WH Acupuncture & Herbs Centre

Da cheng qi tang(Major Purgative Decoction )

[INGREDIENTS]:

Rhubarb 12g, Magnolia bark 15g, Unripened bitter orange 12g, Mirabilite 9g

[DIRECTIONS]:Decoct the above herbs in water for oral administration. The unripened bitter orange and magnolia bark are decocted prior to rhubarb. The de­coction could be taken warmly twice a day after mirabilite is infused in it. When­ever constipation is relieved, medication should be stopped.

[EFFECTS]: Drastically purging the heat caaumulation.

[INDICATIONS]:

(1)      Excessive syndrome of Yangming /w-viscera manifested by tidal fever, delirium, frequent fart, constipation, continuous sweating of limbs, abdominal dis-. tention with tenderness, prickled tongue with yellow and dry coating, or dry and black coating with fissures, slow slippery pulse, or deep, slow and forceful pulse.

(2)      Syndrome of heat accumulation with watery discharge marked by watery diarrhea with terrible foul odor, abdominal pain, dryness of mouth and tongue, rapid slippery pulse or slippery forceful pulse.

(3)      Cold limbs, convulsion or mania pertaining to excessive syndromes of in­terior heat.

[ANALYSIS OF FORMULA]: This is a representative formula for purging heat accumulation drastically. Rhubarb is the main herb which can purge heat for relie­ving constipation and clear gastrointestinal tract as well as activating blood for re­moving stasis. Being salty flavor and cold nature, mirabilite acts as the assistant herb to soften hardness and moisten dryness for relieving constipation, which strengthens the purgative power of rhubarb. As the adjuvant herbs, magnolia bark and unripened bitter orange activate qi and dissolve accumulation for fullness and stuffiness, which help rhubarb and mirabilite in clearing.

This formula can be applied to acute simple intestinal obstruction, adhesive intestinal obstruction, ascaris intestinal obstruction, ascariasis of biliary tract, acute pancreatitis, acute appendicitis, and the beginning of acute bacterial dysentery pertaining to the excessive syndrome of Yangming fu-viscera.

This formula cannot be overused because of its drastic purgative effect.

ASSOCIATED FORMULAE:

(1)      Minor Purgative Decoction(xiao cheng qi tang)，(Treatise on Cold-At­tack) ：

Rhubarb 12g, magnolia bark 6g, unripened bitter orange 9g.

The above herbs should be decocted in water for oral administration. It is used to treat syndrome of Yangming fu-viscera marked by delirium, constipation, tidal fever, stuffiness and fullness of epigastrium and abdomen, yellow shivered coating, slipery rapid pulse;or the initial stage of dysentery with symptoms of se­vere abdominal pain, or distention of abdomen with tenesmus.

(2)      Stomach-Regulating Purgative Decoction (tiao wei cheng qi tang)， (Treatise on Cold-Attack):

Rhubarb 12g, Roasted licorice root 6g, mirabilite 9g.

The above herbs should be decocted in water with the exception of mirabilite which should be dissolved in the decoction. It can be used to treat Yangming dis­eases manifested by aversion to heat, thirst, constipation, abdominal distention with tenderness, yellow coating and slippery rapid pulse.

NOTES ： All the three Purgative Decoctions are taken rhubarb as the main herb to clear the accumulated heat in gastrointestinal tract and all are applied to heat accumulation syndrome of Yangming. The Major Purgative Decoction is a drastic purgative formula for treating the heavy syndrome of heat accumulation of Yangming including all the stuffiness, fullness, dryness and excessiveness. The Minor Purgative Decoction is a moderate purgative formula for treating the light syndrome of heat accumulation of Yangming only including the stuffiness, fullness and excessiveness. Stomach-Regulating Purgative Decoction is a light purgative formula for treating heat accumulation syndrome of Yangming without stuffiness and fullness.