Jia Jian Ba Zheng San - 加減八正散 - Modified Eight Herb Powder for Rectification

Author: Zhu Dan-Xi, 朱丹溪

Year: 1732

Source: Essential Teachings of Dan-Xi (Dan Xi Xin Fa, 丹溪心法)

Category: Formulas that Expel Dampness

Pattern: Damp-Heat in the Bladder or lower Jiao with weak Yang Qi

Key Symptoms: Dark, turbid, scanty, difficult and painful urination, urinary retention, lower abdominal distention and pain
Secondary Symptoms: Dry mouth and throat, fatigue

Tongue: Greasy, yellow coating
Pulse: Slippery, rapid
Abdomen: Lower abdominal tenderness and fullness

Ingredients

Mu Tong

3-6g

Hua Shi

12-30g

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.

Che Qian Zi

9-15g

Qu Mai

6-12g

Bian Xu

6-12g

Zhi Zi

3-9g

Da Huang

6-9g

(wine washed)

Pinyin: Da Huang Chinese: 大黄 Pharmaceutical: Radix et Rhizoma Rhei Taxonomy: Rheum palmatum English: Chinese Rhubarb Root
Tastes: Bitter, cold Meridians Entered: Large Intestine, Spleen, Stomach, Liver and Heart
Actions & Indications: Drains Heat and purges accumulations Intestinal Heat Excess, with high fever, profuse sweating, thirst, constipation, abdominal distention and pain, delirium, a yellow tongue coat and a full pulse Yang-Ming Fu Stage Qi Level Heat in the Intestines Drains Fire Fire from Excess with intense fever, sore throat, and painful eyes and constipation Fire toxin sores due to Xue Level Heat, especially with constipation Clears Heat, transforms Dampness and promotes urination Damp-Heat with oedema, jaundice, painful urinary dysfunction and acute, hot dysenteric disorders Drains Heat from the Blood Bloody stool either from hemorrhoids or Heat in the Intestines Chaotic movement of hot Blood with hemoptysis or epistaxis with constipation It can be powdered and administered orally for bleeding in the upper digestive tract Invigorates the Blood and dispels Blood Stasis Blood Stasis with amenorrhea, fixed abdominal masses or fixed pain Blood Stasis due to traumatic injury Intestinal abscess Clears Heat and reduces Fire toxicity Topically or internally for burns or skin lesions (Chuang Yung) due to Heat Clears Heat and eliminates Phlegm Chronic Accumulation of Phlegm-Heat with cough, dyspnea, mania, disorientation and other symptoms of Phlegm Misting the Heart
Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction. Excessive decoction will reduce the purgative action. Therefore it should be added at end to achieve this purpose and over-decocted to eliminate this action. Cautions: It should be used with caution in case of spleen and stomach deficiency for its bitter and cold property which is easily to damage stomach qi. It is contraindicated to women during pregnancy, menstruation or lactation for it has actions of activating blood and resolving stasis, and can make the purged substances follow lactating out.

Deng Xin Cao

3-6g

Zhi Gan Cao

3-9g

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.

Mu Xiang

3-9g

Subsitutions:
In UK Mu Tong must be substituted for Tong Cao and a larger dose of Qu Mai. Hua Shi must also be substituted for Chi Fu Ling and Ze Xie.

Preparation: Decoction.

Actions: Clears Heat, drains Fire, promotes urination, unblocks painful urinary dribbling, protects the Yang Qi from injury by Cold, bitter herbs

Contraindications: Long term use can cause weakness, light headedness, palpitations and a loss of appetite. Should not be used for deficiency Cold patterns or pregnancy without significant modification

Notes:
Dan-Xi's addition of Mu Xiang helps to protect the Yang Qi from injury by the Cold and bitter herbs. This means that the indications for this formula will be the same as for the unmodified version but there may be signs of Yang Qi deficiency accompanying the presentation, or it may be preventative because the formula is intended for longer than usual use.

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

加 減 八 正 散  Jia Jian Ba Zheng San

Modified Eight Herb Powder for Rectification