Wen Pi Tang 温脾汤
Warm the Spleen Decoction
Tradition:
TCM
Source / Author:
Formulary of the Pharmacy Service for Benefitting the People in the Taiping Era (1107)
|
Herb Name |
Latin |
Amount |
|---|---|---|
|
Rheum palmatum |
6–12 grams | |
|
Zingiber officinale | ||
|
Panax ginseng | ||
|
Aconitum carmichaeli | ||
|
Glycyrrhiza uralensis |
6 grams ea. |
Preparation:
Decoction in 4 cups of water down to 2 cups, add Rhubarb towards the end.
It is standard practice to boil Aconite for 30–45 minutes before adding the other herbs in which case 5–6 cups of water can be used to allow for prolonged boiling.
Function:
Warms the Yang, Purges Cold
Use:
Constipation or chronic Diarrhea with mucus, abdominal pain relieved by warmth, cold hands and feet, pale tongue with white coating, slow pulse
1. Abdominal pain
2. Chronic Gastritis
3. Gastric or duodenal Ulcers
4. Chronic Colitis
5. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
6. Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis
7. Chronic Diarrhea or Dysentery
8. Dysmenorrhea
9. Endometriosis
10. Postpartum Pain
11. Chronic glomerulonephritis
12. Chronic Kidney Failure
13. Raynaud’s disease
Dose:
The above is taken in 2 equal doses, morning and night.
Cautions:
1. Caution due to Aconite. Avoid overdose and avoid in those taking Heart medication.
2. Begin with lower doses of Rhubarb and Aconite, increasing if needed. Initial dose of each may be 6 grams, but Rhubarb can be increased up to 12 grams and Aconite up to 9 grams.
3. Not used in Pregnancy
Modifications:
1. Unless acute or severe, Codonopsis Dang Shen usually replaces Ginseng in modern times with 2–3 times the dosage.
2. Atractylodes Bai Zhu and Cinnamon can be used in place of Aconite.
3. Severe abdominal pain, add Costus (Mu Xiang), Cinnamon (Rou Gui), Corydalis Yan Hu Suo
4. Abdominal fullness and bloating, add Costus (Mu Xiang) and Magnolia Hou Po.
5. Nausea and Vomiting, add Pinellia Ban Xia and Citrus Chen Pi.
6. Chronic Dysentery, add Coptis Huang Lian, Scutellaria Huang Qin, Lonicera Jin Yin Hua.
7. Kidney Failure, add Dang Gui, Astragalus Huang Qi, Safflower (Hong Hua), Peach kernel (Tao Ren)
8. Endometriosis, add Ligusticum Chuan Xiong, Cyperus Xiang Fu, Cinnamon twig (Gui Zhi), Paeonia Mu Dan Pi, Safflower (Hong Hua), Peach kernel (Tao Ren)
9. Postpartum Pain, add Peach kernel (Tao Ren), Paeonia Mu Dan Pi, Motherwort (Yi Mu Cao)
10. Raynaud’s Disease, add Dang Gui, Cinnamon twig (Gui Zhi), Asarum Xi Xin
Similar Formulas:
This is Fu Zi Li Zhong Wan replacing Atractylodes Bai Zhu with Rhubarb (Da Huang).
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