Formulas · Release the Exterior 解表 · Uihak Jeongjeon (醫學正傳)

Inula Powder

Geumbulcho-san

한글 금불초산 · Pinyin Jin Fei Cao San

金沸草散

金沸草 is the aerial part of Inula japonica, and the formula is named for it, but what it actually contains is 旋覆花, the flower of the same plant; the name preserves an older composition.

Composition 構成

Hyeonggae Jing Jie
荊芥 형개 · Schizonepeta

8 g
Chief 君

the spike (穗)
Seonbokhwa Xuan Fu Hua
旋覆花 선복화 · Inula Flower

6 g
Chief 君
Jeonho Qian Hu
前胡 전호 · Peucedanum

6 g
Deputy 臣
Mahwang Ma Huang
麻黃 마황 · Ephedra

4 g
Deputy 臣
Jeokbongnyeong Chi Fu Ling
赤茯苓 적복령 · Poria (red)

4 g
Assistant 佐
Banha Ban Xia
半夏 반하 · Pinellia

3 g
Assistant 佐

processed · toxic in the raw state
Sesin Xi Xin
細辛 세신 · Asarum

1.2 g
Assistant 佐
Gamcho Gan Cao
甘草 감초 · Licorice

1.2 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
Omae Wu Mei
烏梅 오매 · Mume Plum

—
Envoy 使

one fruit

Total 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 cough from wind cold contracted in the lung, with a heavy voice and abundant yellow turbid phlegm and drool

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Wind cold in the lung with a heavy voice
Phlegm and drool yellow and turbid, filling and brimming

Biomedical correlates

Acute bronchitis with purulent sputum

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治肺感風寒, 咳嗽聲重, 痰涎黃濁壅盛. 荊芥穗二錢, 旋覆花ㆍ前胡各一錢半, 麻黃ㆍ赤茯苓各一錢, 半夏七分半, 細辛ㆍ甘草各三分. 右剉, 作一貼, 入薑三ㆍ棗二ㆍ梅一, 水煎, 綿濾去滓服. 《正傳》

Translation

Treats cough from wind cold contracted in the lung, with a heavy voice and abundant yellow turbid phlegm and drool. Schizonepeta spike, 2 don; inula flower and peucedanum, 1 don 5 fun each; ephedra and red poria, 1 don each; pinellia, 7 fun 5 ri; asarum and licorice, 3 fun each. Cut up, make one packet, add three slices of ginger, two jujubes and one smoked plum, decoct in water, strain it through cotton wool to remove the dregs, and take it. — Jeongjeon 正傳 (Donguibogam · Haesu)

Clinical commentary 臨床

Schizonepeta spike leads and inula flower does the work on the phlegm, with ephedra to open the surface and asarum and pinellia for the cold and the water. The indication is specific about the sputum — 黃濁, yellow and turbid — which in this chapter's scheme means heat has joined the cold, and the formula is accordingly less warm than the wind-cold formulas around it. 綿濾去滓 — strained through cotton wool — is the instruction to notice. Inula flower carries fine hairs that irritate the throat and provoke coughing, and straining the decoction through cloth is still the standard handling of the drug. The chapter is recording a real pharmacy practice rather than a flourish. **Contains pinellia, which is toxic in the raw state and must be properly processed.** — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.