| Chapter Nine Sedative Formulae
All these formulae being mainly composed of sedative herbs, having the effects of tranquilizing the mind by heavy herbs or tranquilizing the nund with tonifying, and treating restlessness, are generally known as sedative formulae.
Five yang-viscera dominates five emotions. Syndromes of the mental resless ness may he caused by dysfunction of five zang viscera, and are particularly relat ed to the heart, liver and kidney. in clinical praettce, these diseases may be divided into the deficiency and excess syndromes. If the nieutal symptoms dae to external fright or fear, or caused by disturbing the heart-spirit doe to the liver stagnation transformed into fire, manifested as fright, fear, saseepfible to anger, irritabdity etc. , they are mostly attributable to excess syndrome. If overworries leads to blood deficiency of both the heart and liver, the heart-spirit is lack in nourish roent, or insufficiency of heart yin leads to internal disturbing of deficiency-fire, marked by palpitation, poor memory and insomnia, deficient vexation etc. , they are mostly attributable to deficiency syndrome.
In accordance with principles that “fright syndrome should be treated with sedative herbs” (Chapter 74 in Plain Questions) and that “heaviness ran suppress mental disturbance’ in the Ten Kinds of Formulae, mental symptoms should be treated with sedative therapies, in which sedative therapy, by heavy herbs is used for treatment of excess syndrome, while sedative therapy with tonic herbs for deficiency syndrome. This chapter contains some formulae that tranquilize the mind with heavy and some that tranquilize the mind with tonic herbs.
As for other therapies,we have discussed them in the relevant chapters. For examples,madness doe to heat should be treated by porging fire, (for details, see chapter heat clearing formulae) Madness doe to phlegm shoold be treated by ax pectorating phlegm (for details, see chapter 14 phlegm eliminating) Palpitation and insomnia doe to deficiency should be treated by tonifying(fnr detail, see chap tar 7 tonic formulae formolae) Madness with irritability due to blond stasis should he cured by resolving stasis(for detail, sea chapter 12 formulae promoting blond circulation to remove blood stasis) . When sodying and applying them in clinical practice, one should pay more attention to inter-connection among differ ant therapies so as to master comprehensive knowledge and apply them flexibly.
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There is also simultaneous occurrence of deficiency and cxcess syndrome in clinical practice, therefore, sedative formula with heavy herbs and sedativc formula with tonic herhs are oftcn uscd in combination iii order to treat both the “hranch” and the “root”.
Sedative formulae with heavy herhs are chiefly composed of mineral and metal herbs than hurt the stomach, so that they are only suiabIe for temporary use, and crc not suitable for long term administration, particularly for patients with weak spleen and stomach. It is advisable to combine with some herbs fur invigor ating the spleen and harmonizing the stomach.
Section 1 Sedative Formulae with Heavy Herbs
These formulae arc indicated to madness induced by fright, epilepsy and rest lessness. Flaring of fire of both the heart and liver lead tn deficiency of yin-blood and deranged mind, manifesfed by fright, madness, epilepsy and insomnia, etc. Sedative mind with heavy sedation should be used, Cinnabar, magnctite. dragon teeth and macre etc. are usually used as principal herbs to suppress the hiden yang by heavy property. If flaring of fire consumes yin, dried rehmania runt, prepared rehninnia rout and Chinese angelics rant should be added to nourish yin and blood. If the heart fire is exuberance, cnptis root is usually added to clear away the heart-fire. The main representative formulae are Cinnabar Mind Tranquilizing Pills, Macre Pills, and Magnetite and Cinnabar Pills.
Cinnab4r Mind-Tranquilizing Pills
zhd cM an shén ivan
(also known as Mind-Tranquilizing Pills)
an shea wan
SOURCE: Invention of Medicine
TNGREDIENTS:
Cinnabar 15g
Cuptis 18g
Roasted lienrice runt 16g
Dried rehmannia rout Bg
Chinese angelicn root 8g
DIREC’l’IONS: Make the above mentioned herbs into pills, take 6 to 9 grams a time before going to bed. Or dccnct the herbs except cinnabar in water, the cm
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nabar should he refined into powder with water, and taken with decoction, the dosage should be decreased proportionally.
EFFECTS: Relieving palpitntion, tranquilizing the mind, purging fire and nourishing yin.
INDICATIONS: Exuberance of heart-fire due to deficiency of yin blood Inani— fested as mental irritability, insomnia and dreaminess, severe palpitatiun with fright, nausea, indescrihle vexation in tbe chest, red tongue, rapid and thready pulse.
ANALYSIS OF FORMULA: It is a common fnrmnula which is used to treat in sumnia and palpitation due to flaring of the fire and impairment of yin. Cinnabar in the fnrmula is cold and heavy in nature. It is used in large dosage to clear away heart-fire and tranquilize the mind. Coptis is bitter in flavur and cold in property. It purges the heart fire and relieves restlessness. The combination of these two herbs has the effects of clearing away the heart fire and tranquillizing the mind as principal herbs, Chinese angelica rant is sweet in flavor and muisrure in property. It nourishes the blood. Dried rehmnania runt as assistent herbs enriches yin and clears heat to promote kidney water flowing upward to nourish the heart. Licorice root as dispatcher herb harmonizes the actiuns uf other herbs.
