San Ren Tang, Three Nut Decoction, is built on three kernels — Xing Ren, Bai Dou Kou and Yi Yi Ren — with Hou Po, Ban Xia, Tong Cao, Dan Zhu Ye and Hua Shi. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that clear Damp-Heat.

Herb

Amount

15 g

6 g

6 g

9 g

18 g

6 g

6 g

18 g

Actions and indications

Opens and moves Qi through the three burners

Early-stage Damp-Warmth or Damp-Heat in which Damp predominates, at the Wei or Qi level
Summerheat with Damp; Heat in the Upper Jiao
Stifling feeling in the chest, fullness of chest and abdomen, and loss of appetite
Nausea

Clears Damp-Heat

Low fever worse in the afternoon that lingers and does not break with sweating
Headache with a heavy head, as if wrapped; heavy, aching body; tiredness
Chills or dislike of cold
No thirst, or thirst without wanting to drink
Sallow, pale yellow complexion
Tongue normal with a white or greasy white coat; pulse wiry, thin and soggy, or soft, or floating and soft

Modern uses

Fever of unknown origin
Postoperative fever
Undulant fever and brucellosis
Typhoid and enteric fever
Rheumatic fever
Influenza
Sunstroke
Altitude stress
Morning sickness
Nausea
Anorexia
Abdominal fullness and distention
Gastritis
Gastroenteritis
Colitis
Bacillary dysentery
Biliary ascariasis
Cholecystitis
Hepatitis
Hernia
Urinary irritation
Pyelonephritis and pyelitis
Chronic glomerulonephritis
Oliguria
Priapism
Impotence
Chronic bronchitis
Pneumonia
Cardiopulmonary diseases
Otitis media
Nasal pain
Lymphadenitis
Arthritis
Middle back pain
Restless leg syndrome
Headache
Dizziness and vertigo
Obesity with dizziness
Epilepsy
Diabetes
Chronic fatigue syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis and fatigue
Epstein-Barr virus syndrome
Spontaneous perspiration
Poor eyesight in HIV/AIDS
Cataracts with excessive tearing
Damp-Heat skin conditions

Modifications

Bad headache and chilliness: + huo xiang, + zi su ye

Marked fever with a red tongue and dark urine: + yin chen hao, + zhi zi, + huang qin

High fever yet chilly: + huo xiang, + xiang ru

Malaria-like disorders: + yin chen hao, + cao guo

Worse oppression in the chest with focal epigastric distention: + qian hu, + huo xiang

Amber-coloured urine: + jin yin hua, + lian qiao, + pu gong ying

Clearly more Damp than Heat: + cang zhu, + shi chang pu, + cao guo

Strong Qi-level Heat with high fever, heavy sweating, heavy body, flushed face, thirst and irritability: + shi gao, + zhi mu, + cang zhu, − zhi ban xia, − hou po

Heat injuring fluids with thirst, dry lips, a dry yellow coat and red tongue edges and tip: + mai men dong, + tian hua fen, − zhi ban xia, − hou po

