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Xing Su San: A traditional Chinese medicine prescription that relieves dryness and cools the lungs and resolves phlegm

Writer's picture: Hongji MedicalHongji Medical

Xing Su San, also known as Apricot Kernel and Perilla Powder, is a classic prescription from traditional Chinese medicine. It was first mentioned in the book "Wenbing Tiaobian". This book is a summary of ancient medical experts on the treatment of various diseases caused by external evil spirits. Xing Su San has become a representative prescription for the treatment of exogenous cold and dryness syndrome with its unique composition and efficacy.


Apricot Su Powder
溫病條辨

Xing Su San Prescription


The main ingredients of Xing Su San include: perilla leaf (9g), pinellia (9g), poria (9g), peucedanum (9g), platycodon (6g), tangerine peel (6g), licorice (3g), ginger (3 slices), jujube (3 pieces), almond (9g), and tangerine peel (6g).


The dosage of these medicinal materials is not clearly recorded in the original book, but in modern clinical applications they are usually used according to the above dosage.

The method of use is very simple. Boil the above herbs in water and then drink it warm. This method not only retains the effective ingredients of the herbs, but also ensures that the efficacy of the herbs is quickly exerted.


Xingsu Powder Prescription
杏蘇散方劑

Prescription Analysis


The formula structure of Xing Su San is very exquisite, and the compatibility of the various medicinal materials has profound meaning:

  • Perilla leaf : pungent and warm without being dry, it can dispel pathogenic factors, promote lung qi, and disperse the cold and dry pathogens from the outside.

  • Apricot kernel : bitter, warm and moistening, it can descend and benefit the lung qi, moisten dryness and relieve cough. Both are the main medicines.

  • Peucedanum : dispels wind and evil, descends qi and resolves phlegm. It not only helps perilla leaves to reach the surface, but also helps apricot kernels to descend qi and resolve phlegm.

  • Platycodon grandiflorum and Citrus aurantium : one ascending and one descending, they assist apricot kernel and perilla leaf in regulating the lungs and resolving phlegm, and both serve as assistant drugs.

  • Pinellia tuber, tangerine peel : dry dampness and resolve phlegm, regulate qi and relieve stagnation.

  • Poria : It penetrates moisture and strengthens the spleen to eliminate the source of phlegm.

  • Ginger and jujube : harmonize the Ying and Wei to relieve exterior symptoms, nourish the spleen and promote the circulation of body fluid to moisten dryness, and are adjuvant drugs.

  • Roasted Licorice : harmonizes various medicines, and combined with Platycodon grandiflorum, it can clear the lungs and relieve sore throat, and has the function of serving as an adjuvant.


This combination of ingredients enables Xing Su San to both relieve the cold and dryness by lightly dispersing the exterior symptoms and regulating the lungs and eliminating phlegm to stop coughing. It can also relieve the exterior symptoms, eliminate phlegm, harmonize lung qi, and eliminate all symptoms.


Xing Su San's efficacy and indications


Main Benefits


The main effect of Xing Su San is to dispel coldness and dryness, regulate the lungs and resolve phlegm. It is mainly used to treat exogenous cold and dryness syndrome, which is commonly seen in the following symptoms:

  • Chills without sweating : The patient feels cold but does not sweat.

  • Headache : Mild pain in the head.

  • Cough with thin sputum : The sputum coughed up when coughing is relatively thin.

  • Nasal congestion : blocked nose.

  • Dry throat : dry throat.

  • White coating : There is a thin layer of white coating on the tongue.

  • Pulse : The pulse beats faster than usual or is a little tense.




Pathogenesis Analysis


These symptoms are usually caused by cold and dryness attacking the body from the outside, causing the lung qi to fail to flow freely and phlegm and dampness to accumulate inside the body. The specific pathogenesis is as follows:

  1. External invasion of cold and dryness : The cold and dry evil invades the skin surface, causing the Ying and Wei to be invaded by the evil, and the meridians to be stagnant, thus causing slight headache and chills without sweating.

  2. Lung Qi failure : Cold and dryness invades the lungs, causing lung Qi failure and poor lung function, thus causing nasal congestion and cough.

  3. Body fluid is not distributed : Cold and dryness damages the lungs, the lungs fail to descend, body fluid is not distributed, and gathers to form phlegm, which causes coughing with thin phlegm.

