Zhi Sou San, Stop Coughing Powder, is Jie Geng, Jing Jie, Zi Wan, Bai Bu, Bai Qian, Gan Cao and Chen Pi. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that transform Phlegm and extinguish Wind.

Herb

Amount

10 g

10 g

10 g

10 g

10 g

4 g

5 g

Actions and indications

Stops cough and transforms Phlegm

A cough that lingers after an external Wind-Cold attack with Phlegm, once most exterior signs have gone
Itchy or tickly throat that sets off the cough, or a sore throat with Phlegm
Sputum may be profuse and hard to expectorate, thin and white, or scant with a dry, irritating cough
Shortness of breath, possibly with asthma

Diffuses and descends Lung Qi

Restores the normal rising and descending of Lung Qi in a lingering cough
Persisting for days or weeks, but without marked Heat or Dryness signs

Releases the exterior and disperses residual Wind

Tai Yang wind-stroke (zhong feng) with Phlegm
Aversion to wind and cold, with headache and mild nasal congestion; there may be chills and fever, a mild fever, or neither
Tongue normal with a thin white coat; pulse floating and moderate

Modern uses

Cough
Cough with exterior signs
Persistent cough after a viral infection
Whooping cough (pertussis)
Croup
Common cold
Influenza
Upper respiratory tract infection
Acute tonsillitis
Acute laryngitis
Chronic tracheitis
Acute bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis
Bronchial asthma
Emphysema
COPD
Dyspnea
Early-stage viral and mycoplasma pneumonia
Interstitial pneumonia
Early-stage measles
Headache
Mild fever
Chronic prostatitis

Modifications

Cough from Wind-Heat: + sang ye, + bo he

Cough from Wind-Cold: + sang ye, + fang feng, + xing ren

Cough from Wind-Cold, second option: + jing jie, + xing ren, + sang ye

Cough from Wind-Cold, third option: + xing ren, + fang feng, + qiang huo

Summer-Damp cough with a greasy tongue coat: + huo xiang, + pei lan, + xiang ru

Dry cough and sore throat: + sang ye, + sha shen, + she gan

Children with cough and fever: + jin yin hua, + niu bang zi, + huang qin, + zi su zi, + xing ren, + chuan bei mu

Chills and fever with headache and a blocked nose: + zi su ye, + fang feng, + sheng jiang

Thirst, irritability and dark urine from Interior Heat: + zhi zi, + huang qin, + tian hua fen

Early Wind-Cold: + sheng jiang

Thirst, irritability and dark urine from Summer-Heat: + huang lian, + huang qin, + tian hua fen

Damp turning into Phlegm, with thick sticky sputum: + zhi ban xia, + sang bai pi, + fu ling, + sheng jiang, + da zao

