qing gu san

Cool the Bones Powder

About qing gu san

Qing Gu San, Cool the Bones Powder, is Yin Chai Hu, Zhi Mu, Hu Huang Lian, Di Gu Pi, Qing Hao, Qin Jiao, Bie Jia and Gan Cao.

Ingredients

Herb	Amount
yin chai hu	4.5 g
zhi mu	3 g
hu huang lian	3 g
di gu pi	3 g
qing hao	3 g
qin jiao	3 g
bie jia	3 g
gan cao	1.5 g

Actions and indications

Clears deficiency Heat and relieves steaming-bone disorder

Steaming-bone Heat from depleted Kidney and Liver Yin, usually after a long illness or a febrile disease that has not fully resolved, with the deficiency Heat marked rather than mild
Heat felt rising from deep in the bones
Heat in the palms, soles and chest, flushed cheeks and red lips
Night sweats
Anxiety, restlessness and irritability, with poor sleep and many dreams
Dry mouth and throat with thirst and a wish to drink, and scanty yellow urine
Wasting and emaciation, lethargy and dry skin

Reduces tidal fever

Long-standing low-grade or tidal fever, in the afternoon, evening or at night
Tongue red and dry with little or no coat; pulse thin and rapid

Modern uses

Fever
Low-grade or tidal fever that lingers after the acute stage of an illness
Historically, the afternoon fevers of consumptive illness such as lung tuberculosis
Intestinal tuberculosis
Fever that lingers after chemotherapy or radiotherapy, alongside conventional care
Night sweats and hot flashes of menopause from Yin deficiency
Anxiety
Insomnia
Night sweats
Rheumatic fever
Fever after a wound
Chronic leukemia
Cervical lymphadenopathy
Dry skin

Symptoms

Anxiety
Dark urine
Dream-disturbed sleep
Dry mouth
Dry skin
Dry throat
Emaciation
Fatigue
Five-center heat
Insomnia
Irritability
Low-grade fever
Malar flush
Night sweats
Red lips
Restlessness
Scanty urination
Steaming bone sensation
Thirst
Tidal fever

Modifications

Blood deficiency: + dang gui, + bai shao, + sheng di huang
Cough: + e jiao, + mai men dong, + wu wei zi
Poor appetite with soft stools: + bai bian dou, + shan yao, − hu huang lian, − qin jiao, − zhi mu
Pale, wan face with a weak voice and shallow breathing: + huang qi, + dang shen
Yin deficiency more marked than the tidal fever: + sheng di huang, − hu huang lian
Qi deficiency: + huang qi
Marked Yin deficiency (combined with Da Bu Yin Wan): + mai men dong, + sheng di huang
Fever with severe insomnia: + sheng di huang, + suan zao ren, + bai zi ren, + ye jiao teng
Fever where Yin is badly depleted: + sheng di huang, + he shou wu, + xuan shen, + suan zao ren
Fever with profuse night sweats: + sheng di huang, + mu li, + fu xiao mai, + nuo dao gen
Fever with weakness, vertigo or shortness of breath: + sheng di huang, + mai men dong, + wu wei zi, + bei sha shen
Fever: + sheng di huang

Show all 16 modifications

Fever, as an alternative choice: + suan zao ren
Fever with Qi deficiency: + suan zao ren, + tai zi shen, + bei sha shen, + mai men dong
Fever with writhing of the hands and feet from internal Wind: + suan zao ren, + bie jia, + bai shao, + mu li, + sheng di huang
Blood deficiency with tidal fever: + dang gui

Cautions

contraindication Any presentation without a true pattern of Heat from Yin deficiency, since the formula is almost all bitter and cold
contraindication Excess Heat, or fever from an exterior Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat attack: it is not a general fever remedy and may drive an unresolved pathogen deeper
caution Spleen deficiency or a cold constitution: it can damage Spleen and Stomach Yang and upset digestion
caution In prolonged courses the cold, heavy herbs (Hu Huang Lian, Zhi Mu, Bie Jia) may upset digestion; if the stools loosen or appetite drops, add Spleen-supporting herbs
caution Where Yin deficiency is severe, more Yin tonics should be added
pregnancy Contains Di Gu Pi, which cools the Blood, and Bie Jia, a softening shell; use only under professional guidance

Preparation

Usually cooked as a decoction despite the name, with Bie Jia dry-fried beforehand; taken warm for a limited course while the pattern is reassessed; also made as pills

Names

Pinyin	qing gu san
English Name	Cool the Bones Powder