《孫真人備急千金要方》Vol. 4

Volume Four of Sun Zhenren’s Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand in Gold

Formulas for Women: Deficiency and Debility, First Treatise (Discussion and Formulas, with Night Sweats)

The treatise says: Women need not worry only when they are about to give birth; they must be especially careful after childbirth. The greatest danger lies in the postpartum period. Do not assume that, because the birth went smoothly, you can indulge yourself, do whatever you please, and ignore all restrictions. A breach of these restrictions may seem at first as slight as an autumn hair, yet the illness it brings can be as weighty as Mount Song or Mount Dai. Why? Because postpartum illnesses are harder to treat than other illnesses.

After giving birth, a woman’s Five Viscera are weak and her body depleted. She should focus on recuperation and replenishment, not on draining and purging. If she falls ill, do not rush to use harsh, fast-acting medicines. Such medicines can weaken her further and put recovery even farther out of reach. For the first hundred days after childbirth, therefore, she must be extremely cautious: avoid excess, observe the restrictions, and do not resume sexual relations.

If she breaks a restriction, her body may stiffen backward, bending like a bow. This condition is called “postpartum wind,” an old term for an illness that arises after childbirth; it is a sign that a restriction has been violated. Once the body has arched backward like a bow, life hangs as precariously as a candle flame in the wind. Every woman should take this seriously. Even an illness caused by a moment’s carelessness or unrestrained laughter may quickly leave her bedridden. She may spend all her money and seek doctors everywhere, yet they may still be unable to recognize and treat the illness. Even if a doctor is found, her life may already be beyond saving. Where, then, could help be found? Those who study medicine must become thoroughly familiar with this kind of illness and must never treat it as ordinary.

One point calls for special attention: it is best to use a chamber pot indoors when relieving oneself.

Wait until one hundred days after childbirth before resuming sexual relations. Failure to observe this may lead to weakness and frequent illness, or even put life at risk, so take great care.

Women often suffer from wind disorders and coldness and weakness below the navel; these are commonly caused by resuming sexual relations too soon.

During the first seven days after childbirth, the lochia has not yet been fully discharged, so decoctions should not be taken. Wait until the blood clots below the navel have dispersed, then take mutton decoction. This restriction does not apply if the pain is severe. After another two or three days, one may take Zelan Pills, pills made with Zelan and other ingredients. It is best to finish the course before the first month after childbirth is over; otherwise, it will be difficult to recover from the body’s depletion. If a woman has become extremely thin and weak, to the point that she is difficult to save, she may take the Five-Mineral Zelan Pills. During the postpartum period of rest in bed, women should take Zelan Pills to replenish their strength. They must be taken only after the first seven days following childbirth, never earlier.

When a woman gives birth during the hot season, seeking relief from the heat may lead her to catch cold from the wind. Illness may then accumulate in her abdomen, followed by one ailment after another, sometimes lasting into old age. Even after trying many kinds of medicine, she may not recover. This can be treated with Peach Kernel Decoction, taken after childbirth. Even if she has no illness, she should take one or two courses each autumn and winter. Taking it regularly throughout the year is better still.

After childbirth, a woman may take Fourfold Harmonizing and Regulating the Center Pills. Take one liang each of licorice, ginseng, white atractylodes, and dried ginger. Grind the four ingredients to a fine powder, mix with honey, and form pills the size of wutong seeds. Take ten pills at a time, gradually increasing to twenty. After childbirth, the organs are weakened, and this formula is taken to nourish their Qi.

Peach Kernel Decoction treats various postpartum illnesses and disorders of Qi, and is also said to be nourishing and to improve the complexion. Take 1,200 peach kernels and pound them finely. Grind and filter them three or four times with one dou and five sheng of fine-quality wine, until the mixture is as fine as wheat porridge. Put it in a long-necked porcelain bottle and seal the mouth tightly, then seal around it with dough. Place the bottle in boiling water and cook it for a full day and night. Keep the fire going, but do not let it burn too fiercely. The bottle’s mouth should remain above the water; do not let the bottle sink. When it is done, remove it and, while still warm, take one he at a time, twice a day. Men may take it as well.

