四逆汤

Name

Decoction for Resuscitation

Source

The book Shang Han Lun

Ingredients

• Fu Zi (Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata) 5-10 g,
• Gan Jiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis) 6-9 g,
• Zhi Gan Cao (Radix Glycyrrhizae Preparata) 6 g.

Explanation

Fu Zi: The principal drug, being pungent and sweet in flavor and very hot and toxic in nature, being good at supporting the congenital true fire of Ming Men, promoting the circulation of Qi and blood throughout the twelve regular channels, used raw to act on the whole body rapidly to warm up Yang-Qi and dispel cold.

Gan Jiang: warming the Yang-Qi of the middle-Jiao to remove cold in the interior, assisting Fu Zi in promoting the generation of Yang-Qi.

Zhi Gan Cao: Detoxicating and relieving the drastic and pungent nature of Gan Jiang and Fu Zi.

Effect

Recuperating depleted Yang and rescuing patients from collapse.

Indications

Shaoyin disease manifested as cold limbs, aversion to cold, lying with the extremities drawn up, vomiting, no thirst, abdominal pain, diarrhea, listlessness, inclination to sleep, whitish slippery tongue coating and feeble thready pulse, or syndrome due to Yang depletion from misuse of diaphoresis; including such diseases with the above symptoms as chronic colitis, pneumonia, dehydration, etc.

Administration

Fu Zi is decocted in water for 1 hour and then all the other drugs are added and decocted together for the decoction. The decoction is taken warm twice. The drugs of this prescription are most warm and dry. When used to treat a patient with flushed face and restlessness, a sign of the syndrome of "true cold in nature with pseudo-heat symptoms", the decoction should be taken cold. Or else, dryness in the upper-jiao will be made severe, resulting in nasal bleeding.