Ephedra and White Atractylodes Decoction

Mahwangbaekchul-tang

한글 마황백출탕 · Pinyin Ma Huang Bai Zhu Tang

麻黃白朮湯

半夏麴 is registered as banhaguk, the fermented pinellia leaven, not as plain pinellia. The transcription writes 半夏麴 with 麴 and the glyph is kept as written.

Composition 構成

Mahwang Ma Huang
麻黃 마황 · Ephedra

2.8 g
Chief 君
Yukgye Rou Gui
肉桂 육계 · Cinnamon Bark

2.8 g
Deputy 臣
Cheongung Chuan Xiong
川芎 천궁 · Cnidium

2.8 g
Deputy 臣
Baekji Bai Zhi
白芷 백지 · Dahurian Angelica

2.8 g
Deputy 臣
Jasoyeop Zi Su Ye
紫蘇葉 자소엽 · Perilla Leaf

2.8 g
Deputy 臣
Cheongpi Qing Pi
靑皮 청피 · Green Tangerine Peel

2.8 g
Assistant 佐
Jinpi Chen Pi
陳皮 진피 · Aged Tangerine Peel

2.8 g
Assistant 佐
Banhaguk Ban Xia Qu
半夏麴 반하국 · Fermented Pinellia

2.8 g
Assistant 佐
Jeokbongnyeong Chi Fu Ling
赤茯苓 적복령 · Poria (red)

2.8 g
Assistant 佐
Baekchul Bai Zhu
白朮 백출 · White Atractylodes

2.8 g
Assistant 佐
Gilgyeong Jie Geng
桔梗 길경 · Platycodon

2.8 g
Assistant 佐
Sesin Xi Xin
細辛 세신 · Asarum

2.8 g
Assistant 佐
Billang Bing Lang
檳榔 빈랑 · Areca Seed

2.8 g
Assistant 佐
Gamcho Gan Cao
甘草 감초 · Licorice

2.8 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 jujubes

Total 39.2 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

Disperses wind in wind malaria
Transforms phlegm and damp in the middle while reaching the surface
Moves the qi upward and downward with platycodon and areca

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Wind malaria (風瘧) with heat first and cold after
Warm malaria of the three yin channels
Wind contracted at the surface with phlegm and damp already in the middle

Biomedical correlates

Malaria with prominent respiratory and digestive symptoms
Febrile illness with productive cough and nausea

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治風瘧. 麻黃ㆍ桂皮ㆍ靑皮ㆍ陳皮ㆍ川芎ㆍ白芷ㆍ半夏麴ㆍ紫蘇葉ㆍ赤茯苓ㆍ白朮ㆍ桔梗ㆍ細辛ㆍ檳榔ㆍ甘草各七分. 右剉, 作一貼, 入薑三棗二, 水煎服. 《直指》

Translation

Treats wind malaria. Ephedra, cinnamon bark, green tangerine peel, tangerine peel, cnidium, angelica dahurica, pinellia leaven, perilla leaf, red poria, white atractylodes, platycodon, asarum, areca and licorice, 7 fun each. Cut up, make one packet, add three slices of ginger and two jujubes, and decoct in water and take. — Jikji 直指 (Donguibogam · Haehak)

Clinical commentary 臨床

Fourteen drugs at 7 fun each, which is Jikji's habit — a broad, light, evenly weighted prescription rather than a chief-and-deputy structure. Ephedra, cinnamon bark, angelica dahurica, perilla leaf and asarum reach outward; green tangerine peel, tangerine peel, pinellia leaven, red poria and white atractylodes work on phlegm and damp in the middle; platycodon and areca move the qi up and down between them. The chapter names it in two places, and the second is the useful one. Under the treatment of the three yin warm malarias it stands beside Baekhogyeji-tang, but at the head of wind malaria it is the general prescription, with Sansa-tang specified for the case with no sweat and Jeonggi-tang for the case with sweat. So this is the formula the chapter reaches for before the sweating has been settled either way, which explains why it tries to do so many things at once. **Pinellia appears here as the fermented leaven; raw pinellia is toxic and must be properly processed.** — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.