Formulas · Clear Heat 淸熱 · Seonmyeongbang (宣明方)

Cimicifuga Decoction for Heat Impediment

Seungma-tang

한글 승마탕 · Pinyin Sheng Ma Tang

升麻湯

Registered with the chapter suffix to distinguish it from the 升麻湯 of the Skin chapter. Both 犀角 and 羚羊角 are from CITES-listed species whose trade is prohibited.

Composition 構成

Seungma Sheng Ma
升麻 승마 · Cimicifuga

8 g
Chief 君
Seogak Xi Jiao
犀角 서각 · Rhinoceros Horn (prohibited)

4 g
Chief 君

CITES
Yeongyanggak Ling Yang Jiao
羚羊角 영양각 · Saiga Antelope Horn (prohibited)

4 g
Chief 君

CITES
Boksin Fu Shen
茯神 복신 · Poria with hostwood

4 g
Deputy 臣
Insam Ren Shen
人蔘 인삼 · Ginseng

4 g
Deputy 臣
Bangpung Fang Feng
防風 방풍 · Siler

4 g
Deputy 臣
Ganghwal Qiang Huo
羌活 강활 · Notopterygium

4 g
Assistant 佐
Yukgye Rou Gui
肉桂 육계 · Cinnamon Bark

2 g
Assistant 佐
Saenggang Sheng Jiang
生薑 생강 · Fresh Ginger

—
Envoy 使

five slices
Jungnyeok Zhu Li
竹瀝 죽력 · Bamboo Sap

—
Envoy 使

five spoons

Total 34 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 heat impediment with extreme heat in the flesh and a sensation of mice running over the body
the lips and mouth slack and reversed and the skin colour changed
Clears heat from the flesh and extinguishes wind

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Heat impediment with heat in the flesh
Wind heat with crawling sensations

Biomedical correlates

Erythromelalgia
Peripheral neuropathy with burning

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治熱痺, 肌肉熱極ㆍ體上如鼠走ㆍ唇口反縱ㆍ皮色變. 升麻二錢, 茯神ㆍ人參ㆍ防風ㆍ犀角ㆍ羚羊角ㆍ羌活各一錢, 桂皮五分. 右剉, 作一貼, 薑五片, 同煎, 入竹瀝五匙, 調服. 《宣明》

Translation

Treats heat impediment with extreme heat in the flesh, a sensation over the body as of mice running, the lips and mouth slack and reversed and the colour of the skin changed. Cimicifuga, 2 don; poria spirit, ginseng, saposhnikovia, rhinoceros horn, antelope horn and notopterygium, 1 don each; cassia bark, 5 fun. Cut up, make one packet, decoct with five slices of ginger, stir in five spoons of bamboo sap and take. — Seonmyeongbang 宣明 (Donguibogam · Pung)

Clinical commentary 臨床

The heat impediment, which is the fourth type the chapter admits beyond the canonical three, and its symptom picture is the most vivid: extreme heat in the flesh, a crawling sensation over the body as of mice running, the lips slack and the colour of the skin altered. Burning, crawling and skin discolouration together is a small-fibre neuropathy or an erythromelalgia, and the tradition had no better name for it than heat impediment. The two horns carry the cooling and are both prohibited; cimicifuga, bamboo sap and poria spirit are what remains, and the formula is weak without them. — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.