Formulas · Purge Downward 瀉下 · Bomyeong (保命)

Angelica Order-the-Qi Decoction

Danggwiseunggi-tang

한글 당귀승기탕 · Pinyin Dang Gui Cheng Qi Tang

當歸承氣湯

Coarse preparation: 1 nyang per dose with 5 slices of ginger and 10 jujubes, decocted in a bowl of water down to half, strained, and taken warm. The source supplies its own rationale: mirabilite and rhubarb remove the replete heat within the stomach; angelica supplements the Blood; licorice moderates the center; and the ginger and jujubes are added to conduct it into the stomach. Note on modern practice: acute mania requires psychiatric assessment; this entry is recorded as classical text.

Composition 構成

Danggui Dang Gui
當歸 당귀 · Korean Angelica

40 g
Chief 君
Daehwang Da Huang
大黃 대황 · Rhubarb

40 g
Chief 君
Mangcho Mang Xiao
芒硝 망초 · Mirabilite

28 g
Deputy 臣
Gamcho Gan Cao
甘草 감초 · Licorice

20 g
Envoy 使
Daejo Da Zao
大棗 대조 · Jujube

20 g
Envoy 使 10 pieces
Saenggang Sheng Jiang
生薑 생강 · Fresh Ginger

10 g
Envoy 使 5 slices

Total 158 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

Drains the replete heat of the stomach that has driven a person to run and curse
Supplements the Blood as the heat is taken out

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Yang mania with running about and cursing (陽狂奔走罵詈)
Replete heat in the stomach with agitation
Acute mania of the repletion type

Biomedical correlates

Acute agitated states with constipation — historical management
Mania-spectrum presentations of the era
Short-course purgative therapy

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治陽狂, 奔走罵詈. 當歸ㆍ大黃各一兩, 芒硝七錢, 甘草五錢. 右剉, 每一兩, 薑五片, 棗十枚, 水一椀煎至半, 去渣溫服. 硝黃去胃中實熱, 當歸補血, 甘草緩中. 加薑棗者, 引入胃中也. 《保命》

Translation

Treats Yang mania, with running about and cursing. Korean angelica and rhubarb, 1 nyang each; mirabilite 7 don; licorice 5 don. Cut the above; take 1 nyang each time with 5 slices of ginger and 10 jujubes, decocted in a bowl of water down to half, strained, and taken warm. Mirabilite and rhubarb remove the replete heat within the stomach; angelica supplements the Blood; licorice moderates the center; the ginger and jujubes are added to conduct it into the stomach. — Bomyeong 保命 (Donguibogam · Sin)

Clinical commentary 臨床

A purgative given a Blood tonic and an escort, and the commentary explains why each is there — which is the useful part. The tradition's reading of acute mania as replete heat in the stomach is why its answer is downward: take the heat out through the bowel. Angelica is in the formula to keep the draining from emptying the person, and the ginger and jujubes are there, in the text's own words, to conduct the medicine to where the heat is. — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.