葛根黄芩黄连汤

Name

Decoction of Pueraria, Scutellaria and Coptis

Source

The book Shang Han Lun

Ingredients

• Ge Gen (Radix Puerariae) 15 g,
• Zhi Gan Cao (Radix Glycyrrhizae Preparata) 6 g,
• Huang Qin (Radix Scutellariae) 9 g,
• Huang Lian (Rhizoma Coptidis) 9 g.

Explanation

Ge Gen: The principal drug, being sweet and pungent in flavor and cold in nature, removing pathogenic heat from the exterior, ascending the Qi of the spleen and stomach to treat diarrhea.

Huang Qin and Huang Lian: Clearing away heat pathogen from the stomach and intestines and dry dampness in them.

Gan Cao: Regulating the Qi of the middle-Jiao and tempering the actions of all the other ingredients.

Effect

Relieving exterior syndrome and removing heat

Indications

Unrelieved exterior syndrome complicated by pathogenic heat in the interior, marked by fever, loose stools with disagreeable odour, buring sensation in the anus, restless and heat sensation in the chest and epigastric region, dry mouth, thirst, asthma, sweating, yellowish tongue coating, and rapid pulse; including such diseases with the above symptoms as bacillary dysentery, ileotyphus, acute enteritis and infantile diarrhea.

Administration

Decocted in water for oral dose to be taken twice.