WH Acupuncture & Herbs Centre

Roasted Licorice Decoctonzhi gan cao tang

[SOURCE]: Treatise on Cold-Attack

[INGREDIENTS]: Roasted licorice root Fresh ginger 9g,    Ginseng 6g,   Dried rehmannia root 30g ,   Cinnamon twig 9g ,   Donkey-hide gelation 6g ,   Ophiopogon root 9g,    Hemp seed 9g ,   Chinese date l0g

[DIRECTIONS]: Decoct all the other herbs except donkey-hide gelation in the formula in water for a fixed period of time, then decoction is strained and mixed with 10ml or rice wine. Melt Donkey-hide gelation separately in boiling water, then it is divided into three protions and one portion is mixed with 1/3 of the decoction just before taking. Take three times a day.

[EFFECTS]: Nourishing yin, replenishing qi and tonifying blood to restore Dulse.

[INDICATIONS]:

(1)   Deficiency of both qi and blood marked by irregular intermittent pulse or knotted pulse, palpitation, emaciation, shortness of breath, pallor, pale tongue with less saliva.

(2)   Intermittent fever of deficiency type manifested by dry cough, or cough with little expectoration of bloody sputum, emaciation, shortness of breath, insom­nia due to vexation, spontaneous perspiration, night sweat, dry mouth and throat, difficult defecation, scanty, yellow urination and feeble and rapid pulse.

ANALYSIS OF FORMULA: This is a common formula for deficiency of both qi and blood marked by irregular or knotted pulse and palpitation. Roasted licorice root as a principal herb with sweet flavor and warm property has effects of replen­ishing qi, relieving contraction to nourish the heart. Ginseng and Chinese date in­vigorates the spleen and stomach to enrich the source of growth and transforma­tion. Dried rehmannia root nourishes yin and the blood; Donkey-hide. gelatin toni­fies the blood and moistenes dryness; Ophiogogon root nourishes yin to clear the lung ; Hemp seed nourishes yin and moisturizes dryness; Combination of these four herbs are capable of benefiting heart-qi, nourishing heart-blood and heart-yin and they are assistant herbs in this formula. Cinnamon twig, fresh ginger and rice wine are taken as the adjuvant herbs with the effects of activating yang-qi, warming meridians and restoring pulse to prevent the strong flavored herbs from causing stagnation of qi.

If this formula is used for dryness of the lung due to yin impairment, the do­ses of fresh ginger, cinnamon twig and rice wine should be decreased in order to prevent the warm herbs from consuming yin-fluid.