Calm the Stomach Powder, Added and Subtracted

Gagam-pyeongwi-san

한글 가감평위산 · Pinyin Jia Jian Ping Wei San

加減平胃散

Composition 構成

Baekchul Bai Zhu
白朮 백출 · White Atractylodes

4.8 g
Chief 君
Insam Ren Shen
人蔘 인삼 · Ginseng

2.8 g
Chief 君
Hubak Hou Po
厚朴 후박 · Magnolia Bark

4.8 g
Deputy 臣
Jinpi Chen Pi
陳皮 진피 · Aged Tangerine Peel

4.8 g
Deputy 臣
Jeokbokryeong Chi Fu Ling
赤茯苓 적복령 · Poria (red)

2.8 g
Deputy 臣
Doin Tao Ren
桃仁 도인 · Peach Kernel

2.8 g
Assistant 佐
Hwangryeon Huang Lian
黃連 황련 · Coptis

2.8 g
Assistant 佐
Agyo E Jiao
阿膠 아교 · Donkey-hide Gelatin

2.8 g
Assistant 佐

beaded
Mokhyang Mu Xiang
木香 목향 · Costus Root

2 g
Assistant 佐
Binrang Bing Lang
檳榔 빈랑 · Areca Seed

2 g
Assistant 佐
Gamcho Gan Cao
甘草 감초 · Licorice

3.6 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

Total 36 g per packet (첩) · representative dosage — verify against source texts. Excludes 2 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 blood dysentery and red dysentery
Addresses the spleen and stomach vacuous so that blood does not flow to the four limbs but enters the stomach instead

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Spleen vacuity with blood leaving the vessels into the bowel
Bloody dysentery with vacuity

Biomedical correlates

Bloody diarrhoea with anaemia
Chronic colitis

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治血痢ㆍ赤痢. 夫脾胃虛則血不流於四肢, 却入於胃而爲血痢. 白朮ㆍ厚朴ㆍ陳皮各一錢二分, 桃仁ㆍ人參ㆍ黃連ㆍ阿膠珠ㆍ赤茯苓各七分, 甘草九分, 木香ㆍ檳榔各五分. 右剉, 作一貼, 入薑三片, 棗二枚, 空心, 水煎服. 《易老》

Translation

Treats blood dysentery and red dysentery. Now when the spleen and stomach are vacuous the blood does not flow to the four limbs but enters the stomach instead, and this becomes a blood dysentery. White atractylodes, magnolia bark and tangerine peel, 1 don 2 fun each; peach kernel, ginseng, coptis, beaded ass-hide glue and red poria, 7 fun each; licorice, 9 fun; costus root and areca, 5 fun each. Cut up, make one packet, add three slices of ginger and two jujubes, and decoct in water on an empty stomach. — Yeokro 易老 (Donguibogam · Daebyeon)

Clinical commentary 臨床

The explanation attached to the indication is this chapter's most interesting piece of pathology: when the spleen is weak the blood fails to reach the limbs and goes into the stomach instead, where it is passed as a bloody stool. It is wrong as anatomy and right as an observation — bloody diarrhoea in a depleted patient does go with cold extremities and pallor — and it licenses a formula that supplements while it clears, which is the correct approach to a chronic colitis in a wasted patient. — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.