WH Acupuncture & Herbs Centre

Divine Black Bird Decoction (zhen wu tang)

SOURCE:Treatise on Cold-Attack

[INGREDIENTS]:Poria 9g, White peony root 9g, Bighead atractylodes rhizome 6g, Fresh ginger 9g, Prepared aconite lateral root 9g

[DIRECTIONS]: Decoct the above herbs in water for oral administration.

[EFFECTS]: Warming yang to excrete water.

[INDICATIONS]:

(1)     Deficiency of the spleen and kidney yang with internal retention of water- evil manifested by disuria, heaviness and pain of limbs, abdominal pain with diar­rhea, or edema, absence of thirst, white coating, deep pulse.

(2)     After inducing perspiration by diaphoretic therapy to Taiyang diseases,

there are still fever, epigastric palpitation, vertigo, muscular twitching with body shivering.   •

[ANALYSIS OF FORMULA]: This is a representative formula for warming yang to excrete water. Being extremely pungent flavor and hot nature, prepared aconite lateral root is the main herb to warm the kidney-yang for activating the transformative function of qi. As the assistant herbs, bighead atractylodes rhizome is to dry dampness and strengthen the spleen; poria to disperse dampness; fresh ginger to disperse the lung and warm the middle. All the three herbs can help pre­pared aconite lateral root warm yang to excrete water. White peony root as the ad­juvant and dispatcher herb astringes yin to prevent injury of yin due to facilitating diurisis.

In the present clinic, this formula is used for nephrogenic edema, cardiac ede­ma, edema due to chronic hepatitis, hypothyroidism and prostatic hyperplasia per­taining to deficiency of the spleen and kidney-yang.

[ASSOCIATED FORMULA]:

Aconite Decoction(fu zi tang)---附子汤，(Treatise on Cold-Attack)：

Prepared aconite lateral root 15g, poria 9g, ginseng 6g, bighead atractylodes rhizome 12g, white peony root 9g.

The above herb should be decocted in water for oral administration.

Effects:Strengthening yang to warm meridians, expelling cold and resolving dampness.

Indications: Yang deficiency with cold-dampness invading the interior marked by painful body and joints, chill with cold limbs, deep and faint pulse.

NOTES: There is only one different herb between Aconite Decoction and Di­vine Black Bird decoction. In Aconite Decoction, ginseng is used to warm and rein­force yang for dispelling cold-dampness by combination with prepared aconite lat­eral root and bighead atractylodes rhizome, so it is applied to painful body and joints due to cold-dampness invading the interior; While in Divine Black Bird De­coction, fresh ginger is used to warm yang for excreting water, So it is indicated to syndrome of yang deficiency with water retention.