huang lian e jiao tang

Coptis and Ass-Hide Gelatin Decoction

About huang lian e jiao tang

Huang Lian E Jiao Tang, Coptis and Ass-Hide Gelatin Decoction, is Huang Lian, Huang Qin, E Jiao, Shao Yao and Ji Zi Huang — the last being egg yolk. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that nourish the Heart and calm the Spirit, and records it as nourishing Kidney Yin while draining Heart Fire.

Ingredients

Herb	Amount
huang lian	12 g
huang qin	6 g
e jiao	9 g
shao yao	6 g
ji zi huang	2 g

Actions and indications

Nourishes Kidney Yin

Fire from Yin deficiency: depleted Kidney and Heart Yin can no longer anchor Heart Fire, so the Heart and Kidney fail to communicate (Shao Yin Heat)
Dry mouth and throat, dizziness and rough skin
Heat felt in the palms and soles
Nocturnal emission

Drains Heart Fire and directs Qi downward

Heat felt in the chest, with a flushed face, a distended chest and a heavy head
Ulcers of the tongue or mouth
Scanty, yellow urine
Heat in the Blood level with dysentery from Heat toxin and fresh blood in the stool
Tongue red or deep red and dry, with a dry yellow coat; pulse thin and rapid

Calms the Shen and eases irritability

Insomnia, above all difficulty falling asleep, with an inability to lie down and rest
Irritability, restlessness, fidgeting and anxiety
Palpitations

Modern uses

Neurasthenia
Recovery after an infectious disease
Aphthous ulcers
Dysentery
Chronic bacillary dysentery
Insomnia
Sleep disturbance around menopause
Mental and emotional disorders
Autonomic dystonia
Hypertension
Nonspecific proctitis
Chronic hepatitis
Viral hepatitis
Peptic ulcer
Anxiety
Anxiety neurosis
Menopausal syndrome
Involutional psychosis
Hysteria
Palpitations, including palpitations linked to anxiety
Panic attacks
Glossitis
Tongue pain
Schizophrenia
Neurosis
Nocturnal emissions
Sore throat
Bleeding
Pneumonia
Intestinal fever
Scarlet fever
Cerebral haemorrhage
Pruritus
Erectile dysfunction
Diabetes mellitus
Rectal tuberculous ulceration
Hyperthyroidism
Preventing early ovarian failure
Oliguria
PTSD (post-traumatic stress)
Shock
Low-grade fever
Coronary heart disease
Depression
Bipolar disorder
Haematuria
Forgetfulness
Urinary tract infections

Symptoms

Anxiety
Blood in stools
Chest fullness
Dark urine
Dizziness
Dry mouth
Dry skin
Dry throat
Five-center heat
Flushed face
Heat sensation in the chest
Heavy head
Inability to lie flat
Insomnia
Irritability
Mouth ulcers
Palpitations
Restlessness
Scanty urination
Spermatorrhea

Modifications

Marked Yin deficiency with dry throat from injured fluids: + xuan shen, + mai men dong, + shi hu
Heat in the five centres with restlessness: + zhi zi, + dan zhu ye
Fever with dark urine: + deng xin cao, + tong cao, + bai mao gen
Purpura or bleeding gums: + nu zhen zi, + mo han lian, + mu dan pi, + sheng di huang
Bloody, pus-filled dysentery: + sheng di huang, − ji zi huang
Nocturnal emission or premature ejaculation: + huang bai, − huang qin
Waking easily: + zhen zhu mu, + mu li
Preventing premature ovarian failure when Heart and Kidney fail to communicate (combined with Gui Shen Wan)
Dysentery in Yin deficiency with lingering Damp-Heat (combined with Er Zhi Wan): + dang gui, + sheng di huang, + shi hu, + mai men dong, + mu dan pi, + wu mei
Dysentery in Yin deficiency with lingering Damp-Heat and heavy bleeding: + dang gui, + sheng di huang, + shi hu, + mai men dong, + mu dan pi, + wu mei, + mo han lian, + di yu tan
Dysentery in Yin deficiency with lingering Damp-Heat and hard-to-pass stools: + dang gui, + sheng di huang, + shi hu, + mai men dong, + mu dan pi, + wu mei, + gua lou, + xuan shen
Dysentery in Yin deficiency with heavy lingering Damp-Heat: + dang gui, + sheng di huang, + shi hu, + mai men dong, + mu dan pi, + wu mei, + bai hua she she cao, + qin pi

