Formulas · Stop Cough & Wheeze 止咳平喘 · Uihak Gangmok (醫學綱目)

Mysterious Decoction

Sinbi-tang

한글 신비탕 · Pinyin Shen Mi Tang

神秘湯

Composition 構成

Jasoyeop Zi Su Ye
紫蘇葉 자소엽 · Perilla Leaf

8 g
Chief 君
Sangbaekpi Sang Bai Pi
桑白皮 상백피 · Mulberry Root Bark

8 g
Chief 君
Gyulhong Ju Hong
橘紅 귤홍 · Red Tangerine Peel

8 g
Deputy 臣
Jeokbongnyeong Chi Fu Ling
赤茯苓 적복령 · Poria (red)

4 g
Deputy 臣
Banha Ban Xia
半夏 반하 · Pinellia

4 g
Deputy 臣

processed · toxic in the raw state
Insam Ren Shen
人蔘 인삼 · Ginseng

4 g
Assistant 佐
Mokhyang Mu Xiang
木香 목향 · Costus Root

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

—
Envoy 使

five slices

Total 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

Treats qi rising with urgent panting and inability to lie down
where lying down brings on the panting

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Water qi riding up into the lung with orthopnoea
Panting with a sunken large pulse

Biomedical correlates

Orthopnoea in heart failure

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治上氣喘急不得卧, 卧則喘者, 水氣逆行上乘于肺, 肺得水而浮, 使氣不得流通, 其脉沉大, 宜服此. 紫蘇葉ㆍ橘紅ㆍ桑白皮各二錢, 人參ㆍ赤茯苓ㆍ半夏各一錢, 木香五分. 右剉, 作一貼, 入生薑五片, 水煎服, 日二. 《綱目》

Translation

Treats qi rising with urgent panting and inability to lie down. Where lying down brings on the panting, the water qi is running counter and riding up into the lung; the lung, taking on water, floats, so that the qi cannot pass through, and the pulse is sunken and large — this should be taken. Perilla leaf, red tangerine peel and mulberry root bark, 2 don each; ginseng, red poria and pinellia, 1 don each; costus, 5 fun. Cut up, make one packet, add five slices of fresh ginger, and decoct in water; twice a day. — Uihak Gangmok 綱目 (Donguibogam · Haesu)

Clinical commentary 臨床

The indication is written out as a mechanism and it is worth reading twice: panting that comes on when the patient lies down, caused by water riding up into the lung, with a sunken large pulse. That is orthopnoea in heart failure, described in the terms available, and the formula treats it by moving water and lowering qi — mulberry root bark and poria for the water, perilla leaf and tangerine peel and costus for the qi, ginseng because such a patient is weak. 肺得水而浮 — the lung, taking on water, floats — is as close as the classical literature comes to pulmonary congestion. **Orthopnoea with a raised pulse needs assessment for heart failure.** **Contains pinellia, toxic in the raw state and to be properly processed.** — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.