Formulas · Purge Downward 瀉下 · Bomyeongjip (保命集)

Rhubarb and Morning Glory Powder

Daehwang-gyeonu-san

한글 대황견우산 · Pinyin Da Huang Qian Niu San

大黃牽牛散

頭末 is the first and finest powder sifted from the pounded seed, which the tradition holds to be the active part.

Composition 構成

Daehwang Da Huang
大黃 대황 · Rhubarb

40 g
Chief 君
Heukchuk Hei Chou
黑丑 흑축 · Black Morning Glory Seed

20 g
Deputy 臣

head powder of the black seed

Total 60 g per packet (첩) · representative dosage — verify against source texts.

Received this formula from your practitioner? Amounts shown here are classical reference values — granule and prepared products differ. Always follow your prescribed dosage and directions.

Actions 效能

Treats the ministerial fire roving through the viscera and bowels with the stool bound

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Heat accumulation with obstructed stool
Ministerial fire roving in the interior

Biomedical correlates

Severe constipation
Faecal impaction

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治相火遊走藏府, 大便秘結. 大黃一兩, 黑牽牛子頭末五錢. 右爲末, 每三錢, 手足冷者, 酒調下; 手足熱者, 蜜湯調下. 《保命》

Translation

Treats the ministerial fire roving through the viscera and bowels with the stool bound. Rhubarb, 1 nyang; head powder of black morning-glory seed, 5 don. Powder, and take 3 don each time: if the hands and feet are cold, stirred into wine; if the hands and feet are hot, stirred into honey water. — Bomyeongjip 保命 (Donguibogam · Daebyeon)

Clinical commentary 臨床

Two purgatives together — rhubarb for the heat and morning-glory seed for the water — and the dispensing instruction is the interesting part: wine for cold hands and feet, honey water for hot ones. The same powder is thus warmed or cooled by its vehicle according to the patient's periphery, which is a real adjustment made at the point of dispensing rather than by changing the prescription. — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.