Magnetite and Cinnabar Pills
cIzhu wan
(Original Nanw: Medicatied Leaven Pills)
SOURCE: Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold fur Emergencies
INGREDIENTS:
Magncrite 60g
Cinnabar SOg
Medicated leaven l2Og
DiRECTIONS: Grind all herbs in the recipe into fine puwder, and then mix them with haaey to make into pills, take 6 grams each time, twice a day with warm boiled water. It can also be made into decoction, with the dosage reduced proportionally.
EFFECTS: Relieving palpitatiun and tranquilizing the mind, settling yang end clearing vision.
INDICATIONS: Syndrome of discordance between water and fire manifested by palpitatiun, insomnia, tinnitus, deafness, blurring of vision. Also far epilepsy.
ANALYSIS OF FORMULA: Magaetite as a principal herb, effecting an the
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Kidney Meridian, replenishes yin to settle down yang and tranquilizes the mind. Cinnabar as assistant herb, acting on the Heart Meridian, can clear the heart to tranquilize the mind. The combination of these two herhs can settle down the floating yang, and blend the water and fire, leading to the harmony between the heart fire and kidney water. Medicated heaven, as adj ovant herb, invigorates the spleen and harmonizes the stomach to prevent the metal and mineral drogs form hurting the stomach. The honey is a dispatcher herb with effects fo tonifying the middle to harmonize the stomach and coordinating all the other ingredients in the formala.
Section 2 Sedative Formulae with Tonic Herbs
These formulae are suitable for several palpitat ion with fright and insomroa doe to deficient vexation. The heart houses the mind, the etherial soul is stored in the liver and the kidney stores the will. The failure of the vitality and ctherial soul to be stored appears most commonly in the cases as blood deficiency of both the heart and liver due to chronic illness, overstress and overworries, thus resulting in several palpition with fright. Impairment of the heart and kidney niay cause insufficiency of yin blood and internal distnrbing of deficiency fire, leading to riot of heart spirit, manifested as insomnio due to deficiency-vexation, nocturnal emission, aninesia, red tongue with little coating, etc. Tranquilizing mind with tonic herbs should be applied. The most frequently used herbs in these formulae are dried rebmannia root, nnemarrhena rhizome, ophiopogon and Chinese ongelica root to replenish yin and the blood, and wild jojuhe seed, arborvitatae seed, longan aril, polygala root, light wheat and schisandra fruit to nourish the heart and tranquilize the mind. The main representative formulae in this category are Wild i oyube Seed Decoci ion, Heaven King Heart Nourishing Pellets and Licorice, Wheat and Dale Decoction.
Wild J uyube Seed Decoetion
sudn zdo rén tang
SOURCE: Synopsis of the Gold Chamber
INGREDIENTS:
Wild joyuhe seed 15g
Licorice root 3g
Anemarrhena rhizome 6g
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Poria 9g
Chuanxiong rhizome 9g
DIRECTIONS: Decoct all the above herbs in water for oral administration.
EFFECTS: Nourishinìg the blood and tranquilizing the mind, and clearing a way heat to relieve anxiety.
INDICATIONS: Syndrome of consumption marked by insomnia doe to deficient vexation, palpitation, night sweating, dizziness, easy upset, dry throat and mouth, thready and rapid pulse.
ANALYSIS OF FORMULA: It is a common formula for insomnia of deficient vexation caused by insufficiency of the liver-blued. Wild jnyube seed is sour in fla vnr and neutral in property. It as a principal herb acts on the Heart and Liver Me ri4ians,and can nourish the liver,tonify the blond and calm the heart In tranquilizc the mind. Chuanxinng rhizome as assistant herb, being pungent and frangrant ii flavnr and warm in property, strong in running and dispersing, can regulate thn liver-bland and soothe the liver qi. The combination of these two herbs can creat jaint effect of both the astringency and dispersion. Anemarrhea rhizome nourishe the yin to lower the fire and mnistens dryness to relieve restlcssness;Pnria invigorates the spleen and calms the heart to assist wild joynhe to tranquilize the mind, they arc ad] uvant herbs in the formula. Licurice rout regulales the middle, and re lieves contraction and harninnizes these herhs, playing the role uf dispatcher herb.
Heaven King Heart-Nourishing Pellets
Elan wang Ni xiii dan
SOURCE: Analysis on the Secret of Life-Prosserving
INGREDIENTS:
Ginseng(steni removed) 15g
Red sage root(slightly parched) 15g
Figwnrt root(slightly parched) 15g
White poria lOg
Schisandra fruit(rnased) 15g
Polygala ront(parchcd) 15g
Platycodon rout lOg
Chinese angelica root(wine washed) 6g
Lucid asparagus root 6g
Ophiapogon 6g
Arborvitae seed(parched) Gg
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Wild juyuhe seed(parched) 6g
Dried rehmannia root(wine washed) 120g
Cinnabar 15g
DIRECTiONS: Grind the herbs inte fine powder and then mix them witl honey to make into pills coated with cinnabar, Take 9 grams each time with warn boiled water, three times a day. It can also be made into deeoetion for oral admin istration, with the dosage deducted pruportionally.