Dendrobium and Rehmannia Decoction treats women who are weak and thin, short of breath, suffering from Qi rising in the chest or a feeling of oppression and discomfort there, as well as illnesses caused by wind Qi. Take four liang each of dendrobium, licorice, and aster root; half a sheng of peach kernels; two liang of cassia bark; eight liang of rhubarb; and two sheng of ophiopogon. Also take eight sheng each of fresh Rehmannia juice and strong wine. One version of the formula adds three liang of ginseng.

Grind the medicinal ingredients to a fine powder and put them in a copper vessel to simmer over charcoal. Add one jin of deer-horn glue and cook until about one dou of liquid remains. Then add three jin of malt sugar and three sheng of white honey. Mix well and continue to cook gently in a water bath until somewhat reduced. Stir with a fresh piece of bamboo to keep the medicine from sticking to the pot, until all the ingredients have blended. Once prepared, take one pill before meals with wine. Each pill should be the size of a small ball, and the dose should be taken three times a day. If no effect is felt, gradually increase the dose to two pills each time.

Rehmannia and Sheep-Fat Decoction is used to treat weakness after childbirth, with the aim of making the body fuller, giving the complexion a fair, lustrous appearance, and restoring a steady appetite.

One dou of fresh Rehmannia juice, five sheng each of ginger juice and white honey, and two jin of sheep fat.

First simmer the fresh Rehmannia juice until it has reduced to five sheng. Add the sheep fat and simmer until the amount has halved. Then add the ginger juice and continue simmering until the amount has halved again, then add the white honey. Put the mixture in a copper vessel and simmer until it is thick and sticky like malt syrup. Take a portion about the size of an egg and stir it into hot wine. Take this three times a day.

Rehmannia Wine: Used to treat various conditions after childbirth. It should be brewed one month before the expected delivery date, for use during postpartum bed rest and recovery.

One sheng of fresh Rehmannia juice, and two sheng each of good-quality wine starter and good-quality rice.

Soak the wine starter in the fresh Rehmannia juice. Once it has fermented, brew the wine using the usual household method. When the wine is ready, seal it for seven days, then drink the clear wine. Continue drinking it regularly so that the wine’s effects remain in the body without interruption. While taking it, carefully avoid garlic, raw or cold foods, vinegar, rich or slippery foods, pork, chicken, and fish. Women should avoid all of these foods. However, do not brew it during the three hot summer months; it may be brewed in spring, autumn, or winter. The fresh Rehmannia and the medicinal residue can be added to rice and steamed together for eating. If brewing a larger quantity using one shi or ten shi of rice, calculate the other amounts in the same proportion, using one sheng as the unit. It is preferable to take three doses of Mutton and Angelica Soup first, followed by the Rehmannia Wine.

Mutton Soup: Used to treat postpartum emaciation and weakness, shortness of breath, fatigue, spontaneous sweating, and cramping abdominal pain.

Three jin of fatty mutton, with the fat removed; two liang of Angelica (the Yao family version uses scallion whites); two liang each of cassia bark and licorice; three liang of chuanxiong (the Secret Record of the Child and Mother version uses one sheng of fermented black beans); peony root (the Secret Record of the Child and Mother version uses scallion whites); four liang of fresh ginger; and five liang of dried Rehmannia.

Chop the eight ingredients. First boil the mutton in one and a half dou of water until seven sheng remain, then remove the mutton. Add the remaining medicinal ingredients and simmer until three sheng remain. Strain out the residue and divide the liquid into three doses. If the condition does not improve, prepare and take another batch.

The Supplement to the Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold adds one jin of scallion whites. The Secret Record of the Child and Mother states: if there is slight heat in the chest, add one liang each of scutellaria root and dwarf lilyturf root; for headache, add one liang of gypsum; for windstroke, add one liang of saposhnikovia root; for constipation, add one liang of rhubarb; for difficulty urinating, add one liang of hollyhock seeds; for shortness of breath, coughing, or rebellious Qi, add one liang of schisandra berries.

Pig Kidney Soup: Used to treat postpartum emaciation and weakness, shortness of breath, fatigue, and alternating chills and fever, with symptoms resembling malaria.

A prescription for treating postpartum rulao (a condition arising from weakness and strain after childbirth):

Take one pig kidney, remove the fat, and cut it into four pieces. If pig kidney is unavailable, sheep kidney may be used instead. Wrap the fermented black soybeans in cloth. Also take one liang each of white polished rice and scallion whites. Add three dou of water to these four ingredients and boil until five sheng remain. Strain out the ingredients and take as needed. If the condition does not improve, prepare and take another dose in the same way. The Guangji Fang adds two liang each of ginseng and Chinese angelica, making six ingredients in all.