Show all 57 modifications

Dry cough without sputum, first option: + gua lou, + zhe bei mu, + zhi mu, + bai zi ren, − jing jie, − chen pi
Wind-Heat with sore throat, sore eyes, and fever greater than chills: + ju hua, + sang ye, + bo he, + niu bang zi, + huang qin
Copious sputum, poor appetite, stuffiness in the chest and a white greasy coat (combined with Er Chen Tang)
Profuse yellow sputum: + huang qin, + qing dai, + dan nan xing
Cough with a lot of sputum: + zhi ban xia, + fu ling
Dry cough without sputum, second option: + gua lou, + zhe bei mu, + zhi mu
Phlegm-Damp affecting the Lung: + huang qin, + xing ren, − jing jie
Dryness affecting the Lung: + jing jie, + bai qian, + chen pi, + sha shen, + xuan shen, + zhi mu
Cough with exterior signs: + mu dan pi, + dan shen
Lungs injured by Dryness and Heat: + mu dan pi, + dan shen, + bai he, + mai men dong
Cough with an exterior condition and profuse white sputum: + mu dan pi, + dan shen, + yuan zhi, + zhi ban xia
Cough with an exterior condition and yellow sputum: + mu dan pi, + dan shen, + sang bai pi, + huang qin
Whooping cough: + qian hu, + tao ren, + zhe bei mu, + jiang can, + di long, − bai qian, − zi wan
Whooping cough with a lot of Phlegm: + qian hu, + tao ren, + zhe bei mu, + jiang can, + di long, + zhi ban xia, + gua lou, − bai qian, − zi wan
Whooping cough with fever: + qian hu, + tao ren, + zhe bei mu, + jiang can, + di long, + jin yin hua, + pu gong ying, − bai qian, − zi wan
Whooping cough with repeated nausea and vomiting: + qian hu, + tao ren, + zhe bei mu, + jiang can, + di long, + zhi ban xia, + dai zhe shi, − bai qian, − zi wan
Whooping cough, sputum bloody: + qian hu, + tao ren, + zhe bei mu, + jiang can, + di long, + mu dan pi, + sang bai pi, − bai qian, − zi wan
Acute bronchitis: + tian zhu huang, + gua lou pi, + huang qi, + sang bai pi, + qian hu, + jin yin hua
Chronic bronchitis: + xing ren, + dan shen, − jing jie
Hot Phlegm in chronic bronchitis: + xing ren, + dan shen, + huang qi, + sang bai pi, − jing jie
Cold Phlegm in chronic bronchitis: + xing ren, + dan shen, + ma huang, + xi xin, − jing jie
Lung Dryness in chronic bronchitis: + xing ren, + dan shen, + sha shen, + mai men dong, − jing jie
Chronic bronchitis with Qi deficiency of Lung and Spleen: + xing ren, + dan shen, + dang shen, + huang qi, − jing jie
Interstitial pneumonia: + tao ren, + ban lan gen
Wind-Cold type interstitial pneumonia: + tao ren, + ban lan gen
Interstitial pneumonia with cough and fever (combined with San Ao Tang): + tao ren, + ban lan gen
Interstitial pneumonia, combined with Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang: + lian qiao, + jin yin hua
Phlegm-Damp type interstitial pneumonia: + tao ren, + ban lan gen
Chronic prostatitis (combined with Ping Wei San and Ding Chuan Tang)
Chronic prostatitis with raised white cells and much reduced lecithin in the prostatic fluid (combined with Ding Chuan Tang): + huang bai, + cang zhu
Chronic prostatitis, further option combined with Ding Chuan Tang: + gou ji, + xu duan, + ba ji tian, + yin yang huo
Chronic prostatitis with Yin deficiency (combined with Ding Chuan Tang): + huang bai, + zhi mu, + sheng di huang
Chronic prostatitis with Yang deficiency (combined with Ding Chuan Tang): + huang qi, + dang shen, + sheng ma
Chronic prostatitis with Blood stasis (combined with Ding Chuan Tang): + dan shen, + yan hu suo
Blood-streaked sputum: + bai mao gen, + xian he cao, − jie geng
Itchy throat from cool Dryness: + gua lou, + xing ren
Cool Dryness with a very itchy throat: + gua lou, + xing ren, + chan tui, + qian hu
Marked Dryness and Heat: + gua lou, + xing ren, + zhi mu, + shi gao
Severe sore throat: + gua lou, + xing ren, + xuan shen, + ma bo
Phlegm that is hard to cough up: + gua lou, + xing ren, + jie geng, + dong gua zi
Cough with blood in the Phlegm, coughing of blood and nosebleeds: + gua lou, + xing ren, + bai mao gen, + ce bai ye
Excess Cold Phlegm: + fu ling, + zhi ban xia
Excess Lung Heat with a dry cough and thin sputum: + gua lou, + chuan bei mu
Excess Lung Heat with a dry cough, alternative: + gua lou, + tian hua fen
Residual Heat signs more marked: + huang qin

Cautions

contraindication Cough from Yin deficiency, including a dry unproductive cough with five-palm heat, night sweats and a thin rapid pulse

contraindication Cough from Lung Heat or Phlegm-Heat, such as copious yellow or green sputum with fever and a red tongue with a yellow coat, unless modified with cooling herbs

contraindication A fresh, severe exterior attack with high fever and marked chills; it is too mild for this and suits the stage after the acute phase

caution Use with great care when the sputum is streaked with blood

caution Bai Bu can irritate the digestive tract and is mildly toxic in overdose

caution Contains Gan Cao: long or heavy use calls for care where there is oedema, hypertension or low potassium

caution Refer for medical assessment in whooping cough (serious in infants), or any cough with blood, fever or breathlessness, or lasting beyond three weeks

Pinyin

zhi sou san

English Name

Stop Coughing Powder

zhi sou san

About zhi sou san

Ingredients

Actions and indications

Stops cough and transforms Phlegm

Diffuses and descends Lung Qi

Releases the exterior and disperses residual Wind

Modern uses

Symptoms

Modifications

Cautions

Preparation

Names

Classification