Origin and recipe
Traditional Chinese Medicine Dachengqi Decoction comes from the Treatise on Febrile Diseases by Zhang Zhongjing, a famous doctor in the Eastern Han Dynasty. This is a classic work with an important position in the history of Chinese medicine. In the era of war and frequent epidemics, Zhang Zhongjing created many prescriptions that have been passed down through the ages with his superb medical skills and rich clinical experience. Dachengqi Decoction is one of them. It is like a hidden master who can relieve people's pain at the critical moment.
The formula of Dachengqi Decoction is composed of rhubarb, magnolia bark, bitter orange, and sodium sulfate:
Rhubarb : It has a powerful laxative effect, like a powerful general.
Magnolia officinalis : It promotes the flow of qi, eliminates stagnation, removes dampness and fullness, just like a steady and dignified general.
Citrus aurantium : It can break up qi and eliminate abdominal distension, resolve phlegm and disperse stagnation, like a sharp pioneer.
Sodium Sulfate : It softens hard masses, promotes defecation, clears away heat and promotes bowel movements, like a magic weapon.
The four herbs work together to create an extraordinary power, achieving a powerful laxative and heat-clearing effect that is "indestructible and pervasive."

Traditional Chinese Medicine Dachengqi Decoction Main Benefits
The main effects of Dachengqi Decoction are "powerful laxative" and "clearing internal heat". It is a classic prescription in traditional Chinese medicine for treating symptoms such as "Yangming Fu Shi Syndrome", "Shaoyin disease with insufficient body fluid" and "Yangming heat spasm".
Yangming Fu Shi Zheng
The main symptoms of Yangming Fu Shi syndrome are constipation, abdominal distension, abdominal pain and a hard lump when pressed. The patient may even have a fever, talk nonsense, have cold sweats on the limbs, have a dry yellow or cracked tongue coating, and a heavy and strong pulse. The main symptoms of Dachengqi Decoction are "stomachache, fullness, dryness, and fullness":
Pi : refers to the patient's feeling of stuffiness and pressure in the chest and abdomen.
Full : refers to a bloated abdomen with a sense of resistance when pressed.
Dryness : refers to the hard and dry stool in the intestines that is difficult to pass.
Solid : There is obvious pain in the abdomen that refuses to be pressed, the stool is hard or there is clear watery diarrhea, but the abdominal pain is not relieved.
When later generations used this prescription, they usually did not stick to whether all four symptoms appeared at the same time. They mainly based their prescription on constipation, abdominal distension and pain, thick yellow tongue coating, and strong pulse.

Mechanism of action
The Yangming Meridian is mainly responsible for the gastrointestinal function in the body. When external evil qi invades the Yangming bowel, the heat evil accumulates in the body and combines with the food residue in the intestines, forming the symptoms of constipation. Dachengqi Decoction clears the accumulated heat in the stomach and intestines, allowing the body to restore normal digestion and excretion functions.
Drug effects
Rhubarb : According to the "Shennong Bencao Jing", rhubarb can "break up blood stasis, eliminate accumulation, and cleanse the intestines and stomach". In this prescription, it is the main medicine, responsible for laxative, clearing heat, and removing blood stasis. It is particularly suitable for treating abdominal distension and internal heat stagnation caused by food stagnation and constipation.
Sodium Sulfate : A salty and cold medicine that acts on the stomach and large intestine, softening hard stools and moistening the bowels. Sodium Sulfate, when used together with rhubarb, can enhance the effect of clearing the heat accumulated in the stomach and intestines, especially for patients with severe constipation.
Magnolia officinalis : It has a bitter and pungent nature and has a mild effect on the spleen, stomach and large intestine. It can remove stagnant gas in the stomach and intestines and relieve abdominal distension.
Citrus aurantium : Its bitter and cold properties can dissipate stagnation, eliminate bloating and promote digestion.
The combination of Magnolia officinalis and Citrus aurantium, two Qi-moving herbs, together with rhubarb and Glauber's salt, can, on the one hand, dredge the Qi mechanism, and on the other hand, strengthen the effect of eliminating accumulated heat, making the laxative effect of this prescription more obvious.
Clinical application
Dachengqi Decoction is commonly used to treat acute simple intestinal obstruction, adhesive intestinal obstruction, ascariasis intestinal obstruction, as well as acute cholecystitis, acute pancreatitis, acute appendicitis, pyloric obstruction, acute abdomen, epidemic encephalitis B, septic shock and other diseases.
In addition, Dachengqi Decoction can also be used to treat certain febrile diseases, such as tonsillitis, coma, convulsions, and madness.