Lamb and astragalus soup is used to treat postpartum weakness and fatigue and to strengthen the body. Take three jin of lamb, three liang of astragalus, and thirty jujubes, along with two liang each of poria, licorice, Chinese angelica, cassia bark, Ophiopogon, dried rehmannia, and peony root. Cut the herbs into small pieces. Add two dou of water and boil them with the lamb until one dou remains. Remove the lamb, then add the herbs and simmer until three sheng remain. Strain out the ingredients and take in three portions, three times a day.

Deer meat soup is used to treat postpartum weakness, emaciation, and depletion from overexertion. Take four jin of deer meat; three liang each of dried rehmannia, licorice, Sichuan lovage, astragalus, peony root, Ophiopogon, and poria; two liang each of ginseng, Chinese angelica, and fresh ginger; one sheng of pinellia; and twenty jujubes. Cut the herbs into small pieces. Add two dou and five sheng of water and boil them with the deer meat until one dou and three sheng remain. Remove the deer meat, then add the herbs and simmer until five sheng remain. Strain out the ingredients and take in four portions, three times during the day and once at night.

Musk deer bone soup is used to treat postpartum weakness and fatigue, as well as the “five strains and seven impairments” (a general term for various forms of strain and depletion). It is also used for imbalances of cold and heat in the internal organs. Take the bones of one musk deer; three liang each of polygala, astragalus, peony root, dried ginger, saposhnikovia, poria (another version gives poria with hostwood), and magnolia bark; two liang each of Chinese angelica, tangerine peel, licorice, angelica pubescens, and Sichuan lovage; and four liang each of cassia bark and fresh ginger. Cut the herbs into small pieces. Add three dou of water and boil with the bones until two dou remain. Remove the bones, then add the herbs and simmer until five sheng remain. Strain out the ingredients and take in five portions.

Chinese angelica and peony soup is used to treat postpartum depletion and weakness, loss of appetite, or discomfort after eating. The listed ingredients are one and a half liang of Chinese angelica, peony root, and ginseng.

Bamboo Root Decoction for postnatal deficiency vexation: Finely slice sweet bamboo root. Take one dou and five sheng, add two dou of water, and boil until seven sheng remain. Strain out the dregs. Add two sheng of wheat and twenty jujubes, then continue boiling until the wheat is fully cooked and the mixture has boiled three or four times. Next add one liang of licorice and one sheng of Ophiopogon. Simmer to make a decoction, then strain out the dregs. Take five ge each time. If the symptoms do not ease, continue taking it until they do. It may also be taken by those who are short of breath.

Ginseng and Angelica Decoction for postnatal vexation and restlessness: Take one liang each of ginseng, angelica, Ophiopogon, dried rehmannia, and cassia bark; twenty jujubes; one sheng of polished rice; four liang of peony; and three sheng of light bamboo leaves. First boil the bamboo leaves and polished rice in one dou and two sheng of water until eight sheng remain, then strain out the dregs. Add the other ingredients and boil until three sheng remain. Strain out the dregs and divide into three doses. For vexation and restlessness, take one sheng of fermented soybeans, add three sheng of water…

First decoct the ingredients to obtain one sheng of medicinal liquid, and drink it all. It works very well.

Sweet Bamboo Shavings Decoction: Used to treat physical weakness after childbirth, agitation and heat in the heart, and shortness of breath. The ingredients are one sheng of sweet bamboo shavings; one liang each of ginseng, poria, and licorice; and three liang of scutellaria root—five ingredients in all. Cut the ingredients into pieces and decoct them in six sheng of water until two sheng of liquid remain. Strain out the dregs and take the decoction in three doses, three times a day.

Anemarrhena Decoction: Used to treat alternating chills and fever after childbirth, fever throughout the body, and distress in the chest and heart. The ingredients are three liang of anemarrhena rhizome; two liang each of peony root and scutellaria root; and one liang each of cinnamon bark and licorice—five ingredients in all. Cut the ingredients into pieces and decoct them in five sheng of water until two and a half sheng of liquid remain. Divide into three doses. Another version omits cinnamon bark and adds fresh rehmannia root instead.

