Lei Shi Qing Liang Di Shu Fa

Source: Discussion of Seasonal Disorders (1882)

Category: Formulas that Dispel Summerheat

Pattern: Severe Summerheat disorders with Damp-Heat, Summerheat diarrhoea and lurking Summerheat

Key Symptoms: Fever, sweating, thirst, irritability, urinary difficulty, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting
Secondary Symptoms: Also treats a range of painful urinary dribbling disorders, papules, sores and prickly heat

Ingredients

Hua Shi

Pinyin: Hua Shi Chinese: 滑石 Pharmaceutical: Talcum / Magnesium Silicate Taxonomy: Mg₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂ English: Talc / Talcum Powder
Tastes: Sweet, bland and cold Meridians Entered: Bladder, Lung and Stomach
Actions & Indications: Promotes urination and drains Heat from the Urinary Bladder (aids the movement of gravel and stones), (expels Damp-Heat) Hot Painful Urinary Dysfunction (Lin Syndrome) with hot, painful urination, dark, painful, burning, scanty urine Damp-Heat diarrhoea Qi Level Heat with Dampness with unremitting fever, heavy feeling in the body, thirst, yellow tongue coat Releases Summeheat and resolves Dampness Summerheat (fever, urinary difficulty, thirst) Absorbs Dampness and clears Heat (topically) Damp skin lesions (eczema, damp sores, prickly heat) Stops bleeding due to Heat Heat type bleeding Nosebleed, vomiting blood (taken internally) Bleeding from wounds and sores (topical) Aids fasting Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of minerals which can, with protracted taking, make the body light, free from hunger and prolong life. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).
Standard Dosage: 10-20g in decoction, or applied externally. Cautions: Talc can cause granulomas in the rectum, vagina or wounds and prolonged external use has also been linked to ovarian (Wentzensen & O'Brien, 2021), stomach (Chang et al., 2020) and lung (Chang et al., 2017) cancer but other reviews contradict these findings (Goodman et al., 2020) suggesting this may only be an effect seen in rats (Prueitt et al., 2024). For safety it should therefore not be used for prolonged periods. It should also not be in inhaled as it can cause lung irritation and remain in the body for up to 40 years (Johnson, 2021). Mineral products are prohibited from use in the UK under the Medicines Act 1968 ch. 67 which restricts herbalists to the use of plant products only. It is generally substituted with Chi Fu Ling and Ze Xie.

Gan Cao

2.4g

Pinyin: Gan Cao Chinese: 甘草 Pharmaceutical: Radix Glycyrrhizae Taxonomy: Glycyrrhiza uralensis seu glabra seu inflata English: Liquorice Root
Tastes: Sweet, slightly cold Meridians Entered: Heart, Lung and Spleen (and all 12 meridians)
Actions & Indications: Tonifies the Spleen and augments Qi Spleen Qi Deficiency with shortness of breath, lassitude and loose stools Qi and Blood Deficiency with an irregular pulse and/or palpitations Heart Qi Deficiency or Heart Yang Deficiency Moistens the Lungs, resolves Phlegm and stops coughing Lung Heat or Cold Productive or non-productive coughing Moderates spasms and alleviates pain Painful muscle spasms of the abdomen and legs Clears Heat and relieves Fire Toxicity Raw for Toxic Heat with sore throat or carbuncles and sores (Chuang Yung) Antidote for many toxic substances (internal and topical) Poisoning Bites (after washing the wound, chew Gan Cao and apply a thick layer on the bite wound, changing whenever it dries out; Bao Xiang-Ao, 1846, New Compilation of Proven Formulas) Moderates and harmonizes the harsh properties of other herbs and guides the herbs to all twelve channels Often added in small doses to harmonise formulas Tonifies the Qi while suppressing Parasites Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998) Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015) Aids fasting Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, make the body light and prolong life. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).
Standard Dosage: Typically 1.5-9g in decoction. Large doses can be up 30g. Cautions: It is contraindicated for combining with Hai Zao, Da Ji, Gan Sui and Yuan Hua because of "eighteen antagonisms". It is also contraindicated in cases of dampness obstruction in middle energizer and edema because it can help dampness obstruct qi, and it is prohibited from long-term usage in large dosage (more than 20g/day) and should be avoided or used with extreme caution in patients with high blood pressure because it may raise aldosterone levels in the blood causing retention of sodium. The NHS recommends avoiding during pregnancy.

4.5g

Xi Gua

1pc

Subsitutions:
In the UK Hua Shi must be substituted. For Summerheat use Xiang Ru and Bai Bian Dou. For Damp-Heat in the Bladder or skin use Chi Fu Ling and Ze Xie.

Preparation: Decoction.

Actions: Guides out Summerheat through the urine and clears Heat from the Heart

Notes:
For the same conditions as Liu Yi San with more severe presentation.

Research Links:

American Dragon

TCMWiki

Journal of Chinese Medicine

National Resource Centre for Chinese Materia Medica, China

TCM-ID Integrated Database, East China Normal University

TCM-ID Information Database, National University of Singapore

Pubmed

Science Direct

Google Scholar

Bai Du (Chinese)

A+ Medical Encyclopedia (Chinese)

Reference Notes: (click to display)

These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted.

Herb Formulas Notebook

Master Lei's Method for Clearing, Cooling and Scouring Out Summerheat