Ba Zheng San: A Traditional Chinese Herbal Remedy for Urinary Health
Hongji Medical- Feb 2
- 6 min read
Ba Zheng San, also known as Eight Corrections Powder, is a time-honored Chinese herbal formula from the Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang (Formulas of the Bureau of People's Welfare Pharmacies).
Renowned for clearing heat, purging fire, and promoting urination, it effectively treats urinary issues caused by damp-heat, such as frequent, urgent, or painful urination. This versatile remedy is commonly used for conditions like cystitis, urethritis, and prostatitis.
This article explores its ingredients, benefits, modern uses, dietary support, and precautions in a clear, approachable way, using common plant names.
Ingredients of Ba Zheng San
Ba Zheng San combines nine herbs, each contributing to its therapeutic effects:
Qu Mai (Dianthus, 9g): Promotes urination and clears damp-heat.
Bian Xu (Knotweed, 9g): Encourages urination and reduces swelling.
Che Qian Zi (Plantain Seed, 9g): Clears heat and promotes smooth urination.
Hua Shi (Talc, 9g): Removes dampness and supports urinary flow.
Shan Zhi Zi (Gardenia, 9g): Clears heat and relieves irritability.
Da Huang (Rhubarb, 6g): Purges heat and promotes bowel movements.
Mu Tong (Akebia, 6g): Enhances urination and clears damp-heat.
Deng Xin Cao (Rush Pith, 6g): Clears heart fire and promotes urination.
Zhi Gan Cao (Roasted Licorice, 6g): Harmonizes the formula and protects the stomach.
Preparation: Traditionally, the herbs are ground into a powder and taken as 6-10g per dose with a decoction of rush pith. Alternatively, they are boiled in water, strained, and taken warm. Modern methods may use pre-made pills or powders, dosed as prescribed.
How the Herbs Work Together
Ba Zheng San follows the traditional Chinese medicine principles of monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy:
Qu Mai (Dianthus) and Bian Xu (Knotweed): The primary herbs (monarchs), they promote urination, clear damp-heat, and relieve urinary discomfort.
Che Qian Zi (Plantain Seed) and Hua Shi (Talc): Minister herbs, they enhance urination, clear heat, and address dark or painful urine.
Shan Zhi Zi (Gardenia) and Da Huang (Rhubarb): Assistant herbs, they purge heat, relieve irritability, and promote bowel movements to clear damp-heat stagnation.
Mu Tong (Akebia) and Deng Xin Cao (Rush Pith): Assistant herbs, they guide the formula’s effects to the bladder, enhancing urination and clearing heat.
Zhi Gan Cao (Roasted Licorice): The envoy, it harmonizes the herbs, softens their intensity, and protects the stomach.
This synergistic blend clears damp-heat, promotes urination, and restores bladder function.
Effects and Indications of Ba Zheng San
Main Effects:
Clears heat and purges fire to cool the body.
Promotes urination to relieve damp-heat and swelling.
Eases stranguria (painful urination) for urinary comfort.
Indications: Ba Zheng San treats urinary issues caused by damp-heat in the bladder, with symptoms including:
Frequent or urgent urination
Painful or burning urination
Poor urine flow or inability to urinate
Turbid or reddish urine
Lower abdominal bloating
Dry mouth
Greasy, yellow tongue coating
Fast, strong pulse
These symptoms reflect damp-heat obstructing the bladder’s qi, leading to poor urination and discomfort.
Benefits of Ba Zheng San
Relieves Urinary Discomfort: Eases pain, urgency, and burning during urination.
Clears Damp-Heat: Removes heat and dampness to restore bladder health.
Reduces Swelling: Promotes urination to alleviate bloating and edema.
Supports Bowel Health: Encourages regular bowel movements to clear heat stagnation.
Modern Applications
Ba Zheng San is widely used in modern medicine for:
Urinary disorders: Treats cystitis, urethritis, acute prostatitis, urinary tract stones, and pyelonephritis.
Postoperative or postpartum issues: Manages urine retention.
Skin conditions: Addresses damp-heat-related issues like eczema and acne.
Infections: Supports treatment of urinary tract infections by clearing heat and promoting urination.
Its anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties make it effective for damp-heat-related conditions across multiple systems.
Pathogenesis
Damp-heat in the bladder, often from dietary imbalances, heat exposure, or poor hygiene, disrupts urination, causing urgency, pain, and turbidity. This stagnation impairs qi flow, leading to bloating and dry mouth. Ba Zheng San clears damp-heat, promotes urination, and restores bladder function to alleviate these symptoms.
