Pueraria Decoction for Yang Toxin

Galgeun-tang

한글 갈근탕 · Pinyin Ge Gen Tang

葛根湯

Registered with a suffix to distinguish it from Zhongjing's 葛根湯, the canonical taiyang formula with ephedra and cinnamon twig, which bears no resemblance to this one.

Composition 構成

Galgeun Ge Gen
葛根 갈근 · Kudzu Root

8 g
Chief 君
Daehwang Da Huang
大黃 대황 · Rhubarb

6 g
Chief 君

vinegar-fried
Hwanggeum Huang Qin
黃芩 황금 · Scutellaria

6 g
Deputy 臣
Chija Zhi Zi
梔子 치자 · Gardenia

6 g
Deputy 臣
Bakcho Pu Xiao
朴硝 박초 · Crude Mirabilite

6 g
Deputy 臣
Gamcho Gan Cao
甘草 감초 · Licorice

6 g
Envoy 使

Total 38 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 yang toxin
Drains heat downward from the yangming

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Yang toxin with heat bound in the yangming
Fire toxin with constipation

Biomedical correlates

Severe sepsis with constipation
Hyperthermia with ileus

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治陽毒. 葛根二錢, 黃芩ㆍ大黃(醋炒)ㆍ梔子ㆍ朴硝ㆍ甘草各一錢半. 右剉, 作一貼, 水煎服. 《海藏》

Translation

Treats yang toxin. Pueraria, 2 don; scutellaria, vinegar-fried rhubarb, gardenia, crude mirabilite and licorice, 1 don 5 fun each. Cut up, make one packet and decoct in water. — Haejang 海藏 (Donguibogam · Han)

Clinical commentary 臨床

A formula that shares nothing but its name with Zhongjing's famous one, and the collision has caused confusion for centuries. Wang Haejang's 葛根湯 is a yang toxin purgative: pueraria to lift the heat out of the yangming channel, and then rhubarb, mirabilite, gardenia and scutellaria to take it down through the bowel. Vinegar-frying the rhubarb moderates its purging and directs it to the blood, which suits a toxin pattern with blotches. Useful, and nothing to do with the other. — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.