Formulas · Transform Phlegm 化痰 · Uihak Immun (醫學入門)

Two Mothers Powder

Imo-san

한글 이모산 · Pinyin Er Mu San

二母散

A different formula from the 聖惠二母散 of the postpartum chapter, which is anemarrhena and fritillaria with poria, ginseng, peach kernel and apricot kernel and no croton. The two share only the two mothers of the name.

Composition 構成

Jimo Zhi Mu
知母 지모 · Anemarrhena

40 g
Chief 君
Paemo Bei Mu
貝母 패모 · Fritillaria

40 g
Chief 君
Padu Ba Dou
巴豆 파두 · Croton Seed

—
Assistant 佐

ten grains made into frost (作霜) · violently purgative and toxic
Saenggang Sheng Jiang
生薑 생강 · Fresh Ginger

—
Envoy 使

three slices, chewed with the powder

Total 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 coughs of every kind
Treats phlegm panting as well
Also treats a long cough that will not heal

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Cough of any kind with phlegm panting
Long-standing cough unhealed

Biomedical correlates

Chronic cough with wheeze — historical treatment

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治諸般咳嗽, 兼治痰喘. 知母ㆍ貝母各一兩, 巴豆十粒(作霜). 右爲末, 每服一字, 與薑三片, 臨卧細嚼, 白湯下, 便合口睡, 其嗽卽定. 亦治久嗽不愈. 《入門》

Translation

Treats coughs of every kind, and treats phlegm panting as well. Anemarrhena and fritillaria, 1 nyang each; croton, ten grains, made into frost. Grind to a powder; a quarter-don each dose, chewed fine with three slices of ginger at bedtime and taken down with plain hot water, after which the patient is to close the mouth and sleep, and the cough settles at once. It also treats a long cough that will not heal. — Uihak Immun 入門 (Donguibogam · Haesu)

Clinical commentary 臨床

The two mothers are anemarrhena and fritillaria, both cold and both for a hot dry cough, and they make up the whole of the formula by weight. The croton is a tenth of a grain to the dose and is there to purge the phlegm downward. The instructions are worth reading as the clinical design they are: a quarter-don chewed with ginger at bedtime, then the mouth closed and the patient asleep — a tiny dose held in the mouth so that it works on the throat, at the hour when a dry cough is worst. **Contains croton, which is a violent purgative and toxic. This must not be prepared.** — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.