Angelica Six Yellow Soup

Angelica Six Yellow Soup

Rehmannia 5 qian, Shu Di 3 qian, Coptis 2 qian, Scutellaria 3 qian, Phellodendron 2 qian, Astragalus 5 qian, Angelica 3 qian Chen Xiuyuan said: For sweat caused by yin deficiency and fire disturbance, one should use Dang Gui and Shu Di to nourish yin, and also Huang Lian and Huang Qin to clear fire; thus the root cause of steaming sweat will be treated. The brilliance of this formula lies entirely in its bitter-cold nature—cold can overcome heat, and bitterness further strengthens the body. However, there is concern that excessive bitter-cold might harm the middle qi, for the middle qi is the keeper of yin. When yin is deficient, fire becomes even more active; the more active the fire, the more sweat is produced. What makes this formula particularly ingenious is that, amidst the strong bitter-cold ingredients, it doubles the amount of Huang Qi, which guides the bitter-cold properties all the way to the exterior, thereby strengthening the sweat pores and preventing them from remaining in the interior where they could cause harm. I carefully observe that all of Xiuyuan’s arguments are correct; however, his statement that Huang Qi guides the bitter-cold properties to the exterior without leaving any behind in the interior is off by a hair's breadth. After all, the purpose of medicine in treating disease is to address imbalances of cold or heat, and to treat diseases characterized by such imbalances. Therefore, one must necessarily use medicines that lean toward either cold or heat. This formula primarily treats internal heat—how could cold and cooling herbs possibly travel entirely through the skin without remaining in the interior? Moreover, Huang Qi works from the inside out to support the exterior, unlike Ma Huang, which disperses through the skin and does not remain in the interior. In my view, when internal heat causes sweating, this is symptomatic treatment. If external heat,

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Dang Gui 5 qian, Shu Di 4 qian, Chuan Xiong 1 qian, Bai Shao 3 qian, Fang Feng 3 qian, Bai Zhi 3 qian, Gao Ben 2 qian, Xi Xin 5 fen.

To treat wind, first treat the blood; once the blood flows, the wind will naturally dissipate. Whether it is hot wind or cold wind, wind always belongs to yang. The qi of heaven and earth often manifests as a stern, killing force, and when it invades the blood, it causes pain, swelling, and stiffness. Once the blood flows, the wind residing within the blood follows along; therefore, to treat wind, one must first treat the blood. This formula uses Si Wu Tang to tonify the blood as the foundation for expelling pathogenic factors, while adding wind-dispelling herbs to drive the pathogenic factors outward. The method is simple and effective. It can treat winds affecting the head, eyes, top of the spine, and other areas.

[Note] This formula originates from "Zheng Zhi Zhun Sheng." It is the primary prescription for treating tetanus.

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