Hiding in Plain Sight: An Appreciation of Zeng Ye Tang

I’m offering it on the new membership only learning platform White Pine Circle. This is an outgrowth of Sharon Weizenbaum’s White Pine Graduate Mentorship program and is a rich resource for all students of East Asian Medicine. Learn at your own pace or join a course. Take advantage of the free lectures. 

A special area of interest of mine is the architecture of Chinese Formulas. Throughout history, we see herbal friends: medicals that are used in combination over and over in a range of formulas. I have found through teaching that if students can learn these core building blocks, understanding the actions of a formula instantly becomes more transparent.

Learning to identify key herbal combinations is a foundational building block to understanding a formulas actions and applications. This lecture examine the Wen Bing Formula Zeng Ye Tang- Humor Increasing Decoction. 

We’ll analzyne the formula construction, how it’s different from other yin supplementing formulas and  Then we’ll look at other formulas that include this combination. You’ll learn that this trio was used included in formulas centuries earlier. 

I’m listing the formulas that I will discuss below: 

Here’s a map: 

Zeng Ye Tang Systematic Humor Increasing Decoction
Differentiation of Warm Diseases (Wēn Bìng Tiáo Biàn, 温病条 辨) 1798

玄參 Xuan Shen  Radix Scrophulariae ningpoensis  30 g
麥門冬 Mai Men Dong  Tuber Ophiopogonis japonici  24 g
生地黃 Sheng Di Huang  Radix Rehmanniae glutinosae  24 g


Zeng ye cheng qi tang 
Humor-Increasing Qi-Coordinating+ Decoction

生地黃 Sheng Di Huang Radix Rehmanniae glutinosae  24
玄參 Xuan Shen Radix Scrophulariae ningpoensis  30
大黄 Da Huang Radix et rhizoma rhei 9
芒硝 Mang Xiao Natrii Sulfas 4.5
麥門冬 Mai Men Dong Tuber Ophiopogonis japonici  24


Xin Jia Huang Long Tang 
Newly Supplemented Yellow Dragon Decoction

生地黃 Sheng Di Huang Radix Rehmanniae glutinosae  15g
玄參 Xuan Shen Radix Scrophulariae ningpoensis  15g
大黄 Da Huang Radix et rhizoma rhei 9g
芒硝 Mang Xiao Natrii Sulfas 3g
海参 Hai Shen Stichopus 2 (pc?)
人蔘 Ren Shen Radix Ginseng  4.5g
甘草 Gan Cao Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae 6g
當歸 Dang Gui Radix Angelicae sinensis  4.5
麥門冬 Mai Men Dong Tuber Ophiopogonis japonici  15g


Qing Ying Tang 
Ying Level Heat-Clearing Decoction

水牛角 Shui Niu Jian  Cornu Bubali 30-120
生地黃  Sheng Di Huang Chinese foxglove root, rehmannia (fresh),Rehmannia root 15
玄參  Xuan Shen ningpo figwort root, scrophularia 9
麥門冬 Mai Men Dong Ophiopogon tuber 9
 金银花 Jin Yin Hua  Flos Lonicerae Japonicae 9
 连翘 Lian Qiao  Fructus Forsythiae 6
 黄连 Huang Lian  Rhizoma Coptidis 4.5
 淡竹叶 Dan Zhu Ye  Herba Lophatheri 3
丹参 Dan Shen Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae 6


Tian Wang bu xin dan 
Celestial Emperor Heart-Supplementing Elixir 

Corrections and Annotations to Fine Formulas for Women (Jiào Zhù Fù Rén Liáng Fāng, 校注妇人良方)          Jiào Zhù Fù Rén Liáng Fāng   校注妇人良方            Xue Ji 薛己 (Styles: Xue Xin-fu 薛新甫, Xue Li-zhai 薛立斋)      1237 (Southern Song)

生地黃 Sheng Di Huang  Radix Rehmanniae glutinosae  120g
玄參 Xuan Shen Radix Scrophulariae ningpoensis  15g
麥門冬 Mai Men Dong Tuber Ophiopogonis japonici  30g
天门冬 Tian Men Dong Tuber Asparagi 30g
人蔘 Ren Shen Radix Ginseng  15g
茯苓 Fu Ling Sclerotium Poriae 15g
五味子 Wu Wei Zi Fructus Schisandrae chinensis  30g
當歸 Dang Gui Wine Washed Radix Angelicae sinensis  30g
丹参 Dan Shen Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae 15g
柏子仁 Bai Zi Ren Semen Platycladi 30g
酸枣仁 Suan Zao Ren Semen Ziziphi spinosae  30g
远志 Yuan Zhi Radix Polygalae tenuifoliae  15g
桔梗 Jie Geng Radix Platycodi Grandiflori  15g


Bai Zi Yang Xin Wan
Arborvitae Seed Pill to Nourish the Heart

柏子仁 Bai Zi Ren Semen Platycladi 120g
枸杞子 Gou Qi Zi Lycii Fructus 90
麥門冬 Mai Men Dong Tuber Ophiopogonis japonici  30g
當歸 Dang Gui Radix Angelicae sinensis  30g
石菖蒲 Shi Chang Pu Rhizoma Acori Tatarinowii 30g
Fu shen Sclerotium Poriae 30g
玄參 Xuan Shen Radix Scrophulariae ningpoensis  60g
丹参 Dan Shen Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae 15g
熟地黄 Shu Di Huang Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata 60g
甘草 Gan Cao Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae 15g


Bai he gu jing tang 
Lily Bulb Metal-Securing Decoction

Writings for Posterity of [Zhou] Shen-zhai (Shèn Zhāi Yí Shū, 1573

生地黃  Sheng Di Huang Radix Rehmanniae glutinosae  9g
熟地黄  Shu Di Huang Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata 9
百合  Bai He Bulbus Lilii 4.5
玄參  Xuan Shen ningpo figwort root, scrophularia 2.4
麥門冬  Mai Men Dong Tuber Ophiopogonis japonici  4.5
桔梗  Jie Geng Radix Platycodi Grandiflori  2.4
貝母  Bei Mu  Bulbus Fritillaria 4.5
當歸  Dang Gui Radix Angelicae sinensis  9
白芍  Bai Shao Radix Paeoniae Alba 3
甘草  Gan Cao Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae 3


Yang yin qing fei tang 
Yin-Nourishing Lung-Clearing Decoction

Jade Key to the Secluded Chamber (Zhòng Lóu Yù Yào, 重楼玉钥)  Zhòng Lóu Yù Yào   重楼玉钥        Zheng Han 郑翰 (Styles: Zheng Ji-yuan 郑纪元, Zheng Mei-jian 郑梅涧)   1838 (Qing)

生地黃  Sheng Di Huang Radix Rehmanniae glutinosae  6
玄參  Xuan Shen ningpo figwort root, scrophularia 4.5
牡丹皮  Mu Dan Pi Cortex Moutan 2.4
白芍  Bai Shao Radix Paeoniae Alba 2.4
麥門冬  Mai Men Dong Tuber Ophiopogonis japonici  3.6
薄荷  Bo He Herba Menthae 1.5
川貝母  Chuan Bei Mu Bulbus Fritillaria 2.4
甘草  Gan Cao Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae 1.5

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