Liu Du-Zhou

Tiny Formulas: Gan Cao Gan Jiang Tang

licorice_root-gan_caoLicorice and Ginger Decoction (gān cǎo gān jiāng tāng) is a most useful tiny formula to understand.  I hope readers take some time with this post so that this a real relationship with this little building block of so many formulas can sink in.  In another post, this formula is mentioned as part of the formula Cinnamon Twig, Poria, Schisandra, and Licorice Decoction, remove cinnamon, add Ginger, Asari, and Pinellia (guì líng wǔ wèi gān cǎo qu gui jia jiang xin xia tāng).  Although the proportions are different, the two herbs, Gan Cao and Gan Jiang are in many formulas such as Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang, Gan Cao Xie Xin Tang, Si Ni Tang, Li Zhong Wan and many more.  Below we see that Pao Jiang is sometimes used in place of Gan Jiang when there is bleeding.  This combination can be seen in the formula Sheng Hua Tang (click to read a post on this formula). Many formulas include Sheng Jiang and Gan Cao.  It is not uncommon in my practice to substitute Gan Jiang for Sheng Jiang in certain formulas such as Wen Jing Tang, thereby integrating the ideas of Gan Cao Gan Jiang Tang

By |2017-12-29T19:11:54-08:00September 29th, 2015|Classic Formulas, Liu Du-Zhou|1 Comment

Introduction to the 10-Month Jing Fang Course

I am giving you a link to a short presentation that introduces the course, professor Feng Shi-Lun, a summary of his approach to classic formulas, the course content and an introduction to our wonderful team of translators who are working on the supplemental material for the course.

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