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Promotes sweating
Releases the exterior
Disperses wind cold

Indications

Excess Wind Cold condition
Chills and fever, no sweating, body aches, headache, wheezing, runny nose with clear discharge.

Western Uses:

Common Cold
Asthma
Cough

Ingredients

4 substances in Ma Huang Tang — each links to its full herb monograph.

Gui Zhi6 gWarm, Spicy Herbs that Release the Exterior

Ma Huang9 gWarm, Spicy Herbs that Release the Exterior

Xing Ren9-12 gRelieve Coughing and Wheezing

Zhi Gan Cao3 gTonify Qi

Safety — read before use

Used only in exterior excess Wind Cold, and it's use is ceased once sweating occurs

Not for exterior deficient Wind Cold patterns.

Not for exterior Wind Heat patterns.

Not for patients that are prone to bleeding.

Use caution in patients with Hypertension.

Originally Appeared In:

On Cold Damage (Shang Han Lun)

Notes:

This formula is best used when there is NO sweating with an exterior cold condition.

Sources & References

Compiled and edited by Thomas Dehli, Founder & Editor, Sacred Lotus

The information here is referenced from numerous sources — teachers, practitioners, class notes from Five Branches University, the books below, and the published research literature, with citations given as resolvable PubMed identifiers. Where sources disagree, I have flagged the discrepancies directly. If facts couldn't be verified, I have left them out. How we source our content.

Reference information for students and practitioners — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner. Terms of use.

Chinese Formulas Books & References

https://amzn.to/4fYI3f8
Dan Bensky
https://amzn.to/4j55NRA
Volker Scheid, Andrew Ellis
https://amzn.to/4gMROyv
Him Che. Yeung
https://amzn.to/4h7msSK
Qiao Yi

Browse all Chinese Medicine reference texts