Formulas · Tonify Yang 補陽 · Seojuk Dangbang (瑞竹堂方)

Three Spirits Pill

Samsin-hwan

한글 삼신환 · Pinyin San Shen Wan

三神丸

A different 三神丸 from the Dansim's formula of the same name for irregular menstruation, which is registered separately.

Composition 構成

Bogolji Bu Gu Zhi
補骨脂 보골지 · Psoralea

160 g
Chief 君

stir-fried
Yukdugu Rou Dou Kou
肉豆蔻 육두구 · Nutmeg

80 g
Deputy 臣
Mokhyang Mu Xiang
木香 목향 · Costus Root

40 g
Assistant 佐
Daejo Da Zao
大棗 대조 · Jujube

—
Envoy 使

as in Isin-hwan
Saenggang Sheng Jiang
生薑 생강 · Fresh Ginger

—
Envoy 使

as in Isin-hwan

Total 280 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 spleen and kidney vacuity diarrhoea

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Spleen and kidney yang vacuity with a loose stool and no appetite

Biomedical correlates

Chronic diarrhoea
Malabsorption

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治脾腎虛泄瀉. 卽<a href='/formulas/isin-hwan'>二神丸</a>一料加木香一兩. 劑法ㆍ服法同本方. 《瑞竹》 ○孫眞人云, 補腎不若補脾; 許學士云, 補脾不若補腎. 蓋腎氣怯弱則眞陽衰虛, 不能上蒸脾土; 脾胃虛寒則遲於運化, 飮食不進, 或虛脹, 或嘔吐, 或泄瀉. 譬如釜鼎之中盛諸米糓, 若無火力, 雖終日不熟, 其何能化乎? 用破故紙則補腎, 用肉豆蔲則補脾. 二藥雖兼補脾腎, 但無斡旋; 若加木香以順其氣, 使之斡旋, 空虛倉廪. 倉廪空虛則受物, 屢用見效. 《本草》

Translation

Treats spleen and kidney vacuity diarrhoea. This is one batch of Isin-hwan with 1 nyang of costus root added; the compounding and the taking are as in the base formula. Sun the Perfected said that supplementing the kidney is not as good as supplementing the spleen; Scholar Xu said that supplementing the spleen is not as good as supplementing the kidney. For when the kidney qi is timid and weak the true yang declines and cannot steam the spleen's earth from below; and when the spleen and stomach are vacuous and cold they are slow to move and transform, food does not advance, and there is either vacuity distension, or vomiting, or diarrhoea. It is like a cauldron filled with grain: without the force of fire it will not be cooked though the whole day pass — how could it be transformed? Psoralea supplements the kidney and nutmeg supplements the spleen. The two drugs supplement spleen and kidney together, but there is no turning in them; add costus root to make the qi flow smoothly and set it turning, and the granary is emptied. The granary being empty, it can receive — this has proved effective on repeated use. — Bonchogang 本草 (Donguibogam · Daebyeon)

Clinical commentary 臨床

The long commentary attached here is the best piece of writing in the chapter. Two authorities are set against each other — supplement the spleen, no, supplement the kidney — and instead of choosing, the Bonchogang gives the image that resolves them: the stomach is a cauldron of grain and the kidney is the fire under it, so neither works without the other. Then the practical point, which is why this formula exists at all: psoralea and nutmeg supplement both but have no turning in them, so costus root is added to set the whole in motion and empty the granary, because a granary must be empty before it can receive. That is as clear a statement of why a tonic needs a qi-mover as the tradition produced. — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.