fu long gan

伏龙肝·Terra Flava Usta

ignited yellow earth;oven earth; terra flava usta

About fu long gan

Fu Long Gan (伏龙肝) is the baked earth taken from the floor of a wood stove, recorded as Terra Flava Usta. It is acrid in flavour and warm in temperature, entering the Spleen and Stomach channels.

Names

Pinyin	fu long gan
Chinese	伏龙肝
Latin Name	Terra Flava Usta
English Name	ignited yellow earth;oven earth; terra flava usta·terra flava usta·ignited yellow earth·oven earth

Classification

Channels: Stomach, Spleen
Flavour: Acrid
Temperature: Warm

Actions and indications

Warms the Middle Jiao, astringes and stops bleeding

Bleeding from Deficiency Cold of the Stomach or Intestines, or when Spleen Yang is too weak to keep Blood in the vessels: dark blood in the stool, or uterine bleeding (Beng Lou)

Warms and harmonises the Stomach, directs rebellious Qi downward and stops vomiting

Nausea and vomiting from Stomach Cold
Morning sickness of the Cold type

Stops diarrhea

Chronic diarrhea from Spleen deficiency

Combinations

rou gui + ai ye + dang gui
Spleen Deficiency Cold with chronic bleeding, hemafecia in particular
sheng jiang + zhu ru
Deficiency Cold with morning sickness
bai zhu + sha ren + ren shen + chen pi
Stomach Deficiency with vomiting and nausea
chi shi zhi
Long-standing diarrhea and rectal prolapse with a cold feeling in the abdomen and hemafecia (used internally and topically)
bai zhu + gan jiang + zhi fu zi
Deficiency Cold of the Spleen and Stomach causing dysentery and diarrhea
feng mi
Hematemesis Epistaxis
gan jiang + e jiao + huang qin
Lower Jiao Cold with hematochezia
huang lian + e jiao + ai ye
Dysentery with blood, dry mouth, irritability and abdominal pain
e jiao + jiang can
Profuse menstrual bleeding
zong lu pi + she xiang
Bloody leukorrhea, taken with warm vinegar or alcohol
e jiao + zhi fu zi + bai zhu + shu di huang
Spleen Qi Deficiency with menorrhagia, epistaxis, hematemesis and hematochezia
rice wine
Nausea and vomiting
zi su geng + sha ren + zhu ru
Vomiting and nausea in pregnancy
shan zha
Postpartum diarrhea

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 15-90g Place separately in a cheesecloth bag and decoct first; Large dose: 90-120g	15-90 g	—	—	—	—

Cautions

contraindication Bleeding from Yin deficiency or Heat, such as bright red or forceful bleeding
contraindication Nausea and vomiting with Heat signs, such as a red tongue or thirst
contraindication Diarrhea from Damp-Heat, where its warm astringency can trap the pathogen
caution Swollen sores with severe, stubborn toxicity: do not use as a single herb
caution Any unexplained or persistent bleeding, whether digestive, uterine or elsewhere, needs prompt medical assessment

Interactions

Drug interactions

Other medicines taken by mouth, particularly those affected by stomach acidity such as certain antifungals and iron supplements: as a clay mineral it may bind them or buffer acid, so take them at separate times (theoretical, unverified)