Chapter 18. Huangqi Series

Huangqi is used in the body, in which there is Qi insufficiency and also water-vapor accumulation conditions. Huangqi works to nourish the Qi and depletes the extra water in the body.

防己（一两）, 甘草（半两，炒）, 白朮（七钱半）, 黄芪（一两一分，去芦）

右剉麻豆大，每抄五钱匕，生姜四片，大枣一枚，水盏半，煎八分，去滓。温服，良久再服。

Prepare the herbs into powder, take 9 gram, mix it with fresh ginger 4 pieces, Chinese date one badge, and 300 ml water. Bring to boil until there is abou 200 ml liquid left. Collect the herbal tea. Drink it when it is warm. Repeat it once after 2 to 3 hours.

喘者，加麻黄半两；胃中不和者，加芍药三分；气上冲者，加桂枝三分；下有陈寒者，加细辛三分。服后当如虫行皮中，从腰下如冰，后坐被上，又以一被绕腰以下，温，令微汗，差。

If the person has asthma, add Mahuang 8 gram; with discomfort in stomach, add Shaoyao 4 gram; with air pushing-up feeling, add Guizhi 8 gram, with chronic cold in the lower abdomen, add Xixing 8 gram. The person should feel as worm moving in the skin and cold from down the lower back. Let the person sit on the soft covering and with another covering to cover his lower part of the body. Keep warm to create mild sweat.

风湿，脉浮，身重，汗出恶风者，防己黄耆汤主之。

For the Wind-wetness disease, if the pulse is floating, the body feels heavy and has sweat, and the person dislike wind environment, use Fangji Huangqi Tang

Huangqi 45 gram, Shaoyao 45 gram, Guizhi 45 gram, fresh ginger 90 gram, Chinese date 12 badges.

右五味，以水六升，煮取二升，温服七合，日三服。（一方有人参）

Add the herbs and 1500 ml water into a herbal pot. Bring to boil and keep in mild boiling until the liquid in the pot is about 500 ml. Drink one third of the herbal tea each time, three times a day. (in another formula version,, there is Renshen in it).

血痹，阴阳俱微，寸口关上微，尺中小紧，外证身体不仁，如风痹状，黄耆桂枝五物汤主之。

For person with the Xuebi disease[1], the pulse is weak when touch slightly or deeply. In addition, his pulse is mild on the Guan position, and slight tight on the Chun position. He feels discomfort　(similar to a kind of numb) in the body here and there but not typical pain or numb or tight or spasm or itch, a condition similar to a Fengbi disease[2]. In this case, use Huangqi Guizhi Wuwo Tang.

[1] Xuebi, Xue means blood. Bi means tightness or pain when refers to joints.

[2] For Fengbi disease, the person has moving pain in the small joints. The Xuebi disease has no such joint pain, but discomfort feeling in whole body. Fengbi, here Feng means wind.

Add Huangqi 23 gram into the above Xiao Jiangzhong Tang. Cook and drink the tea the same way.

若气短胸满者，加生姜；腹满者，去枣加茯苓一两半；及疗肺虚损不足补气，加半夏三两。

If there is short of breath, add fresh ginger; fullness in abdomen, remove Chinese date but add Fuling 23 gram; for Lung weakness, add Banxia 45 gram.

虚劳里急，诸不足，黄耆建中汤主之。

For all kinds of exhausting conditions, weakness conditions, use Huangqi Jianzhong Tang.[1]

[1] For the Guizhi jia Longgu Muli Tang, it is the Guizhi Tang plus Longgu and Muli; the Xiao Jiangzhong Tang is the Guizhi Tang plus Jiaoyi; and the Huangqi Jiangzhong Tang is the Guizhi Tang plus Huangqi and Jiaoyi. Here the readers should remember that the Guizhi Tang is used for a weat therapy for Taiyang Wind-invasion condition, but it is also used for the nourishing therapy for various exhausting conditions too.