Aidus & E-Fong Herbal Solution
Herbal Formula for Regulating Gastrointestinal Tract- Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang
                              
                       
                    Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang
              Pinellia Heart-Purging Decoction

SOURCE: Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold-Attack)
INGREDIENTS:
Zhi Ban Xie (Pinellia tuber) 9g
Huang Qin (Scutellaria root) 6g
Gan Jiang (Dry ginger) 6g
Ren (Hong) Shen (Ginseng) 6g
Zhi Gan Cao (Roasted licorice root) 6g
Huang Lian (Coptis root) 3g
Da Zao (Chinese date) 4 pcs.
DIRECTIONS: Decoct the above herbs in water for oral administration.
EFFECTS: Harmonizing the stomach and lowering rebellious qi to relieve stuffiness.
INDICATIONS: Disharmony of the stomach qi manifested by stuffiness and fullness of epigastrium without pain,
retching or vomiting, bowel sound with diarrhea, thin, yellow and greasy coating, taut and rapid pulse.
ANALYSIS OF FORMULA: This is a representative formula of the therapy to open with pungent flavor and lower
with bitter flavor for the syndrome of mixed cold and heat. With pungent flavor to disperse coagulation and bitter flavor
to stop vomiting, Zhi Ban Xia (pinellia tuber) is the main herb to act on the stomach and spleen for drying dampness. As
the assistant herbs, Gan Jiang (dry ginger) is to warm the middle for dispelling cold; Huang Qin (scutellaria root) and
Huang Lian (coptis root) are to purge heat with their bitter flavor and cold nature. They cooperate with the main herb to
form the formula of opening with pungent flavor and lowering with bitter flavor. Hong Shen (Ginseng) and Da Zao
(Chinese date) act as the adjuvant herbs to invigorate the middle qi. Zhi Gan Cao (Licorice root) is the dispatcher herb
to reinforce the spleen and stomach as well as harmonizing all the components.
In the present clinic, this formula is used in acute gastroenteritis, chronic gastritis, dyspepsia and infantile toxic dyspepsia
with the above mentioned symptoms

                    ASSOCIATED FORMULAE:

(1) Sheng Jiang Xie Xin Tang (Ginger Heart-Purging Decoction) , Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold-Attack)
On the basis of Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang (Pinellia Heart-Purging Decoction) the dosage of Gan Jiang (dry ginger) is
reduced from 6 gram to 3 gram and Sheng Jiang (fresh ginger) 12g is added.
Effects: harmonizing the stomach to disperse stuffiness and water accumulation.
Indications: the combination of water and heat evils manifested by stuffiness and hardness of epigastrium, eructation
with fetid odor, thundering borborygmus, diarrhea, etc.

(2) Gan Cao Xie Xin Tang ( Licorice Heart-Purging Decoction ) , Sheng Han Lun (Treatise on Cold- Attack)
On the basis of Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang (Pinellia Heart-Purging Decoction) the dosage of Zhi Gan Cao (licorice) is
increased from 6 gram to 9 gram.
Effects: reinforcing the stomach qi to relieve stuffiness and stop vomiting.
Indications: deficiency of the stomach qi manifested by thundering borborygmus, diarrhea with undigested food,
stuffiness, hardness and  fullness of epigastrium, retching, vexation and restlessness, etc.

(3) Huang Lian Tang (Coptis Decoction ), Shng Han Lun (Treatise on Cold-Attack):
Huang Lian (Coptis root) 6 g, Zhi Gan Cao (Roasted licorice root) 6 g, Gan Jiang (dry ginger) 5 g, Gui Zhi (cassia twig)
5 g, Ren Shen (ginseng) 3g, Zhi Ban Xia (pinellia tuber) 9g,Da Zao (Chinese date 4) pcs.
Effects: equally harmonizing cold and heat to regulate stomach qi and lower rebellious qi.
Indications: heat in chest and cold in stomach manifested by irritable distress of chest", tendency of vomiting,
abdominal pain, or bowel sound with diarrhea, white and slippery coating, wiry pulse.

NOTES: All the Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang (Pinellia Heart-Purging Decoction), Gan Jiang Xie Xin Tang (Ginger
Heart-Purging Decoction), Gan Cao Xie Xin Tang (Licorice Heart-Purging Decoction) and Huang Lian Tang (Coptis
Decoction) are formulae to harmonize cold and heat by opening with pungent flavor and lowering with bitter flavor.
Applying herbs of both cold and hot natures, Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang (Pinellia Heart-Purging Decoction) is mainly applied
to symptoms of epigastric stuffiness, retching, bowel sound with diarrhea; Gan Jiang Xie Xin Tang (Ginger
Heart-Purging Decoction) can harmonize the stomach and disperse water and is mainly applied to the joint attack of
water evil and heat evil manifested by retching with fetid odor, thundering borborygmus with diarrhea: so adding the
Sheng Jiang (fresh ginger) to disperse water; Gan Cao Xie Xin Tang (Licorice Heart-Purging Decoction) can reinforce
the stomach qi to relieve stuffiness and is mainly applied to severe deficiency of the stomach qi due to erroneous
purgation manifested by vexation and restlessness, serious stuffiness of epigastrium, so increasing the dosage of Zhi Gan
Cao (licorice root for reinforcement); Huang Lian (Coptis Decoction) can harmonizes cold and heat equally and is
mainly applied to symptoms of irritable feverish sensation in chest, vomiting and abdominal pain, so removing Huang Qin
(scutellaria root) from Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang (Pinellia Heart-Purging Decoction) and adding cassia twig to disperse the
stomach cold.
(Aidus & E-fong Herbal Solution)