Ye Tian-shi's Commonly Used Medicinal Combinations

by
Bob Flaws, Dipl. Ac. & C.H., FNAAOM

The study of two, three, and four medicinal combinations is an important intermediary step in the study of Chinese herbal medicine between the properties and uses of individual medicinals and the functions and indications of full-fledged, polypharmacy formulas. Over 2,000 years of recorded medical practice, Chinese practitioners have identified certain combinations of medicinals which achieve definite, reproducible results when correctly prescribed. This is one of the reasons that we are such a long way away from using Western herbs as if they were Chinese medicinals. While it is relatively easy to determine a Western medicinal's Chinese medical description, it is harder to determine how that Western medicinal will actually perform when combined with a Chinese medicinal with which it has never been used before. Although experimentation is a necessary part of the evolution of medicine, clinicians have an ethical obligation to use what they know will work in a given situation as opposed to what they think should work according to theory.

Ye Tian-shi was one of the greatest Chinese medical practitioners of the Qing dynasty. He lived from 1667-1746 in Su Zhou, Jiangsu province, southeastern China. In particular, Ye was a masterful practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine. The following are some of Ye Tian-shi's commonly used Chinese medicinal combinations. They are taken from Ye Tian Shi Zhen Zhi Da Quan (A Great Collection of Ye Tian-shi's Diagnoses & Treatments) by Chen Ke-zheng, published by Chinese National Chinese Medicine & Medicinals Publishing Co. in Beijing in 1995. This is a collection of Ye's theories, case histories, and special treatments. Most readers will be familiar with some of these combinations, while others will probably be new and unheard of. For a more complete discussion of Chinese medicinal combinations, see Philippe Sionneau's Dui Yao: The Art of Combining Chinese Medicinals available from Blue Poppy Press.

Caulis Perillae Frutescentis (Su Gen) & Semen Praeparatum Sojae (Dan Dou Chi) course wind and resolve the exterior.

Dried Semen Germinatum Sojae (Da Dou Chuan) & Semen Coicis Lachryma-jobi (Yi Yi Ren) course and transform damp heat. They are used in the treatment of warm disease and wilting and impediment.

Herba Agastachis Seu Pogostemi (Huo Xiang), Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis (Hou Po), Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Chen Pi) & Sclerotium Poriae Cocos (Fu Ling) treat damp obstruction.

Gypsum Fibrosum (Shi Gao) & Fructus Forsythiae Suspensae (Lian Qiao) or Flos Puerariae (Ge Hua) clear, out-thrust, and scatter heat.

Radix Lithospermi Seu Arnebiae (Zi Cao) & Bombyx Batryticatus (Jiang Chan) treat pox and rashes.

Rhizoma Arisaematis (Nan Xing) & Radix Aconiti Koreani Seu Typhonii Gigantei (Bai Fu Zi) attack wind and dispel phlegm.

Rhizoma Curcumae Longae (Jiang Huang), Cortex Erythinae (Hai Tong Pi) & Radix Stephaniae Tetrandae (Fang Ji) treat impediment pain.

Radix Stephaniae Tetrandae (Fang Ji), Talcum (Hua Shi) & Excrementum Bombycis Mori (Chan Sha) treat damp obstruction channel vessel impediment and wilting.

Lumbricus (Di Long) & Squama Manitis Pentadactylis (Chuan Shan Jia) treat channel vessel cramping, aching, and pain.

Radix Aconiti (Chuan Wu) & Buthus Martensis (Quan Xie) treat channel vessel cold pain.

Nodus Ligni Pini (Song Jie) & Caulis Perillae Albae (Bai Su Gen) treat bone joint impediment pain.

Semen Praeparatum Sojae (Dan Dou Chi) & Fructus Gardeniae Jasminoidis (Shan Zhi) open upper impediment and are able to diffuse aged meat depression and binding.

Radix Platycodi Grandiflori (Jie Geng) & Fructus Citri Aurantii (Zhi Ke) move the qi and open binding.

Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis (Hou Po) & Semen Pruni Armeniacae (Xing Ren) downbear the qi.

Fructus Perillae Frutescentis (Zi Su Zi) & Lignum Dalbergiae Odoriferae (Jiang Xiang) downbear the qi and calm the network vessels.

Fructus Perillae Frutescentis (Zi Su Zi), Folium Eriobotryae Japonicae (Pi Ba Ye) & Semen Pruni Armeniacae (Xing Ren) downbear lung and stomach qi, thus treating dysphagia and cough.

Fructus Immaturus Citri Aurantii (Zhi Shi) & Rhizoma Pinelliae Ternatae (Ban Xia) free the flow of yang ming stagnation.

Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Bai Zhu) & Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis (Hou Po) treat vacuity distention.

Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis (Wu Wei Zi) & Semen Juglandis Regiae (Hu Tao Ren) gather and absorb the kidney qi.

Semen Pruni Persicae (Tao Ren) & Extremitas Radicis Angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui Xiao) free the flow of the network vessels.

Scolopendra Subspinipes (Wu Gong) & Eupolyphaga Seu Ophisthoplatia (Di Bei Chong) dispel stasis, free the flow of the network vessels, and disperse concretions.

Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui) & Cortex Cinnamomi Cassiae (Rou Gui) treat yin network vessel vacuity pain.

Fructus Lycii Chinensis (Gou Qi Zi) & Semen Astragali Complanati (Sha Yuan Zi) nourish the the blood entering the liver network vessels.