Onset of warm disease with Damp at the Wei level: + huo xiang, + xiang ru

Chills alternating with fever: + qing hao, + cao guo

Heat leaving the mouth tasting bitter: + huang lian, + huang qin

Show all 67 modifications

Distended, full epigastrium and abdomen with a sense of unfinished bowel movement: + lai fu zi, + shen qu
Damp-Heat obstructing the channels and collaterals: + qin jiao, + wei ling xian, + si gua luo
Blurred vision: + che qian zi, + chong wei zi, + zhi zi
Marked loss of appetite: + shi chang pu
Loose stools that are hard to pass: + zhi shi
Intense Damp-Heat: + huang lian, + ze lan
Slimy mouth with a bland taste: + huo xiang, + ze lan
Nausea and vomiting: + jiang zhu ru, + huo xiang
Fever: + huang qin, + huang lian, + huo xiang
Pneumonia with Heat: + da qing ye
Pneumonia with heavy sweating: + sang bai pi
Pneumonia in a weak, deficient patient: + tai zi shen
Pneumonia with injured fluids: + sha shen
Pneumonia with constipation: + gua lou ren
Catarrhal otitis media with blocked nose: + ma huang, + shi chang pu
Catarrhal otitis media with fluid in the ear: + ze xie, + che qian zi, + ting li zi
Acute hepatitis with jaundice: + yin chen hao, + tu yin chen, + zhi zi
Cholecystitis with dislike of cold and a bitter taste: + chai hu, + huang qin
Cholecystitis with pain under the ribs: + yan hu suo, + yu jin
Cholecystitis with nausea, vomiting and a distended abdomen: + huo xiang, + pei lan
Cholecystitis with jaundice: + yin chen hao
Cholecystitis with aversion to fatty or oily food: + shan zha, + mai ya, + shen qu
Cholecystitis with constipation: + zhi shi
Glomerulonephritis: + zhu ye (dan), + shi wei, + bai mao gen
Gastroenteritis: + shan zha tan, + gan cao
Priapism: + huai niu xi, + wang bu liu xing, + che qian zi, + pu gong ying
Altitude stress with a viral infection at the same time: + chai hu, + fang feng
Altitude stress causing palpitations and poor sleep: + wu wei zi, + dan shen, + shou wu teng
Altitude stress with a hard cough: + ting li zi, + chuan bei mu
Altitude stress with nosebleed: + bai mao gen, + mo han lian, − zhi ban xia
Chronic glomerulonephritis where urine will not flow easily: + chi xiao dou, + lian qiao, + zhi ma huang
Chronic glomerulonephritis with toxic-Heat sores on the skin: + jin yin hua, + tu fu ling, + pu gong ying, + zi hua di ding
Chronic glomerulonephritis with sluggish bowels: + tao ren, + yu li ren
Chronic glomerulonephritis with blood in the urine: + xiao ji, + sheng di huang, + qian cao gen, + bai mao gen
Loss of appetite with heavy Damp: + huo xiang, + shi chang pu
Loss of appetite with more Heat: + zhi zi, + huang lian
Loss of appetite with lingering exterior signs: + zi su ye
Pronounced Heat signs: + jin yin hua, + lian qiao, + qing hao
Spontaneous sweating with intense Damp-Heat: + huang lian, + huang qin, + zhi zi
Spontaneous sweating with fever, dislike of cold and headache: + huo xiang, + pei lan, + dan dou chi
Spontaneous sweating with poor appetite: + shi chang pu
Spontaneous sweating with loose stools that are hard to pass: + zhi shi
Spontaneous sweating with difficult urination: + ze xie, + che qian zi, + fu ling pi
Spontaneous sweating with a slimy, bland taste in the mouth: + huo xiang, + pei lan
Spontaneous sweating with nausea and vomiting: + jiang zhi zhu ru, + huo xiang
Middle back pain with sneezing and nasal discharge: + huo xiang, + yu xing cao
Middle back pain with poor appetite: + pei lan, + mai ya
Diarrhea along with mid-back pain: + fu ling, + bai zhu
Middle back pain with high fever: + huang lian, + shi gao
Nasal pain: + jie geng
Nasal pain with loss of smell: + jie geng, + xin yi hua, + cang er zi
Painful nose running yellow mucus: + jie geng, + ku shen, + dong gua zi
Nasal pain with poor appetite: + jie geng, + sha ren
Painful nose and loose stools: + jie geng, + cang zhu
Poor vision with HIV/AIDS: dim sight, floaters, inflammatory exudate, full chest and epigastrium, poor appetite, slimy yellow coat and a soft, rapid pulse: + gu jing cao, + sha yuan zi, − hua shi

Cautions

contraindication Only for Damp-Heat in which Damp outweighs Heat; not for pure Heat, Dry Heat or fever from Yin deficiency

caution Give for a limited course and stop once the Damp-Heat has cleared: its drying, draining herbs can deplete fluids and Yin over time

caution Misreading this fever as an exterior Cold or Yin-deficiency fever and treating it with strong sweating, purging or rich, moistening tonics can push the illness deeper

caution Ban Xia must be used in its processed form; the raw herb is toxic

Pinyin

san ren tang

English Name

Three Nut Decoction

san ren tang

About san ren tang

Ingredients

Actions and indications

Opens and moves Qi through the three burners

Clears Damp-Heat

Modern uses

Symptoms

Modifications

Cautions

Preparation

Names

Classification

Support