Sang Ju Yin: A Traditional Remedy for Cough and Fever
Hongji Medical- Feb 3
- 4 min read
Sang Ju Yin, is a time-honored Chinese herbal remedy from the Qing Dynasty. This soothing blend is designed to relieve mild coughs and fevers caused by wind-heat affecting the lungs.
Originating from the medical text Wenbing Tiaobian by renowned physician Wu Jutong, it was crafted to address lung issues caused by improper treatments for wind-heat coughs. This article explores the ingredients, benefits, uses, modern applications, and complementary dietary tips for this gentle yet effective remedy.
Ingredients and Preparation
Ingredients
The recipe for Sang Ju Yin includes:
Mulberry leaves: 7.5 g
Chrysanthemum flowers: 3 g
Apricot kernels: 6 g
Forsythia fruit: 5 g
Mint leaves: 2.5 g
Balloon flower root: 6 g
Licorice root: 2.5 g
Reed rhizome: 6 g
Preparation
Boil these herbs in water to create a decoction. Drink it warm for best results.
Benefits and Uses of Sang Ju Yin
Benefits
This herbal drink excels at clearing wind-heat from the lungs, easing coughs, and promoting lung function. It’s ideal for early-stage wind-heat symptoms, such as:
Mild cough
Slight fever
Mild thirst
Rapid pulse
How It Works
Wind-heat is a traditional Chinese medicine concept where external pathogens disrupt lung function, causing coughs and mild fever. Since the disturbance is mild, symptoms like high fever or intense thirst are absent.
Sang Ju Yin gently clears these pathogens, restores lung function, and relieves symptoms, making it perfect for the early stages of such conditions.
Key Ingredients and Their Roles
Mulberry leaves (Primary): Clear lung heat and ease coughs.
Chrysanthemum flowers (Primary): Cool the liver, improve eyesight, and dispel wind-heat.
Forsythia fruit (Support): Clears lung heat.
Apricot kernels (Support): Helps lung qi flow smoothly.
Balloon flower root (Support): Promotes lung function.
Mint leaves (Assistant): Enhances wind-heat relief.
Reed rhizome (Assistant): Clears heat and promotes hydration.
Licorice root (Harmonizer): Balances the formula, clears heat, and boosts qi.
Modern Applications
Today, Sang Ju Yin is used for conditions like:
Common colds
Acute bronchitis
Upper respiratory infections
Pneumonia
Eye conditions like conjunctivitis or keratitis
Modern research highlights its antiviral, anti-inflammatory, fever-reducing, and cough-soothing properties. Mulberry leaves, chrysanthemum flowers, and forsythia fruit show activity against viruses like influenza and Coxsackie.
These ingredients, along with balloon flower root, also reduce inflammation and fever in animal studies, while mulberry leaves and apricot kernels help suppress coughs.
Dietary Support
Pairing this remedy with simple dietary choices can enhance its effects. Try these:
Pear Soup: Pears cool and moisten the lungs. Peel and core a pear, chop it, and simmer with water and a touch of rock sugar for 30 minutes. This soothes coughs and relieves thirst.
Mulberry and Chrysanthemum Tea: A refreshing herbal tea made from mulberry leaves, chrysanthemum flowers, and licorice root. Steep the ingredients in boiling water for 5–10 minutes. This tea clears heat, supports eye health, aids digestion, and offers antioxidant benefits. Consult a doctor if you have health conditions.
Barley Porridge: Barley strengthens the spleen and reduces dampness. Rinse barley, add water, and simmer for an hour. This porridge eases mild fever and thirst.
Precautions
Cooking Tip: The herbs are light, so avoid over-boiling to preserve their potency.
Not for Severe Cases: This formula is too gentle for intense lung heat; adjust the recipe for stronger symptoms.
Not for Cold Coughs: Avoid using this for coughs caused by wind-cold, which require warming remedies.
Conclusion
Sang Ju Yin is a gentle, effective remedy for mild coughs and fevers caused by wind-heat in the lungs. Its blend of herbs clears heat, supports lung function, and soothes symptoms, making it a go-to for respiratory and eye conditions in modern medicine.
By combining it with dietary support like pear soup or barley porridge, you can boost its benefits. Always use it appropriately, keeping its mild nature and specific indications in mind for the best results.
Chinese Name | 桑菊飲 |
Phonetic | Sang Ju Yin |
English Name | Mulberry Leaf and Chrysanthemum Beverage |
Classification | Exterior-releasing formulas |
Source | 《Systematic Differentiation of Warm Diseases》Wen Bing Tiao Bian《溫病條辨》 |
Combination | Mori Folium (Sang Ye) 2.5 qian (7.5g), Chrysanthemi Flos (Ju Hua) 1 qian (3g), Armeniacae Semen Amarum (Xing Ren) 2 qian (6g), Forsythiae Fructus (Lian Qiao) 1.5 qian (5g), Menthae Haplocalycis Herba (Bo He add towards the end) 8 fen (2.5g), Platycodonis Radix (Jie Geng) 2 qian (6g), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gan Cao) 8 fen (2.5g), Phragmitis Rhizoma (Lu Gen) 2 qian (6g) |
Method | Prepare it as a decoction. It should be taken warm. |
Action | Dissipates wind and clears heat, ventilates the lung, and stops coughing. |
Indication | Sang Ju Yin is indicated for the initial stage of a wind-warmth pattern. Coughing is the major symptom along with a low-grade fever, slight thirst, and a superficial rapid pulse. |
Pathogenesis | When the lung is attacked by wind-warmth, the lung qi fails to diffuse which results in a cough. Since the pathogen is at a relatively superficial area, the damage to the body fluids is moderate, the body is not feeling too warm, and there is only minor thirst. This is a pattern of mild exterior wind-heat, with signs of an early stage warm disease and failure of the lung to diffuse and descent qi. In this case, the treatment method is to dissipate wind, clear heat, and ventilate the lung to stop coughing. |
Application | 1. Essential pattern differentiation Sang Ju Yin is commonly indicated for the pattern of wind-heat attacking the lung, causing cough. Due to its mild acrid-cool nature, it is necessary to add relevant medicinals for those patients with excessive lung heat. Otherwise it cannot handle more severe lung heat patterns because the formula is too light, and the condition will not resolve. Moreover, it is not applicable to patterns of wind-cold cough. This clinical pattern is marked by cough, mild fever, slight thirst, superficial and rapid pulse. 2. Modern applications The formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders showing signs and symptoms of wind-heat attacking the lung or the liver channels: common cold, acute bronchitis, upper respiratory tract infection, pneumonia, acute conjunctivitis, and keratitis. 3. Cautions and contraindications It should not be boiled for too long because of the light diffusing nature of the medicinals in this formula. |
