Formulas · Clear Heat 淸熱 · Dongwon Boggam (東垣寶鑑)

Rhinoceros Horn and Cimicifuga Decoction for Facial Wind

Seogak-seungma-tang

한글 서각승마탕 · Pinyin Xi Jiao Sheng Ma Tang

犀角升麻湯

Registered with the chapter suffix to distinguish it from the 犀角升麻湯 of the Face chapter, which is a different composition. 犀角 is from a CITES Appendix I species and its trade is prohibited.

Composition 構成

Seogak Xi Jiao
犀角 서각 · Rhinoceros Horn (prohibited)

6 g
Chief 君

CITES
Seungma Sheng Ma
升麻 승마 · Cimicifuga

5 g
Chief 君
Bangpung Fang Feng
防風 방풍 · Siler

4 g
Deputy 臣
Ganghwal Qiang Huo
羌活 강활 · Notopterygium

4 g
Deputy 臣
Cheongung Chuan Xiong
川芎 천궁 · Cnidium

3 g
Deputy 臣
Baekbuja Bai Fu Zi
白附子 백부자 · Typhonium Rhizome

3 g
Assistant 佐
Baekji Bai Zhi
白芷 백지 · Dahurian Angelica

3 g
Assistant 佐
Hwanggeum Huang Qin
黃芩 황금 · Scutellaria

3 g
Assistant 佐
Gamcho Gan Cao
甘草 감초 · Licorice

2 g
Envoy 使

Total 33 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 wind stroke with pain between the nose and forehead and through the lips
mouth
jaw and hairline and the mouth unable to open
Drains wind toxin from the foot yangming channel

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Wind toxin in the foot yangming channel with blood congealed and stagnant
Wind heat in the face with pain

Biomedical correlates

Trigeminal neuralgia
Facial neuralgia

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治中風鼻額間痛, 唇口ㆍ頰車ㆍ髮際皆痛, 口不可開, 左額頰上如糊, 急手觸之則痛. 此足陽明經受風毒, 血凝滯而然. 犀角一錢半, 升麻一錢二分半, 防風ㆍ羌活各一錢, 川芎ㆍ白附子ㆍ白芷ㆍ黃芩各七分半, 甘草五分. 右剉, 作一貼, 水煎服, 食後. 《寶鑑》

Translation

Treats wind stroke with pain between the nose and the forehead, and the lips and mouth, the jaw hinge and the hairline all painful, the mouth unable to open, and the left forehead and cheek as though pasted over, tight, so that touching them with the hand gives pain. This is the foot yangming channel receiving wind toxin, with the blood congealed and stagnant. Rhinoceros horn, 1 don 5 fun; cimicifuga, 1 don 2 fun 5 ri; saposhnikovia and notopterygium, 1 don each; chuanxiong, typhonium, angelica dahurica and scutellaria, 7 fun 5 ri each; licorice, 5 fun. Cut up, make one packet, decoct in water and take after food. — Dongwon Boggam 寶鑑 (Donguibogam · Pung)

Clinical commentary 臨床

The best clinical description in the chapter, and it is a description of trigeminal neuralgia: pain between nose and forehead, through the lips, the jaw hinge and the hairline, the skin of one side feeling as though pasted over and tight, and touching it with the hand producing pain. That last detail is allodynia, and naming it puts this entry centuries ahead of the formula it accompanies. The channel attribution is also right in its own terms — those are the yangming territories, which is to say the second and third trigeminal divisions. Rhinoceros horn is prohibited; without it the formula is a cimicifuga-and-saposhnikovia face formula of no great power. — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.