Show all 36 modifications

Dysentery in Yin deficiency with lingering Damp-Heat and poor sleep or anxiety: + dang gui, + sheng di huang, + shi hu, + mai men dong, + mu dan pi, + wu mei, + zhen zhu mu
Dysentery in Yin deficiency with lingering Damp-Heat and low or afternoon fever: + dang gui, + sheng di huang, + shi hu, + mai men dong, + mu dan pi, + wu mei, + yin chai hu
Stomach Fire with Yin deficiency, in dysentery or peptic ulcer: + bai mao gen, + mo han lian, + ou jie
Deafness and tinnitus: + ci shi, + shi chang pu
Anxiety neurosis, panic disorder, palpitations, neurasthenia, low-grade fever, menopausal syndrome, coronary heart disease or hyperthyroidism: + long gu, + mu li, + ji zi huang
Insomnia: + fu shen, + suan zao ren, + rou gui, + yuan zhi
Severe insomnia: + fu shen, + suan zao ren, + rou gui, + yuan zhi, + zhu sha, + hu po
Insomnia with marked Yin-deficiency Heat: + fu shen, + suan zao ren, + rou gui, + yuan zhi, + xuan shen, + sheng di huang
Insomnia with dizziness: + fu shen, + suan zao ren, + rou gui, + yuan zhi, + zhen zhu mu, + long gu
Insomnia with tinnitus: + fu shen, + suan zao ren, + rou gui, + yuan zhi, + ci shi
Insomnia with seminal emissions: + fu shen, + suan zao ren, + rou gui, + yuan zhi, + huang bai, + zhi mu
Urinary stones (combined with Wu Wei Xiao Du Yin): + huang bai, + zhi zi, − e jiao, − bai shao
Tongue pain: + ji zi huang, + dan zhu ye
Tongue pain with thirst: + ji zi huang, + dan zhu ye, + tian hua fen, + sheng di huang
Tongue pain with palpitations: + ji zi huang, + dan zhu ye, + song jie, + ye jiao teng
Tongue pain and night sweats: + ji zi huang, + dan zhu ye, + wu wei zi, + mu li
Tongue pain with insomnia: + ji zi huang, + dan zhu ye, + suan zao ren, + bai zi ren
Tongue pain and dry stools: + ji zi huang, + dan zhu ye, + xuan shen, + lu hui
Neurosis: + sheng di huang, + dang gui, + mai men dong, + suan zao ren, + ye jiao teng, + fu shen, + wu wei zi, + dan shen, + zhi gan cao, − huang qin
Neurosis with serious insomnia: + sheng di huang, + dang gui, + mai men dong, + suan zao ren, + ye jiao teng, + fu shen, + wu wei zi, + dan shen, + zhi gan cao, + long gu, + mu li, − huang qin
Neurosis with marked Yin deficiency and sore lower back and knees: + sheng di huang, + dang gui, + mai men dong, + suan zao ren, + ye jiao teng, + fu shen, + wu wei zi, + dan shen, + zhi gan cao, + shu di huang, + gou qi zi, − huang qin
Insomnia with a red face, vertigo and tinnitus: + mu li, + gui ban, + ci shi
Severe insomnia needing stronger calming of the Shen: + fu shen, + suan zao ren, + long chi
More depleted Yin needing stronger nourishment: + sheng di huang

Cautions

contraindication Suited only to a true pattern of Fire from Yin deficiency; it is not a general sedative or an all-purpose Heat-clearing formula
contraindication Avoid, or use carefully, when Yang of the Spleen or Middle Jiao is deficient, with loose stools, cold limbs or a poor appetite
contraindication Not for exterior conditions such as early Cold damage, nor for excess Fire with no Yin deficiency beneath it
caution Huang Lian and Huang Qin are bitter and cold and can harm Spleen Yang over long use; E Jiao is rich and hard to digest when the Spleen is weak
caution The egg yolk is added raw, so egg quality and food safety (for example pasteurised eggs) matter, especially for elderly, pregnant or immunocompromised patients
pregnancy Pregnancy calls for a practitioner's supervision, since the formula holds both bitter-cold herbs and herbs that nourish Blood

Preparation

Two-stage decoction: Bai Shao, Huang Lian and Huang Qin are boiled and strained, E Jiao is melted into the hot liquid, and raw egg yolk is stirred in once it has cooled a little; taken warm in divided portions through the day

Names

Pinyin	huang lian e jiao tang
English Name	Coptis and Ass-Hide Gelatin Decoction

Classification

Category: Formulas that Nourish the Heart and Calm the Spirit