Formulas · Purge Downward 瀉下 · Yeokro (易老)

Costus Powder (Distension)

Mokhyang-san

한글 목향산(창만) · Pinyin Mu Xiang San

木香散

The pig's kidney serves as the vessel in which the powder is roasted and is entered without a gram figure, following the treatment of the same technique in Oesin-hwan at Bujong 2.5.17.

Composition 構成

Mokhyang Mu Xiang
木香 목향 · Costus Root

40 g
Chief 君

equal parts (各等分)
Daegeuk Da Ji
大戟 대극 · Peking Spurge (toxic)

40 g
Deputy 臣

toxic
Baekchuk Bai Chou
白丑 백축 · White Morning Glory Seed

40 g
Deputy 臣

first-milled powder only (頭末)
Jeoyoja Zhu Yao Zi
猪腰子 저요자 · Pig Kidney

—
Envoy 使

1 pig's kidney, roasted, as vehicle

Total 120 g per packet (첩) · representative dosage — verify against source texts. Excludes 1 ingredient 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

Drives out water distension through a pig's kidney

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Water distension

Biomedical correlates

Refractory ascites

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治水脹. 木香ㆍ大戟ㆍ白丑(頭末) 各等分. 右爲細末, 取猪腰子一隻批片, 糝藥末二錢在內, 煨熟, 空心細嚼, 溫酒送下. 如食右腰子則搨右臂, 食左腰子則搨左臂, 而臥, 如未全愈, 則於肚上滿塗甘遂末, 却飮甘草湯, 則便去. 《易老》

Translation

Treats water distension. Costus, euphorbia and white morning glory seed (first milling only) in equal parts. Grind to a fine powder; take one pig's kidney, split it into a flat piece, sprinkle 2 don of the powder inside, roast it through, and on an empty stomach chew it thoroughly and send it down with warm wine. If the right kidney is eaten, lie with the right arm resting down; if the left, with the left arm resting down. If it does not wholly resolve, smear powdered kansui over the whole belly and then drink a decoction of licorice, and it will pass.

Clinical commentary 臨床

The containment technique again — a violent powder roasted inside a pig's kidney — with two additions that appear nowhere else. The patient is told which arm to lie on according to which kidney was eaten, and if the first attempt fails, kansui is smeared on the belly while licorice is drunk. That last is the deliberate pairing of two medicinals the tradition holds to be mutually antagonistic — kansui and licorice are one of the eighteen incompatible pairs. Using them together on purpose, one outside and one inside, is an attempt to provoke the very reaction the rule forbids. **Contains euphorbia, morning glory seed and kansui, all toxic. Must not be prepared or taken; the kansui-and-licorice combination is specifically contraindicated.** — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.