dao chi san

Guide out the Red Powder

導赤散

About dao chi san

Dao Chi San (導赤散), Guide out the Red Powder, is Sheng Di Huang, Mu Tong, Dan Zhu Ye and Gan Cao Shao. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that clear Heat from the organs, and records it as clearing the Heart, draining Heat downward and promoting urination.

Ingredients

Herb	Amount
sheng di huang	15 g
mu tong	3 g
dan zhu ye	3 g
gan cao shao	3 g

Actions and indications

Clears the Heart and drains Heat downward

Heat in the Heart channel, or Heart Heat passing to the Small Intestine; Heart Fire flaring upward
Irritability and restlessness with a hot feeling in the chest, fidgeting, a red face and fever
Thirst for cold drinks
Ulcers or sores on the tongue and in the mouth
In children, restlessness and crying at night
Tiredness
Tongue red, most of all at the tip; pulse rapid

Nourishes Yin

Heart and Kidney Yin deficiency underlying the excess Heat

Promotes urination and relieves Lin syndrome

Excess Heat in the Small Intestine
Urine dark, scanty, hot and short, passed with a rough, hesitant flow
Stabbing pain on urination, with blood in the urine at times

Modern uses

Stomatitis
Aphthous stomatitis (ulcers of the mouth and tongue that recur)
Canker sores
Oral herpes
Oral cavity infection
Thrush
Glossitis
Tongue pain
Tongue ulcers
Bad breath
Toothache
Sore throat
Infectious parotitis
Acute urinary tract infections
Irritation of the lower urinary tract with dark, scanty, painful urine
Urethritis
Cystitis
Acute glomerulonephritis
Dysuria
Strangury
Hematuria
Oliguria
Gonorrhea
Prostatitis
Prostatic hypertrophy
Spermatorrhea
Infertility
Amenorrhea
Herpes zoster
Acute eczema
Exanthema maculosum
Blepharitis
Pterygium
Red eyes
Tinnitus
Deafness
Dizziness
Constipation
Low back pain
Congestive heart failure
Nightmares
Children who are restless and cry at night
Anxiety neurosis
Panic disorder
Neurasthenia
Neurosis
Depression
Bipolar disorder
Senility
Alzheimer's disease
Fatigue
Myalgic encephalomyelitis
Epstein-Barr virus syndrome

Symptoms

Dark urine
Difficult urination
Fatigue
Fever
Flushed face
Heat sensation in the chest
Hematuria
Irritability
Mouth ulcers
Night crying
Painful urination
Preference for cold drinks
Restlessness
Scanty urination
Sores
Thirst

Modifications

Blood in the urine: + han lian cao, + bai mao gen, + xiao ji, + che qian zi
Blazing Heart Fire: + huang lian
Mouth ulcers (combined with Wu Ling San)
Yin deficiency: + shi hu, + zhi mu
Painful urinary dribbling with blood from Blood Heat: + han lian cao, + xiao ji, − dan zhu ye
Severe urinary infection: + zhi zi, + che qian zi
Irritability with heat in the chest: + huang lian, + huang qin
Blood-type painful urination (Xue Lin): + mo han lian, + xiao ji, + hou po, + qu mai
Heat-type painful urination (Re Lin): + feng wei cao, + bai mao gen, + shi wei, + che qian zi, + chi fu ling
Heat-type painful urination (Re Lin), second option: + jin yin hua, + tu fu ling, + dan zhu ye, + zhi zi
Stomatitis and mouth sores: + jin yin hua, + lian qiao, + huang lian
Xue Lin with fever: + jin yin hua, + tu fu ling, + dan zhu ye, + zhi zi, + qing hao, + chai hu