EFFECTS: Nuurishing the yin and hluud and tonifying the heart to tranquil ize the mind.
INDICATIONS: Deficiency fire stirring lip inside due tu impairment of yii arid blood manifested as deficient vexation, insoninie palpitatiun, mental wean ness, nocturnal emission, amnesia, dry stools, ulceration of the niouth end tungue. red tongue with little coating, thready and rapid pulse.
ANALYSIS OF FORMULA: It is a common formula which is to treat fleriot of fire due to yin deficiency caused by insufficiency of both the heart and kidoe with symptoms of insomnia, palpitation, nocturnal emission and amnesia. Dried re hmanoio root is used in large dosoge to clear away heart-fire in the upper, and tc enrich kidney-water in the lower, producing the effects of tooifying the kidney anc heart, and clearing heat te tranquilize the mind, It is a principal herb in the formu Ia. Figwort root, lucid asparagus root and uphiupuguo assist dried rehmennia roo in nourishing yin to clear away heat, acting as assistaot herbs. Chinese angclicr root and red sage root replenish the blood to nourish the heart. Ginseng and porir tooify qi and tranquilize the mind. Arborvitae seed, polygala rout, wild jujubi seed, cinnabar and schiseodra fruit as the adjuvaot herbs astrioge the heart qi Soc calm the heart to tranquilize the mind. Platycodon root is a dispatcher herb to tak effect of carrying the potency of all ingredients in the formula upward. The join use of all herbs can create yin—blood replenished, deficiency—fire reduced, thus, with the heart-spirit tranquilized fulluwcd.
Both this formula end Back tu the Spleen Decuction can be used for palpita lion, iosonirue arid amnesia. However, the principal effect of the latter is to replen ish and nourish ihe blood to harniomuze both the heart and spleen, it is therefon used for deficieacy of qi and blood; While the former, stresses un nuurishing yir and blood and kidaey, it is iherefore used for deficiency of yin and blood.
Licorice, Wheat and Date Decoetion
gao null dâ zda tang
SOURCE: Synopsis of the Gold Chamber
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INGREDIENTS:
Licorice root 9g
Wheat 9’-l5g
Chinese date 5—7 pieces
DIRECTION: Decoct the shove three herbs in water for oral administration, with the dosage divided proportionally on the basis of the original formula.
EFFECTS: Nourishing the heart to traoquilize the mind and harmonizing the middle to relax the body.
INDICATIONS: Zoog-viseera-res tlessness manifested by absent minded, sorriness intranquility in the sleep, even ineenherent speech and abnormal behaviors, frequent yawn, red tongue with little coating.
ANALYSIS OF FORMULA: This formula is usually used fur treatment of zang viscera-restlessness. Wheat is sweet in flavor and slight cold in property. It, as the principal herb replenishes heart qi and nourishes the heart to tranquilize the mind. Licorice rout as an assistant herb is sweet in flavor end neutral as well as heing relax in property. It invigoretes the spleen qi and nourishes the heart qi. Chinese (late is sweat in flavor and warm in pruperty. Ii replenishes qi, nourishes the blond, strengthens the spleen and soothes the liver, functioning as the adjuvent herb. They are used together to nourish the heart to tranquilize the mind and harmonize the middle to relax the body.
Contempureriily, this formula is used for psychosis, hysteria clue to emotional stress, menopausal syndrome manifested as the above mentioned symptome. It can also be used for morbid night-crying in children.
In Summary
This chapter is selected five basic formulae, all nf which are divided into some furmulae that tranquilize the nund with heavy herb and some formulae that nouisll the heart end tranquilize the mind based on their actions.
1 . Sedative formulae with heavy herbs
Cinnabar Mind Tranquilizing Pills is used for consumption of yin-blood due to fleming up of heart fire manifested as palpitation and insomnia. Magnetite onr Cinnuber Pills are good at harmonizing the heart end kidney, and tranquilizing the mind end deuring the vision.
2. Sedative formulae with tonic herbs
Wild J uyube Seed Decoction is effective on nourishing the blond and relievini fever with dysphoria, and is suitable for insomnia due to deficient vexation whicl
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may occur most commouly in the case of indigenoos heal doe to yin deficiency caused by insofficiency of the liver-blood. heaven King heart-Nourishing Pellets stresses on uourishing yin and tranquilizing the mind, and is osed for syndrome of impairment of yin and blood due to deficiency of the heart and kidney manifested as palpitatioa, insomnia and amnesia. Licorice, Wheat and Date Decoction are good at nourishing the heart to tranquilize the mind, and are osually osed for zaag-viseera—restlessness doe to indufficieney of the heart qi and failure of the liver-rji to flourish.
  
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