Formulas · Release the Exterior 解表 · Dangye Simbeop (丹溪心法)

Five Contrary Ingredients Decoction

Oyo-tang

한글 오요탕 · Pinyin Wu Ao Tang

五拗湯

Composition 構成

Mahwang Ma Huang
麻黃 마황 · Ephedra

6 g
Chief 君

root and nodes left on
Haengin Xing Ren
杏仁 행인 · Apricot Kernel

6 g
Deputy 臣

skin and tip left on
Hyeonggae Jing Jie
荊芥 형개 · Schizonepeta

4 g
Assistant 佐

the spike (穗)
Gilgyeong Jie Geng
桔梗 길경 · Platycodon

4 g
Assistant 佐
Gamcho Gan Cao
甘草 감초 · Licorice

6 g
Envoy 使

left raw and unpeeled

Total 26 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 cough from contracted wind cold, with a heavy voice and a sore throat

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Wind cold in the lung with a sore throat
Hoarseness and loss of voice with cough

Biomedical correlates

Acute laryngotracheitis

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治感風寒咳嗽, 聲重咽痛. <a href='/formulas/samyo-tang'>三拗湯</a>加荊芥穗ㆍ桔梗各一錢, 煎服如上法. 《丹心》

Translation

Treats cough from contracted wind cold, with a heavy voice and a sore throat. Three Contrary Ingredients Decoction with schizonepeta spike and platycodon added, 1 don each, decocted and taken by the method given above. — Dansim 丹心 (Donguibogam · Haesu)

Clinical commentary 臨床

拗 means contrary or stubborn, and the name of the parent formula records a deliberate breach of the rules of preparation: in Samyo-tang the ephedra keeps its root and nodes, the apricot kernel its skin and tip, and the licorice is left raw and unpeeled, where every one of those parts would ordinarily be taken off. The discarded parts are the astringent and restraining ones, and leaving them on makes the formula gentler than its three drugs would otherwise be — which is why it can be given for a cough rather than only for a fever. The two additions here are for the throat: schizonepeta spike for the wind and platycodon, which is the chapter's drug whenever the voice has gone. — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.