Bamboo Leaf Decoction: Used to treat distress in the heart after childbirth that does not ease for a long time. The ingredients are one sheng each of fresh light bamboo leaves and ophiopogon root; two liang of licorice; three liang each of fresh ginger and poria; fourteen jujubes; and three he of wheat—seven ingredients in all. Cut the ingredients into pieces. First decoct the bamboo leaves and wheat in one dou of water until eight sheng of liquid remain. Then add the other ingredients and continue decocting until three sheng remain. Strain out the dregs and take in three doses. If there is weakness and palpitations in the heart, add two liang of ginseng. If appetite is poor and the person cannot eat staple foods, add five he of polished rice. If Qi rebels upward, add two liang of pinellia.

Light Bamboo Shavings Decoction: Used to treat restless vexation from deficiency after childbirth, headache, shortness of breath as if on the verge of gasping, and agitation and unease in the heart that do not ease for a long time. The ingredients are one sheng of fresh light bamboo shavings; five he each of ophiopogon root and wheat; one liang of licorice; three liang of fresh ginger; and fourteen jujubes—six ingredients in all. A variant recorded in the Chanbao uses kudzu root in place of fresh ginger and adds three liang of gypsum. Cut the ingredients into pieces. Decoct the bamboo shavings and wheat in one dou of water until eight sheng of liquid remain, then strain out the dregs. Add the other ingredients and continue decocting until two sheng remain. Strain out the dregs and take in two doses. People who are physically weak may divide it into three doses. If ginseng is available, add one liang. If not, one and a half liang of poria may be added instead, which also works very well. Both ginseng and poria can relieve distress in the heart, deficiency of the heart, and fright with palpitations, and can calm the spirit. Use whichever of the two is available.

After taking one dose prepared according to the original formula, if the illness has not improved, take another dose. If Qi counterflow occurs, add two liang of Pinellia.

Red Bean Powder: Used to treat postpartum restlessness and tightness in the chest, inability to eat, and distension in the abdomen from deficiency. Take thirty-seven red beans and burn them to ash. Mix the powder with cold water and take it all at once. It is said to work well.

Pollen Typhae Powder: Used to treat postpartum restlessness and tightness in the chest. Mix Pollen Typhae with water flowing from the east to make a medicinal powder. Take one fangcun bi (a small spoonful held by an ancient measure for medicinal powder) each time. It is said to work very well.

Shuqi Decoction: Used to treat postpartum deficiency heat that comes and goes, vexation and fullness in the chest, pain in the joints, headache, and high fever. Symptoms often worsen toward evening, sometimes resembling a mild case of malaria. The formula consists of one liang each of Shuqi leaves, cassia bark, licorice, and Scutellaria root; five liang of Astragalus root; two liang each of Anemarrhena and peony; and one jin of fresh Rehmannia root. Cut the eight ingredients into pieces, boil them in one dou of water until reduced to three sheng, and divide into three doses. The ancient formula says this decoction will not harm the body.

Peony Decoction: Used to treat postpartum deficiency heat and headache. The formula consists of five liang each of white peony root, dried Rehmannia root, and oyster shell, and three liang of cassia bark. Cut the four ingredients into pieces, boil them in one dou of water until reduced to two and a half sheng, strain out the herbs, and divide into three doses, taken three times a day. The original text says this decoction is nontoxic and harmless, and that it can also treat cramping abdominal pain. If there is fever throughout the body, add two liang of Scutellaria root.

Third: Wind Stroke (Discussion and Formulas)

The original text says that for postpartum opisthotonos (the body arching backward, with stiffness in the neck and back) or other wind stroke symptoms, strong medicines should not be used; only one or two herbs should be given on their own. The patient should not be made to sweat profusely. Purgatives, emetics, and treatments that cause diarrhea are especially to be avoided, as they may well prove fatal. Black Bean and Wine Decoction is particularly suitable for postpartum illnesses.

Black Bean and Wine Decoction: Used to treat a range of postpartum illnesses, as well as wind stroke, fei (a category of wind illness in ancient medicine), and convulsions. Symptoms include stiffness in the back and inability to open the mouth; alternatively, there may be only vexation, fever, and thirst; heaviness of the head and body; intense itching all over; nausea and retching; or a fixed stare. The original text attributes these symptoms in most cases to exposure to wind, cold, or dampness when the body is weak, or to injury from overexertion. It describes this formula as one whose efficacy has been confirmed.