Contraindications
Although Dachengqi Decoction has significant effects, it also has its contraindications:
Pregnant women are prohibited from using it : because the laxative effect of Dachengqi Decoction is very strong and may cause adverse effects on the fetus.
Use with caution in those with weak constitution : If you are already weak, using such a strong laxative may make you even weaker.
Strictly follow the doctor's instructions : When using Dachengqi Decoction, you must strictly follow the doctor's instructions and do not take the medicine on your own.
In the application process of Dachengqi Decoction, in addition to drug treatment, diet therapy and massage can also be used as effective auxiliary means to help regulate the stomach and promote physical recovery. The following are some diet therapy and massage plans suitable for use with Dachengqi Decoction:
Diet therapy
Diet therapy is an important part of TCM conditioning. A reasonable diet can help relieve gastrointestinal discomfort and promote digestive function. The following are some diet therapy methods suitable for use with Dachengqi Decoction:
Barley porridge : Barley has the effect of strengthening the spleen and benefiting the body, and is suitable for people with dampness and heat in the stomach and intestines. Cooking barley with rice can help remove dampness from the body and promote digestion.
Yam soup : Yam has the effect of nourishing the spleen and stomach, and is suitable for people with weak stomachs. Slicing yam and boiling it into soup can help regulate the spleen and stomach and promote digestion and absorption.
Radish soup : Radish has the functions of eliminating stagnation, reducing phlegm and promoting diuresis, and is suitable for people with intestinal stagnation. Cutting radish into pieces and boiling it into soup can help clear intestinal stagnation and promote defecation.
Mung bean soup : Mung beans have the effects of clearing away heat and detoxifying, diuresis and relieving summer heat, and are suitable for people with stomach heat. Boiling mung beans into soup can help remove heat and toxins from the body and promote digestion.
massage
Massage can stimulate specific acupuncture points to promote gastrointestinal motility and relieve gastrointestinal discomfort. The following are some massage methods suitable for use with Dachengqi Decoction:
Tianshu acupoint massage : Tianshu acupoint is located two inches on both sides of the navel and is an important acupoint for regulating the stomach. Gently massage the Tianshu acupoint with your fingers for 5-10 minutes each time to help promote gastrointestinal motility and relieve symptoms such as abdominal distension and constipation.
Zhongwan acupoint massage : Zhongwan acupoint is located four inches above the navel and is an important acupoint for regulating the spleen and stomach. Gently massaging the Zhongwan acupoint with your fingers for 5-10 minutes each time can help regulate the spleen and stomach and promote digestion and absorption.
Zusanli massage : Zusanli acupoint is located three inches below the knee and is an important acupoint for regulating the stomach. Gently massage Zusanli acupoint with your fingers for 5-10 minutes each time to help promote gastrointestinal motility and relieve symptoms such as abdominal distension and constipation.
Hegu acupoint massage : Hegu acupoint is located at the base of the palm on the back of the hand. It is an important acupoint for regulating the body's qi and blood. Gently massage the Hegu acupoint with your fingers for 5-10 minutes each time to help promote the circulation of qi and blood throughout the body and relieve gastrointestinal discomfort.

Conclusion
As a classic Chinese medicine prescription, Dachengqi Decoction has its unique value. It is a powerful tool for treating constipation caused by heat, but it should be used with caution and under the guidance of professional doctors to ensure safety and efficacy. By using Dachengqi Decoction correctly, it can help patients solve the problems of intestinal and gastric stagnation and help the body return to a healthy balance.