Formulas · Purge Downward 瀉下 · Uihak Immun (醫學入門)

Tao's Yellow Dragon Decoction

Dossi-hwangnyong-tang

한글 도씨황룡탕 · Pinyin Tao Shi Huang Long Tang

陶氏黃龍湯

Daeseunggi-tang with ginseng and tangkuei added; the platycodon is added only at the end, after straining, and boiled once more.

Composition 構成

Daehwang Da Huang
大黃 대황 · Rhubarb

8 g
Chief 君
Mangcho Mang Xiao
芒硝 망초 · Mirabilite

4 g
Chief 君
Insam Ren Shen
人蔘 인삼 · Ginseng

4 g
Chief 君
Jisil Zhi Shi
枳實 지실 · Immature Bitter Orange

4 g
Deputy 臣
Hubak Hou Po
厚朴 후박 · Magnolia Bark

4 g
Deputy 臣
Danggwi Dang Gui
當歸 당귀 · Korean Angelica

4 g
Deputy 臣
Gamcho Gan Cao
甘草 감초 · Licorice

2 g
Envoy 使
Saenggang Sheng Jiang
生薑 생강 · Fresh Ginger

—
Envoy 使

three slices
Daejo Da Zao
大棗 대조 · Jujube

—
Envoy 使

two fruits
Gilgyeong Jie Geng
桔梗 길경 · Platycodon

—
Envoy 使

a little, added at the end

Total 30 g per packet (첩) · representative dosage — verify against source texts. Excludes 3 ingredients measured by count or used as a vehicle, shown as —.

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 interior pattern of cold damage with heat bound and a hard stool with delirious speech and tidal fever where the patient is too vacuous to purge
Purges while supporting the qi and blood

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Interior repletion with qi and blood vacuity
Heat bind in a depleted patient

Biomedical correlates

Febrile ileus in a debilitated patient
Toxic constipation with exhaustion

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治傷寒裏證, 熱結ㆍ便硬ㆍ譫語ㆍ潮熱, 而人虛不可下者. 大黃二錢, 芒硝ㆍ枳實ㆍ厚朴ㆍ人參ㆍ當歸各一錢, 甘草五分. 右剉, 作一貼, 入薑三片, 棗二枚, 煎至半, 去渣, 入桔梗少許, 再煎一沸, 熱服. 《入門》

Translation

Treats the interior pattern of cold damage with heat bound, a hard stool, delirious speech and tidal fever, where the patient is too vacuous to be purged. Rhubarb, 2 don; mirabilite, bitter orange, magnolia bark, ginseng and tangkuei, 1 don each; licorice, 5 fun. Cut up, make one packet, add three slices of ginger and two jujubes, decoct down to half, strain, add a little platycodon, bring once more to the boil and take hot. — Uihak Immun 入門 (Donguibogam · Han)

Clinical commentary 臨床

The problem the formula exists for is a real and difficult one: the patient needs purging and cannot withstand it. Tao Hua's answer is to give the purgative with ginseng and tangkuei alongside, so that what is driven out is replaced as it goes. The platycodon added last and boiled only once is the clever detail — it lifts, and in a formula whose whole force is downward it keeps the qi from collapsing with the stool. Purging a depleted patient remains hazardous, but of the ways to attempt it this is a thoughtful one. — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.