In this post I am sharing some brief discussion and 9 case studies by various doctors about Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang. There is quite a range of illnesses that can treated with this formula. It is an incredibly useful formula that I, again, use every clinic day.
Within Gui Zhi Tang there are two teeny tiny formulas. The beauty of knowing these teeny tiny formulas is that they shed immense light on the function of a larger formula that contains them.
One can see that Zhang Zhong-Jing placed this formula at the head of the formulas for the masses. It is worthy of Ke Yun-Bo’s appellation that this is the “Chief formula for the masses.”
Licorice 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
It is clear that Xiǎo Bàn Xià Tāng treats pathological presentations that include shortness of breath with rebellious cough, accompanied by vomiting and that this is what the Su Wen calls “Stomach Cough.” Zhong Jing calls this “Propping Fluids.”
You may think that you will not see patients who have excessive promotion of sweating but we should consider hot yoga and excessive exercising that many of our thin and weak patients take part in.
He suffered from heart and chest pain with palpitations, shortness of breath. This would occur mostly at night and each time it happened he would feel Qi rushing up into his throat, blocking his breath. At times he felt suffocated and his whole body would break out in a sweat as if death had arrived.
This patient had spontaneous sweating on the left side of his body while the right side of his body had no sweating at all. The demarcation line was very clear.
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.
when I discovered that he was a close student and disciple of Liú Dù-Zhōu I was intrigued. After listening to this excellent course I can say without a certainty of doubt that we have another ‘Jīng Fāng’ master in our midst" Eran Evan