Folium Mori Albi (Sang Ye) & stir-fried Flos Chrysanthemi Morifolii (Jue Hua) level the liver.

Folium Mori Albi (Sang Ye), Cortex Radicis Moutan (Dan Pi) & Fructus Gardeniae Jasminoidis (Shan Zhi) clear the shao yang.

Fructus Tribuli Terrestris (Bai Ji Li) & Flos Chrysanthemi Morifolii (Ju Hua) treat jue yin wind stirring.

Spica Prunellae Vulgaris (Xia Ku Cao) & Concha Haliotidis (Shi Jue Ming) clear the liver and subdue yang.

Folium Ilicis (Ku Ding Cha) & Nelumbinis Nuciferae (He Ye) or Folium Chrysanthemi Morifolii (Ju Ye) treat wind yang headache.

Testa Atra Glycinis (Liao Dou Yi), Semen Cannabis Sativae (Huo Ma Ren) & Fructus Lycii Chinensis (Gou Qi Zi) moisten the blood and extinguish wind.

Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (Nu Zhen Zi) & Herba Ecliptae Prostratae (Han Lian Cao) enrich yin and harmonize yang.

Fructus Pruni Mume (Wu Mei) & Rhizoma Coptidis Chinensis (Huang Lian) sourly and bitterly discharge heat and downbear qi fire booming upward.

Semen Pruni Armeniacae (Xing Ren) & Semen Coicis Lacryma-jobi (Yi Yi Ren) stop cough and transform phlegm.

Radix Platycodi Grandiflori (Jie Geng) & uncooked Radix Glycyrrhizae (Can Cao) treat throat pain.

Spica Prunellae Vulgaris (Xia Ku Cao) and Fructificatio Lasiosphaerae (Ma Bo) treat evils binding in the throat and swelling of the throat.

Concha Cyclinae Seu Meretricis (Hai Ge Ke) & Semen Sinapis Albae (Bai Jie Zi) disperse congealed phlegm.

Radix Glehniae Littoralis (Sha Shen), Rhizoma Polygonati (Yu Zhu) & Tuber Ophiopogonis Japonici (Mai Dong) nourish the yin of the lungs and stomach.

Rhizoma Imperatae Cylindricae (Bai Mao Gen) & Cacumen Biotae Orientalis (Ce Bai Ye) treat coughing of blood and spontaneous ejection of blood (i.e., nosebleed).

Herba Dendrobii (Shi Hu) & Pinellia Massa Medica Fermentata (Ban Xia Qu) penetrate the stomach qi and treat stomach yin and stomach qi damage.

Fructus Meliae Toosendan (Jin Ling Zi) & Rhizoma Corydalis Yanhusuo (Yuan Hu) stop (stomach) duct and abdominal pain.

Fructus Alpiniae Oxyphyllae (Yi Zhi Ren) & Semen Trigonellae Foeni-graeci (Hu Lu Ba) warm the kidneys and stomach, thus treating belching and diarrhea.

Fructus Alpiniae Oxyphyllae (Yi Zhi Ren), Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Chen Pi) & Sclerotium Poriae Cocos (Fu Ling) treat spleen-stomach yang vacuity with simultaneous damp accumulation.

Rhizoma Alpiniae Officinari (Gao Liang Jiang) & Fructus Evodiae Rutecarpae (Wu Zhu Yu) warm the stomach.

Fructus Pruni Mume (Wu Mei) & Fructus Chaenomelis Lagenariae (Mu Gua) nourish liver yin and harmonize stomach fluids.

Radix Ledebouriellae Divaricatae (Fang Feng) & Radix Et Rhizoma Notopterygii (Qiang Huo) upbear yang and stop dysentery.

Hallyositum Rubrum (Chi Shi Zhi) & Fructus Terminaliae Chebulae (He Zi) astringe the intestines and stop diarrhea.

Fructus Psoraleae Corylifoliae (Bu Gu Zhi), Semen Cuscutae Chinensis (Tu Si Zi) & Sclerotium Poriae Cocos (Fu Ling) treat kidney vacuity diarrhea.

Stir-fried Cortex Ailanthi Altissimi (Chun Gen Pi) & stir-fried Radix Sanguisorbae (Di Yu) treat hemafecia and bloody dysentery by restraining descending dampness.

Excrementum Bombyscis Mori (Chan Sha) & Semen Gleditschiae Chinensis (Zao Jiao Zi) downbear stomach turbidity.

Rhizoma Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae (Bi Xie) & Cortex Phellodendri (Huang Bai) clear and disinhibit lower burner damp heat.

Spora Lygodii Japonici (Hai Jin Sha) & Sclerotium Polypori Umbellati (Zhu Ling) clear and disinhibit damp heat.

Rhizoma Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae (Bi Xie) & Excrementum Bombycis Mori (Chan Sha) treat damp heat enduring depression.

Semen Zanthoxyli Bungeani (Jiao Mu), Sclerotium Poriae Cocos (Fu Ling) & Rhizoma Alismatis (Ze Xie) disinhibit water and disperse swelling.

Rhizoma Picrorrhizae (Hu Lian), Semen Euryalis Ferocis (Qian Shi) & Radix Dioscoreae Oppositae (Shan Yao) clear the heart, secure the kidneys, and astringe the essence.

Rhizoma Acori Graminei (Chang Pu), Tuber Curcumae (Yu Jin) & Radix Polygalae Tenuifoliae (Yuan Zhi) open the portals and arouse the brain.

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