Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang: A Classic Formula for Treating Wind-Water and Damp-Heat
- Hongji Medical
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang comes from the ancient Chinese medical text Shang Han Za Bing Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases), written by the renowned Eastern Han Dynasty physician Zhang Zhongjing. This foundational work compiles Zhang’s deep research and clinical experience with cold damage and various illnesses, making it a cornerstone of Chinese medicine formula studies.
Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang stands out as a representative formula, valued for its unique composition and effective results, making it a classic in Chinese medicine practice.
To understand Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang, we must first look at Yue Bi Tang, described in Shang Han Lun for treating “wind-water” with symptoms like aversion to wind, full-body swelling, a floating pulse, no thirst, continuous sweating, and no high fever.
Yue Bi Tang targets “wind-water” with “lung and stomach heat stagnation,” focusing on reducing swelling. Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang builds on this by adding Bai Zhu for enhanced dampness drainage.
Formula Explanation of Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang
Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang’s herbs follow the Chinese medicine principle of “monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy,” working together to relieve surface pathogens, drain water, clear heat, and remove dampness.
Monarch Herbs: Ma Huang, Shi Gao.
Ma Huang (pungent, slightly bitter, warm) promotes sweating, relieves surface conditions, opens the lungs, calms asthma, and reduces swelling. It targets the lung and bladder channels, effectively addressing wind pathogen-related surface symptoms.
Shi Gao (pungent, sweet, very cold) clears heat, reduces fire, relieves irritability, and quenches thirst. It acts on the lung and stomach channels, clearing heat stagnation in these areas.
Supporting Herbs: Bai Zhu, Sheng Jiang.
Bai Zhu (bitter, sweet, warm) strengthens the spleen, boosts qi, dries dampness, and promotes water metabolism. It targets the spleen and stomach, addressing spleen deficiency with excess dampness.
Sheng Jiang (pungent, warm) relieves surface conditions, disperses cold, warms the stomach, and stops nausea. It acts on the lung, spleen, and stomach, helping with wind-related surface issues.
Assistant Herbs: Gan Cao, Da Zao.
Gan Cao (sweet, neutral) boosts spleen qi, clears heat, detoxifies, and harmonizes the formula. It targets the heart, lung, spleen, and stomach, supporting weak spleen and qi-blood deficiency while ensuring the herbs work together.
Da Zao (sweet, warm) nourishes the spleen, boosts qi, nourishes blood, and calms the mind. It acts on the spleen and stomach, aiding spleen weakness and qi-blood deficiency.
Indications of Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang
Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang targets conditions involving external wind pathogens, lung and stomach heat stagnation, and water-dampness accumulation.
“Wind-water” refers to wind pathogens causing surface symptoms, impairing lung qi and water regulation, leading to fluid retention and full-body swelling.
In Jin Gui Yao Lue, it’s noted that Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang, as per Qian Jin Fang, treats “extreme muscle wasting, fluid loss, open skin pores, profuse sweating, severe wind qi, and weak lower limbs,” possibly linked to leprosy in modern terms.
Wind pathogens affect the lungs, disrupting their ability to regulate fluids, causing swelling as fluids overflow to the skin. Lung and stomach heat stagnation, triggered by wind turning into heat, further impairs fluid movement, worsening swelling and causing cough, difficult urination, low or no urine output, and poor appetite.
Prolonged wind-dampness turns into heat, depleting fluids, leading to profuse sweating, muscle wasting, weak legs, body aches, and joint pain.
The Huang Di Nei Jing states: “Leprosy involves heat in the nutrient qi, unclear qi, causing nasal collapse, skin discoloration, and ulceration.”
The Lei Jing adds: “Wind-cold lingering in the blood vessels turns nutrient qi into heat, causing skin ulcers and qi-blood imbalance, leading to leprosy.”
Thus, wind pathogens turning into heat damage fluids, causing skin decay and leprosy-like conditions, treatable with Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang to clear wind, heat, and dampness.
Effects of Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang
Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang’s main effects are relieving surface pathogens, draining water, clearing heat, and removing dampness.
Its herbs work together to improve blood circulation and regulate the endocrine system, relieving symptoms from wind pathogens and lung-stomach heat.
Relieve Surface and Drain Water: Ma Huang and Sheng Jiang promote sweating and open the lungs, easing surface symptoms like full-body or facial swelling.
Clear Heat and Remove Dampness: Shi Gao and Bai Zhu clear heat, reduce fire, and drain dampness, relieving swelling, cough, and urination issues caused by lung-stomach heat.
Harmonize the Formula: Gan Cao and Da Zao boost spleen qi and ensure the herbs work together for optimal results.
The unique pairing of Ma Huang and Shi Gao is key: Ma Huang expels wind and dampness, while Shi Gao clears internal heat.
Together, they disperse water and relieve surface heat. Sheng Jiang aids in draining surface dampness, while Gan Cao and Da Zao nourish the spleen and harmonize the formula. Bai Zhu strengthens the spleen to clear muscle dampness, enhancing water drainage.
Indications:
Pulse: Floating.
Tongue: Pale with thin white coating.
Pain: Body aches, joint pain, knee pain, lower back pain, gout, headaches, throat pain, sciatica, trigger finger (little, ring, middle, index).
Symptoms: Heavy body, facial or eyelid swelling, full-body swelling, cough, wind aversion, difficult urination, low/no urine, poor appetite, excessive sweating, swollen limbs, jaundice, fever, asthma.
Modern Conditions: Urethritis, beriberi, gout, eczema, hypothyroidism, conjunctivitis, measles, hives, cystitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger.
Modern Applications
In modern medicine, Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang is widely used for conditions like rheumatic fever, acute nephritis, eczema, hives, edema, arthritis, keratitis, jaundice, and beriberi, with significant effectiveness.
Rheumatic Fever: The formula relieves body aches and joint pain by clearing wind, heat, and dampness.
Acute Nephritis: It reduces full-body swelling and urination issues through water drainage and heat clearing.
Eczema and Hives: It eases itching and redness by clearing heat and dampness.
Precautions
When using Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang, consider the following to ensure safety and suitability:
Pattern Differentiation: This formula is for wind pathogens and lung-stomach heat. Confirm the patient’s symptoms and constitution with a practitioner, as it’s unsuitable for cold or deficiency patterns like spleen-stomach weakness, which could worsen with use.
Adjustments: Tailor the formula to symptoms. For severe swelling, increase Bai Zhu to boost spleen water drainage. For intense cough, increase Ma Huang to open the lungs. For urination issues, increase Shi Gao to clear heat.
Contraindications: Avoid in cold or deficiency patterns, as the formula targets wind-heat and dampness.
Special Populations: Pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, children, and the elderly should use it under professional guidance. Pregnant women should avoid it to protect fetal development, breastfeeding mothers to maintain milk production, and children/elderly should adjust doses for safety.
Conclusion
Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang, a historic formula from Shang Han Za Bing Lun, is a trusted remedy for wind-water and lung-stomach heat conditions. Its unique blend and proven effectiveness make it a cornerstone in Chinese medicine.
By relieving surface pathogens, draining water, clearing heat, and removing dampness, it addresses swelling, pain, and related symptoms, improving well-being. Understanding its uses and precautions ensures optimal results, blending traditional wisdom with modern care.
