Six-to-One Powder
Chinese Prescription: Liu Yi San
English Translation: Six-to-One Powder
Formula Type: Relieve Summer-heat
Actions: Clears summerheat, resolves dampness, & augments the qi.
Indications: Fever, sweating, thirst, irritability, urinary difficulty, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, a thin, yellow, & greasy tongue coating, & a soggy rapid pulse. The formula also treats a range of other presentations including painful urinary dribbling & stony painful urinary dribbling due to damp-heat in the Bladder, & damp-heat skin disorders like papules, sores, & prickly heat.
Contraindications: Because this formula may injure the qi & fluids, use with caution when treating weak, elderly, or yin-deficient patients. Contraindicated in cases with copious, clear urine or in summerheat without dampness.
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Hua Shi / Talcum |
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Taste: Sweet, Bland • Temperature: Cold • Category: Drain Damp • Sub Category: |
Dosage9-18g |
Actions1. Promotes uriantion & drains heat from the Bladder: an important substance in treating hot painful urinary dysfunction or any condition with dark, painful, burning, & scanty urine. Also used for damp-heat generated diarrhea.
2. Clears heat & releases summerheat: for summerheat disorder with fever, urinary difficulty, irritability, & thirst.
3. Absorbs dampness: applied topically for damp skin lesions.
4. Expels damp-heat through the urine: used adjunctively for heat in the qi level with dampness manifested in uremitting fevers, a heavy feeling in the body, thirst, & a yellow tongue coating. |
MeridiansStomach, Bladder |
CautionsContraindicated for Spleen qi deficiency or spermatorrhea, for depleted fluids due to a warm-febrile disease, & for excessive urination. Use with caution during pregnancy. Toxicity: can stimulate the growth of granulomas in the colon & vagina. |
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Gan Cao / Licorice Root (Chinese) |
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Taste: Sweet • Temperature: Neutral (raw root) • Category: Tonic / Harmonize • Sub Category: Tonify Qi |
Dosage2-12g |
Actions1. Tonifies the Spleen & augments the qi: commonly used for Spleen deficiency with shortness of breath, lassitude, & loose stools. Also for qi or blood deficiency patterns with an irregular or intermittent pulse & /or palpitations.
2. Moistens the Lungs & stops coughing: for coughing & wheezing. Because of its neutral properties, it can be used for either heat or cold in the Lungs.
3. Clears heat & relieves fire toxicity: used raw for carbuncles, sores, or sore throat due to fire toxin. For this purpose, it can be taken internally or applied topically.
4. Moderates spasms & alleviates pain: for painful spasms of the abdomen or legs.
5. Moderates & harmonizes the characteristics of other herbs: by virtue of its sweet, neutral, & moderating properties, this herb moderates hot & cold herbs, & mitigates the violent properties of other herbs. Since it is said to enter all 12 primary channels, it can lead & conduct other herbs into the channels.
6. Used as an antidote for a variety of toxic substances, both internally & topically.
7. The raw root clears heat & relieves toxicity, the honey-fried tonifies the middle & moderates spasms. |
MeridiansAll 12 channels (principally the Heart, Lung, Spleen, & Stomach) |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of excess dampness, nausea, or vomiting. May be in compatible with jing da ji, yuan hua, gan sui, & hai zao, & may antagonize yuan zhi. The toxicity of gan cao is very low, but if taken long-term it may cause hypertension &/or edema. Glycyrrhetinic acid has been reported to cause a reduction in the activity of the thyroid & a reducation in the basal metabolic rate. |