WH Acupuncture & Herbs Centre

Bone-Strengthening Pills hu qian wan---虎潜丸（去虎骨）

[SOURCE]: Danxi’s Experiential Therapies

[INGREDIENTS]: Phellodendron bark(Macerated in rice wine and then parched) 150g

Tortoise plastron( Macerated in rice wine and then fried) 120g

Anemarrhena rhizome(Macerated in rice wine and parched) 60g

Prepared rhizome of rehmannia 60g

Tangerine peel 6〇g

White peony root 6〇g

Cynomorium 45g

Tiger bone(fried) 30g

Dry ginger 15g

【DIRECTIONS】: Grind the herbs into fine powder and mix with honey to make into boluses, weighing 9 grams. One bolus is taken each time with warm boiled water or sligthly salty water, twice a day. Or, the herbs can be decocted in water for oral administration with the dosage reduced in proportionally.

【EFFECTS】 ： Nourishing yin to lower the fire and strengthening tendons and bones.

【INDICATIONS】: Syndrome of endogenous heat due to yin deficiency caused by insufficiency of the liver and kidney with symptoms of weakness and soreness of waist and knees, flaccidity of extremities, emaciation of the legs and feet, diffi­culty in walking, red tongue with little coating, feeble, thready and rapid pulse.

【ANALYSIS OF FORMULS: It is a basic formula to treat atrophy syndrome due to yin insufficiency of the liver and kidney, and is derived from Major Yin-Replenishing Pills. The first two herbs are principal herbs. They have the effect of  nourishing yin to lower the fire. The first herb is dominant in dosage in purpose to lower the fire. Anemarrhena rhizome aids phellodendron bark to reduce the fire and clear heat. Prepared rhizome of rehmannia and white peony root help tortoise plas­tron nourish yin and the blood, replenish the liver and kidney. They are assistant herbs. Tiger bone strengthens the tendons and bones, cynomorium warms yang and replenishes the essence. Dry ginger and tangerine peel warm the middle and regulates qi. All of them are the adjuvant herbs. The combination of all herbs in the recipe attains the result of purging the fire to avoid consumption of yin and tonifying yin without grease. This formula shows that consideration is given to both the “branch” and “root”，and yin is obtained from yang.