Formulas · Release the Exterior 解表 · Uihak Immun (醫學入門)

Licorice Decoction for Yin Toxin

Gamcho-tang

한글 감초탕 · Pinyin Gan Cao Tang

甘草湯

Registered with a suffix to distinguish it from the canonical one-drug 甘草湯 of this chapter's 少陰病 section. The Shanghanlun knows it as 升麻鼈甲湯, under which name it is the better documented of the two.

Composition 構成

Byeolgap Bie Jia
鼈甲 별갑 · Turtle Carapace

12 g
Chief 君

roasted with clarified butter
Unghwang Xiong Huang
雄黃 웅황 · Realgar

6 g
Chief 君

toxic
Seungma Sheng Ma
升麻 승마 · Cimicifuga

4 g
Chief 君
Danggwi Dang Gui
當歸 당귀 · Korean Angelica

4 g
Deputy 臣
Gyeji Gui Zhi
桂枝 계지 · Cinnamon Twig

4 g
Deputy 臣
Cheoncho Chuan Jiao
川椒 천초 · Sichuan Pepper

6 g
Assistant 佐
Gamcho Gan Cao
甘草 감초 · Licorice

4 g
Envoy 使

honey-roasted

Total 40 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 yin toxin
Drives the toxin out with the sweat

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Yin toxin lodged in the channels
Toxin pattern with the exterior shut

Biomedical correlates

Severe systemic infection
Toxic febrile illness

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治陰毒. 甘草(灸)ㆍ升麻ㆍ當歸ㆍ桂枝各一錢, 雄黃ㆍ川椒各一錢半, 鼈甲(酥灸) 三錢. 右剉, 作一貼, 水煎服. 毒從汗出, 未汗再服. 《入門》 ○一名升麻鼈甲湯. 《仲景》

Translation

Treats yin toxin. Honey-roasted licorice, cimicifuga, tangkuei and cinnamon twig, 1 don each; realgar and sichuan pepper, 1 don 5 fun each; turtle carapace roasted with clarified butter, 3 don. Cut up, make one packet and decoct in water. The toxin comes out with the sweat; if no sweat comes, take it again. Also called Seungma-byeolgap-tang. — Uihak Immun 入門 · Junggyeong 仲景 (Donguibogam · Han)

Clinical commentary 臨床

**This must not be prepared.** Realgar is arsenic sulphide and is a principal drug here at a don and a half. Set that aside and the formula is one of Zhongjing's stranger survivals: turtle carapace at three don with cimicifuga, tangkuei and cinnamon twig, for a toxin held to be lodged deep in the blood and needing to be lifted out. The Shanghanlun's name for it, Seungma-byeolgap-tang, is the one to look it up under; calling it 甘草湯 after its first drug, as this chapter does, has caused confusion ever since. — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.