Show all 59 modifications

Night crying in infants: + zhen zhu mu, + gou teng
Prostatic hypertrophy from Damp-Heat (combined with Ba Zheng San)
Xue Lin, nausea and vomiting: + jin yin hua, + tu fu ling, + dan zhu ye, + zhi zi, + huo xiang, + zhi ban xia
To strengthen the effect: + huang lian, + deng xin cao
Painful mouth ulcers (combined with Xie Huang San): + huang lian, + deng xin cao
Xue Lin with blood in the urine: + jin yin hua, + tu fu ling, + dan zhu ye, + zhi zi, + bai mao gen
Amenorrhea from Small Intestine affecting Large Intestine: + da huang
Pterygium spreading from the inner corner of the eye (combined with Ba Zheng San)
Xue Lin with edema: + jin yin hua, + tu fu ling, + dan zhu ye, + zhi zi, + che qian zi
Fever and thirst: + hua shi, + shi gao
Cystitis: + huang qin, + deng xin cao, + zhi zi
Cold sores with a red tongue tip, thirst and irritability: + huang lian, + mai men dong
Severe edema (combined with Wu Ling San)
Cold sores with constipation: + da huang, + huang qin
Macular rash (exanthema): + sheng ma, + huang lian, + mu dan pi
Shingles: + jin yin hua, + xi xin, + lian qiao
Slight hematuria: + bai mao gen, + mo han lian
Shingles on the upper body: + jin yin hua, + xi xin, + lian qiao, + chai hu
Acute eczema from Damp-Heat (combined with Huang Lian Jie Du Tang): + chi shao, + ku shen
Shingles on the lower body: + jin yin hua, + xi xin, + lian qiao, + huai niu xi
Prostatic hypertrophy from Heart Fire: + hu zhang
Mumps: + lian qiao, + huang bai, + zhi mu, + hua shi, + ban lan gen, + da qing ye, + dan zhu ye, + zhi zi
Male infertility: + chi shao, + fu ling, + ze xie, + huang bai, + mu dan pi, + dan shen, + hong hua, + jin yin hua, + yu xing cao, − gan cao
Male infertility, cloudy urine: + chi shao, + fu ling, + ze xie, + huang bai, + mu dan pi, + dan shen, + hong hua, + jin yin hua, + yu xing cao, + bei xie, − gan cao
Male infertility, low back pain: + chi shao, + fu ling, + ze xie, + huang bai, + mu dan pi, + dan shen, + hong hua, + jin yin hua, + yu xing cao, + xu duan, − gan cao
Male infertility, genital swelling: + chi shao, + fu ling, + ze xie, + huang bai, + mu dan pi, + dan shen, + hong hua, + jin yin hua, + yu xing cao, + bai shao, − gan cao
Male infertility, many white cells in semen: + chi shao, + fu ling, + ze xie, + huang bai, + mu dan pi, + dan shen, + hong hua, + jin yin hua, + yu xing cao, + nu zhen zi, + mo han lian, − gan cao
Male infertility, pus in semen: + chi shao, + fu ling, + ze xie, + huang bai, + mu dan pi, + dan shen, + hong hua, + jin yin hua, + yu xing cao, + pu gong ying, + hua shi, − gan cao
Male infertility, low lecithin: + chi shao, + fu ling, + ze xie, + huang bai, + mu dan pi, + dan shen, + hong hua, + jin yin hua, + yu xing cao, + he shou wu, + gou qi zi, − gan cao
Hematuria: + zhi zi, + qu mai, + xiao ji, + bai mao gen, + hu po
Severe hematuria: + zhi zi, + qu mai, + xiao ji, + bai mao gen, + hu po, + ce bai ye, + xian he cao
Hematuria, very painful urination: + zhi zi, + qu mai, + xiao ji, + bai mao gen, + hu po, + che qian zi, + shi wei, + chao huang bai
Hematuria, insomnia, heavy dreaming and restlessness: + zhi zi, + qu mai, + xiao ji, + bai mao gen, + hu po, + bai zi ren, + suan zao ren
Hematuria, thirst: + zhi zi, + qu mai, + xiao ji, + bai mao gen, + hu po, + mai men dong, + zhi mu
Hematuria, ulcers of mouth and tongue: + zhi zi, + qu mai, + xiao ji, + bai mao gen, + hu po, + lian qiao, + jiu chao huang lian
Alzheimer's disease (combined with San Huang Xie Xin Tang): + ci shi, + xuan shen, + long gu, + zhi zi, + mu dan pi, + yu jin
Alzheimer's disease, dry mouth and throat (combined with San Huang Xie Xin Tang): + ci shi, + xuan shen, + long gu, + zhi zi, + mu dan pi, + yu jin, + mai men dong, + tian men dong, + bai he, + shi hu
Alzheimer's disease, insomnia and heavy dreaming (combined with San Huang Xie Xin Tang): + ci shi, + xuan shen, + long gu, + zhi zi, + mu dan pi, + yu jin, + suan zao ren, + ye jiao teng, + fu shen
Insomnia: + deng xin cao
Severe insomnia: + deng xin cao, + hu po, + jiu chao huang lian
Insomnia, painful urination: + deng xin cao, + huang bai, + zhi zi
Insomnia, many sores in mouth and tongue: + deng xin cao, + lian qiao, + jiu chao huang lian
Tongue pain: + zhi zi, + huang lian
Tongue pain, severe mouth and tongue ulcers: + zhi zi, + huang lian, + qing dai, + dan shen
Tongue pain, painful urination: + zhi zi, + huang lian, + xiao ji
Tongue pain, insomnia: + zhi zi, + huang lian, + suan zao ren, + deng xin cao
Tongue pain, restlessness: + zhi zi, + huang lian, + long gu, + ci shi

Cautions

caution Cold and draining, so use carefully with a deficient or cold Spleen and Stomach (poor appetite, loose stools), which it can weaken further
contraindication Not for empty Heat from Yin deficiency without excess signs
caution Meant for short courses to clear an excess pattern, not for long use
caution May not suit mouth ulcers that keep coming back
pregnancy In pregnancy, use only under professional guidance, as it drains and directs downward
caution The Mu Tong must be Chuan Mu Tong (Clematis armandii), never Guan Mu Tong (Aristolochia manshuriensis), which contains aristolochic acid and is linked to kidney damage; confirm the botanical source before dispensing

Preparation

Despite the name, today mostly boiled as a decoction and drunk warm; the original method simmered the coarsely ground herbs, at times with bamboo leaf, and drank the strained liquid; granules also exist

Names

Pinyin	dao chi san·dao chi (re) san
Chinese	導赤散
English Name	Guide out the Red Powder·Rehmannia and Akebia Formula·Powder to Conduct Heart Fire Downwards·Conduct the Redness (Heat) Powder·Powder of Fresh Rehmannia and Clematis Stem to Conduct Fire Downward·Fire-Inducing Powder

Classification

Category: Clear Heat from Organs