  4. Lung Qi is not favorable : Cold and dryness restrains the lungs, causing lung Qi to be unfavorable, thus causing nasal congestion and dry throat.

  5. Internal obstruction of phlegm and dampness : Cold and dryness damages the skin and fur, causing chills without sweating and slight headaches. Cold and dryness damages the lungs, causing the lungs to lose their ability to descend and the body fluids to be distributed, gathering into phlegm, which causes coughing and thin phlegm. Cold and dryness restrains the lungs, causing poor lung qi and causing nasal congestion and dry throat. White tongue coating and stringy pulse are evidence of cold and dryness with phlegm and dampness.


Xingsu Powder Prescription
杏蘇散方劑

Treatment principles


According to the guidance of Suwen Zhizhen Yaoda Lun, the principle of treating cold and dry syndrome is "dryness in the body should be treated with bitter and warm herbs, supplemented with sweet and pungent herbs". The treatment methods of Xingsu San mainly include the following aspects:

  1. Gently dispel coolness and dryness : Use pungent and warm herbs that are not dry, such as perilla leaves, to dispel evil and promote lung qi, so that the cool and dry evil can be dispersed from the outside.

  2. Regulate the lungs and eliminate phlegm : Use bitter, warm and moist herbs, such as almonds, to reduce lung qi, moisten dryness and relieve cough.

  3. Auxiliary herbs : Radix Peucedanum, Platycodon grandiflorum, Fructus Aurantii Immaturus and other herbs are used to dispel wind and pathogens, descend qi and resolve phlegm, and help Perilla leaf and Apricot kernel to lightly spread qi to the surface, regulate the lungs and resolve phlegm.

  4. Harmonizing the Ying and Wei : Ginger and jujube are used to harmonize the Ying and Wei, nourish the spleen and promote the circulation of body fluid, so as to relieve exterior symptoms and moisten dryness.

  5. Harmonizing various medicines : Roasted licorice root is used to harmonize various medicines. Combined with Platycodon grandiflorum, it can clear the lungs and relieve sore throat, and it also serves as an adjuvant.




Modern Applications of Xing Su San


In modern medicine, Xingsusan is often used to treat upper respiratory tract infection, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other diseases. The pathogenesis of these diseases is similar to that of exogenous cold and dryness syndrome, so Xingsusan has shown good effects in the treatment of these diseases.


Xingsusan is widely used in clinical practice, mainly for the treatment of the following diseases:

  1. Influenza : Xingsusan can effectively relieve symptoms such as chills, no sweating, and cough caused by colds.

  2. Chronic bronchitis : For patients with chronic bronchitis, Xingsusan can help resolve phlegm and relieve cough, and improve respiratory symptoms.

  3. Bronchial asthma : Xingsusan's lung-regulating and phlegm-resolving effects are also very effective for patients with bronchial asthma.

  4. Emphysema : Xingsusan can help improve the symptoms of dyspnea and cough in patients with emphysema.


Apricot Su Powder
杏蘇散臨床應用

In addition, Xingsusan is also used to treat gastrointestinal diseases such as gastritis, indigestion, etc. These diseases are often accompanied by symptoms of exogenous wind-cold or wind-heat, and Xingsusan's lung-regulating and phlegm-resolving effects can effectively relieve these symptoms.




Notes


When using Xing Su San, you need to pay attention to the following points:

  1. Use with caution for those with lung damage caused by warm and dry factors : Xingsu Powder is mainly used to treat cold and dry syndrome and is not suitable for those with lung damage caused by warm and dry factors.

  2. It is not suitable to use if the cold and dryness turns into heat : If the cold and dryness has turned into heat, Xingsu San should not be used, because this may aggravate the heat evil.


Conclusion


As a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, Xingsusan has become a representative prescription for treating exogenous cold and dryness syndrome with its unique composition and efficacy. It is also widely used in modern medicine and has good therapeutic effects on upper respiratory tract infections, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other diseases. However, when using Xingsusan, you need to pay attention to its indications and contraindications to ensure efficacy and safety.


Through a deeper understanding of Xing Su San, we can better understand and apply this traditional Chinese medicine prescription, providing more possibilities for the development of modern medicine.

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