Author: Dou Cai, 窦材
Year: 1127-1270
Source: Heart Text of Bian Que (Bian Que Xin Shu, 扁鹊心书)
Category: Formulas that Calm the Spirit
Pattern: Pain due to direct moxibustion
Key Symptoms: Pain from moxibustion burns
Ingredients
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Ma Fen
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Pinyin: Da Ma / Ma Fen / Ma Hua / Ma Bo
Chinese: 大麻 / 麻蕡 / 麻花 / 麻勃
Pharmaceutical: Herba Cannabis sativa
Taxonomy: Cannabis sativa
English: Marijuana / Cannabis / Hemp |
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Tastes: Pungent, neutral, toxic
Meridians Entered: Probably Liver, Spleen, Heart, Lung and Kidneys based on "it disinhibits the five Viscera" (Shen Nong Ben Cao) |
Actions & Indications:
- Wasting Diseases and Damage by the Five Taxations or Seven Injuries
Atrophy disorders (Wei Syndrome) from the five taxations or seven injuries especially if accompanied by spasms and tremors
- Subdues Wind and calms the Shen
Muscular spasms, convulsive disorders and seizures
Sedates and anesthetises stopping spasms from pain (traditionally during cauterisation from direct moxa)
Wind-Withdrawal (Feng Kuang, possibly mania or epilepsy type disorders) and Mania-Withdrawal (Dian Kuang)
Itching
Insomnia
- Dispels Cold and Dampness, clears Heat, cools and moves the Blood
Hot or Cold Damp Bi Syndromes
Nerve pain
- Discharges Pus
Abscesses and sores
Pain from tumours and swellings
- Disihibits the Five Zang-Viscera
Liver Qi stagnation suppressing any of the other organs
Low appetite due to inhibition of the Spleen function
Lack of free flow following menstruation
Spasmodic cough
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Standard Dosage: Crushed and the juice extracted, or smoked or eaten. Dosage is highly variable depending on the form and method of consumption. Not prescribed today due to the legal status in China and the UK.
Cautions: Excessive consumption produces hallucinations and an unsteady gait. |
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Yang Jin Hua
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Pinyin: Man Tuo Lou / Yang Jin Hua
Chinese: 曼陀羅 / 洋金花
Pharmaceutical: Flos Daturae
Taxonomy: Datura innoxia seu metel seu stramonium
English: Jimsonweed / Devil's Trumpets |
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Tastes: Pungent, warm, toxic
Meridians Entered: Lung and Liver |
Actions & Indications:
- Relieves cough and wheezing
Cough and dyspnea with little or no phlegm
- Alleviates pain
Chest and abdomen pain
Wind-Damp obstruction
Traumatic injury pain
Large doses have anesthetic action so it was used as narcotic in ancient times
- Extinguishes Wind and stops spasms
Epilepsy
Chronic infantile convulsions
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Standard Dosage: 0.3-0.6g as pills or powders per day or up to 1.5g smoked.
Cautions: It is toxic, so dosage should be controlled. Contraindicated for Wind-Cold contraction, Phlegm-Heat cough and dyspnea, glaucoma, hypertension and tachycardia. It should be used with caution for the pregnant women or in weakened patients.
In the UK the Banned and Restricted Herbal Ingredients limit the maximum individual dosage of Datura stramonium or Datura innoxia to 50mg maximum individual dose and up to 150mg daily. |
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Subsitutions:
In the UK Da Ma (cannabis) is a controlled substance, especially the THC containing part that is Ma Fen, and Yang Jin Hua (Datura) is controlled so only small amounts can be administered. Any equivalent substitutions would have to be equally narcotic making this formula more for reference than use.
Preparation: Not given but presumably ground into powder and administered orally.
Actions: Source text says: "it induces a stupor-slumber in which the person experiences no pain and is not harmed" while receiving moxibustion
Notes:
Taken from Brand and Zhao (2017): Cannabis in Chinese Medicine
Research Links:
Reference Notes: (click to display)
Most formulas are found in Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet (2009): Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies and Chen & Chen (2015) Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications. Others are from translations of primary sources. It is recommended that the original material is cross-referenced for mistakes and additional information.
Substitutions have been taken from Ken Lloyd & Prof. Leung (2004): Mayway UK Substitution List or the above publications and are intended as suggestions to help navigate the tight restrictions in the UK quickly. More applicable substitutions may be appropriate in specific situations.
Individual herb information has initially been sourced from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted.
