou tang governs.
It treats an exterior pattern of tai yang wind cold. The surface is closed and this causes a high fever. Dampness on the surface heats up causing yellowing. The nutritive layer of the blood heats up causing bleeding on the surface. The dampness can arrive with the wind cold or there can already be a preexisting damp pattern.
In clinic it treats jaundice, skin rashes that bleed easily, purpura, or gout due to an acute exterior pattern.
Ma huang, Ephedrae herba is bitter descending of the lung. It is pungent dispersing of the imperial and ministerial fire. It enters the lung and bladder channel, it opens the surface, and dispels the cold on the surface. Further it dissipates lung qi and pacifies panting through opening the closed lung qi.
Ma huang opens the pores of the surface that were congealed by external cold to release the heat and promote the excretion of stagnant fluids by promoting the dispersion of tai yang and tai yin.
Xing ren, Armeniacae semen is bitter descending of Metal. Xing ren descends lung qi, which stands into the interior exterior relation to the large intestine, allowing for a heavy Metal downward pressure on the stomach and large intestine.
Xing ren descends lung qi and fluids and opens the chest. The excess fluids descend to the middle burner where the action of the spleen transforms the fluids.
Lian qiao, Forsythiae fructus is pungent dispersing of the liver and pericardium blood and the ministerial fire in the san jiao. It disperses wind heat and it helps evils such as heat and dampness leave the nutritive by clearing them outwardly towards the qi layer.
Chi xiao dou, Phaseoli semen is sweet tonifying of the stomach domain, spleen and kidneys. It promotes urination, reduces edema, clears damp heat, disperses blood stasis, reduces swelling and reduces fire toxicity.
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 is pungent warm dispersing and is supporting ma huang in warming the interior and surface. It is also supporting lian qiao in clearing heat on the surface.
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.
Zhi gan cao, Glycyrrhizae radix prep is sweet tonifying and nourishing of all organs but especially the heart.
Zhi gan cao is sweet and mildly warm tonifying and nourishing of yin fluids. It nourishes yin fluids in the tai yin and shao yin. It calms wind in the jue yin.
It balances the pungent ma huang and sheng jiang with its sweet moderation and nourishing.
Sheng jiang, da zao, zhi gan cao support tai yin in raising clear qi and yin to the surface which calms wind due to heat and clears blood stasis.
Yin chen hao, Artemisiae scopariae herba is bitter draining of damp and heat in the stomach and spleen. It is bitter draining of heat in the liver blood and ministerial fire. It is the core herb for jaundice, it clears heat and percolates dampness.
It clears the congestion of gall bladder and liver stagnation damp heat resulting in dampness heating up causing yellowing. The ministerial fire is only hot when it stagnates.
Yin chen hao is the core herb for jaundice, it clears heat and percolates dampness.
This version uses yin chen hao. D. Ehling suggests sang bai pi. N. Wiseman suggests sang bai pi or zi bai pi.