Dietary Support
Pairing Ba Zheng San with dietary remedies can enhance its effects:
Mung Bean Soup: Boil 100g mung beans with water. Mung beans clear heat and detoxify, supporting urinary health.
Barley Porridge: Cook 50g barley with 100g rice. Barley promotes urination and reduces dampness.
Winter Melon Soup: Simmer 200g winter melon with lean pork. Winter melon clears heat and relieves swelling.
Lotus Seed and Lily Soup: Boil 20g lotus seeds and 20g lily bulbs. This calms the mind and supports damp-heat clearance.
These recipes complement the formula’s heat-clearing and diuretic effects, aiding recovery.
Precautions
Use Ba Zheng San cautiously:
Contraindications: Avoid in cases of yin deficiency with excessive heat or weak constitution. Not suitable for pregnant women due to potential fetal risks.
Side effects: Long-term use may cause weakness, dizziness, palpitations, or poor appetite due to its cold nature.
Dietary restrictions: Avoid spicy, greasy, or raw foods during treatment.
Professional guidance: Consult a Chinese medicine practitioner to ensure safe use and avoid drug interactions.
Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight. Do not use expired medicine.
If discomfort occurs, stop use and consult a doctor.
Conclusion
Ba Zheng San is a powerful Chinese herbal formula that clears damp-heat, promotes urination, and relieves urinary discomfort. Its carefully balanced herbs effectively treat conditions like cystitis, urethritis, and prostatitis, while also addressing damp-heat-related skin issues.
Modern research supports its anti-inflammatory and diuretic benefits, making it a trusted remedy. With proper use, dietary support, and professional guidance, Ba Zheng San can restore urinary health and improve overall well-being.
Chinese Name | 八正散 |
Phonetic | Ba Zheng San |
English Name | Eight Corrections Powder |
Classification | Dampclearing formulas |
Source | 《Formulas from the Imperial Pharmacy》Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang《太平惠民和劑局方》 |
Combination | Plantaginis Semen (Che Qian Zi) 1 jin (500g), Dianthi Herba (Qu Mai) 1 jin (500g), Polygoni Avicularis Herba (Bian Xu) 1 jin (500g), Talcum (Hua Shi) 1 jin (500g), Gardeniae Fructus (Zhi Zi) 1 jin (500g), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata cum Melle (Zhi Gan Cao) 1 jin (500g), Akebiae Caulis (Mu Tong) 1 jin (500g), Rhei Radix et Rhizoma (Da Huang) 1 jin (500g) |
Method | Grind into powder. Take 6-10g with a decoction of deng xin cao. It can also be prepared as a decoction with deng xin cao included. |
Action | Clears heat and subdues fire, promotes urination, and relieves strangury. |
Indication | Ba Zheng San is indicated for damp-heat strangury. The symptoms are frequent urgent urination, odynuria, dribbling urination, dark yellow urine, retention of urine in severe cases, cramps and fullness of abdomen, and a dry mouth and throat. The coating is yellow and greasy and the pulse is slippery and rapid. |
Pathogenesis | This pattern is caused by damp-heat pouring downward into the bladder. Damp-heat accumulation in the bladder blocks the water passages and leads to frequent and urgent urination, odynuria, dysuria, and retention of urine. Damp-heat steams the urine causing it to become dark and turbid. Qi movement is blocked by damp-heat manifesting cramps and fullness of the abdomen. The distribution of fluid is blocked by damp-heat which leads to a dry mouth and throat. The therapeutic principle is to clear heat, promote urination, and relieve strangury. |
Application | 1. Essential pattern differentiation Ba Zheng San is a common formula applied to strangury due to damp-heat. This clinical pattern is marked by frequent and urgent urination, odynuria, yellow and greasy tongue coating, slippery and rapid pulse. 2. Modern applications This formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders when the patient shows signs of damp-heat pouring downward: cystitis, urethritis, acute prostatitis, urinary stone, pyelonephritis, and postoperative or postpartum urinary retention. |
Additonal formulae | Wu Lin San (Five Strangury Powder 五淋散) [Source]《Beneficial Formulas from the Taiping Imperial Pharmacy》Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang《太平惠民和劑局方》 [Ingredients] Chi fu ling 6 liang (180g), dang gui 5 liang (150g), sheng gan cao 5 liang (150g), chi shao 20 liang (600g), zhi zi 20 liang (600g) [Preparation and Administration] Grind the medicinals into a fine powder. Take 2 qian (6g), prepared as a decoction. [Actions] Cools blood and stanches bleeding, promotes urination and relieves strangury. [Applicable Patterns] Blood strangury due to damp-heat. Symptoms include: bean juice-like urination, odynuria, sandy urination, umbilical cramps and abdominal pain. |
