Ban Xia Hou Po Tang (Pinellia and Magnolia Bark Decoction)

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Indications

Western Uses:

• What conditions is Ban Xia Hou Po Tang used for in modern practice?

  Ban Xia Hou Po Tang treats "plum-pit qi" — the sensation of a lump in the throat that will neither swallow nor cough up, from qi and phlegm binding — so it is referenced where that sensation and qi-constraint appear: globus sensation (globus hystericus), a functional/"nervous" gastro-intestinal picture, oesophageal spasm, chronic laryngitis, and tracheitis.

  It is chosen for the qi-and-phlegm constraint pattern, not for a diagnosis. A persistent lump-in-the-throat sensation, or any genuine difficulty swallowing, must be medically assessed — while often benign (globus), dysphagia can signal serious disease of the throat or oesophagus. Traditional-use correlates only, not a treatment claim.

  Source: Sacred Lotus sources & references (pattern) + Bensky & Barolet, Formulas & Strategies; Chen & Chen, Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology. Biomedical correlates as reference only; not medical advice.

Originally Appeared In:

• Essentials from the Golden Cabinet (Jin Gui Yao Lue)

Notes:

• How does Ban Xia Hou Po Tang differ from Si Qi Tang and Xiao Chai Hu Tang?

  Ban Xia Hou Po Tang is the base formula for plum-pit qi built purely from dispersing, phlegm-transforming herbs, while Si Qi Tang is a later variant with added Spleen-tonifying herbs, and Xiao Chai Hu Tang addresses a different, Shaoyang-stage mechanism that can present with similar chest fullness.

  • vs Si Qi Tang (“Four Seven Decoction”): adds Bai Zhu and Gan Cao (and sometimes Da Zao) to Ban Xia Hou Po Tang’s core, giving mild Spleen-qi support alongside the same qi-moving, phlegm-dispersing action — useful when a degree of underlying Spleen weakness accompanies the plum-pit pattern.
  • vs Xiao Chai Hu Tang: that formula harmonizes Shaoyang-stage alternating chills and fever and chest-and-flank fullness using Chai Hu and Huang Qin, a different mechanism (half-exterior/half-interior heat) from the qi-phlegm binding Ban Xia Hou Po Tang targets; the two are occasionally combined when both patterns overlap.

  Classical source and lineage: Ban Xia Hou Po Tang comes from the Jin Gui Yao Lue (“Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet”), attributed to Zhang Zhong-jing (Han dynasty), where it is described for a woman with the sensation of a piece of roasted meat (or a plum pit) stuck in the throat — the origin of the term “plum-pit qi” (mei he qi) still used for globus sensation today. In Japanese Kampo medicine the same formula is known as hangekobokuto and remains widely used and studied.

  Source: Bensky & Barolet, Formulas & Strategies (classical source, formula comparisons, Kampo usage).

Clinical Studies & Research:

• Is there modern research on Ban Xia Hou Po Tang?

  Yes — under its Japanese Kampo name hangekobokuto, this formula has a meaningful body of clinical research, concentrated on two areas: relief of throat globus sensation and, notably, prevention of aspiration pneumonia in patients with impaired swallowing. These are the best-studied modern applications of a formula whose traditional indication was already a throat/swallowing complaint.

  • Aspiration pneumonia prevention (clinical, RCT): a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in cardiovascular surgery patients found hangekobokuto significantly reduced aspiration pneumonia rates, with a larger effect in patients at high baseline risk (PMID 31316037).
  • Throat globus sensation (clinical): a study in patients with respiratory disease found two weeks of hangekobokuto improved the subjective sensation of a lump in the throat (PMID 26998281).
  • Functional dyspepsia (clinical/review): hangekobokuto has been studied as a Kampo treatment for functional dyspepsia, consistent with its traditional qi-descending, anti-nausea action (PMID 18955239).
  • Postoperative ileus (preclinical): hangekobokuto ameliorated postoperative ileus in an experimental model through an anti-inflammatory mechanism (PMID 36216552).

  Sources: PMID 31316037; PMID 26998281; PMID 18955239; PMID 36216552. Research on the Japanese Kampo formulation (hangekobokuto), offered as context for this formula’s traditional use — not a therapeutic claim.