Take five sheng of soybeans and one dou of clear wine. Put the beans in an iron pot and stir-fry over high heat until very hot and smoking. Then pour them into the wine and strain out the beans. Take one sheng at a time, repeatedly through the day and night; prepare another batch according to the formula once it is finished. If slight sweating occurs, the illness will improve. The original text says the formula both dispels wind and disperses stagnant blood. If an injury causes fetal death in the womb, it says that taking this wine for three days will bring recovery.

Du Huo Purple Decoction is used to treat windstroke, spasms, locked jaws, pain from disharmony of blood and Qi, overexertion injuries, and to nourish the kidneys within the first hundred days after childbirth.

One jin of Du Huo, five sheng of soybeans, and thirteen sheng of aged wine. First soak the Du Huo in the wine overnight. If it is needed urgently, simmer it over low heat until the wine has reduced by three sheng, then strain out the herbs. Separately, stir-fry the soybeans until they are dark yellow and smoking. Pour the Du Huo wine over them, then strain out the beans. Take one sheng per dose, three times during the day and twice at night.

Minor Du Huo Decoction is used to treat the symptoms described above.

Eight liang of Du Huo, six liang of Ge Gen, six liang of fresh ginger, and two liang of Gan Cao. Cut the herbs into small pieces and decoct them in nine sheng of water until three sheng remain. Strain out the herbs and divide the liquid into four doses. A slight sweat is desirable.

Gan Cao Decoction is used to treat windstroke during the postpartum period, with stiffness in the back and inability to turn. This condition is called “wind convulsion,” a spasm caused by wind pernicious influence.

Two liang each of Gan Cao, dried Di Huang, Mai Men Dong, and Ma Huang; three liang each of Gua Lou Gen, Chuan Xiong, and Huang Qin; fifty Xing Ren; and half a jin of Ge Gen. Cut the Ge Gen into small pieces and boil it with one dou and five sheng of water and five sheng of wine until eight sheng remain, then strain out the herbs. Add the remaining ingredients and decoct until three sheng remain. Strain out the herbs and divide the liquid into two doses. If one batch does not bring recovery, another may be prepared. According to the Qianjin Yi and Cui’s account, three liang of Qian Hu are also added.

Du Huo Decoction is used to treat postpartum windstroke, locked jaws, and inability to speak.

Five liang each of Du Huo and fresh ginger; two liang each of Fang Feng, Qin Jiao, Gui Xin, Bai Zhu, Gan Cao, Dang Gui, and Fu Zi; three liang of Ge Gen; and one liang of Fang Ji. Cut the herbs into small pieces and decoct them in one dou and two sheng of water until three sheng remain. Strain out the herbs and divide the liquid into three doses.

Chicken Dung Wine is used to treat postpartum windstroke and various illnesses, as well as ailments caused by wind pernicious influences in men; it is said to be highly effective.

One sheng of chicken dung, stir-fried until yellow, and one sheng of black beans, stir-fried until they no longer crackle, but not until scorched. Pour three and a half sheng of clear wine first over the chicken dung and then over the black beans, collecting the liquid. Warm one sheng for each dose and take enough to induce sweating. In severe cases, take four or five doses in total.

The terms sheng, dou, jin, and liang are ancient units of measure. “Cut into small pieces” means chopping medicinal ingredients before decocting them.

Take it every day, and there is no case that does not recover.

Bamboo Leaf Decoction: Treats postpartum windstroke with fever, a flushed face, panting, and headache.

Ingredients: one handful of lophatherum leaves, three liang of kudzu root, two liang of saposhnikovia root, and one liang each of platycodon root, licorice root, ginseng, and cinnamon bark; one large aconite tuber, five liang of fresh ginger, and fifteen jujubes.

Cut the ten ingredients into pieces. Boil them in one dou of water until two and a half sheng remain, then strain out the herbs. Divide into three doses and take three times a day. After taking it, keep the body warm and covered so that you sweat. For stiffness in the neck, use a large aconite tuber; for vomiting, add four liang of pinellia.

Saposhnikovia Decoction: Treats postpartum windstroke, tightness in the back, and shortness of breath. (The Qianjin Yifang gives “tightness inside and shortness of breath.”)

Ingredients: five liang each of saposhnikovia root, pubescent angelica root, and kudzu root; two liang each of Chinese angelica root, peony root, ginseng, licorice root, and dried ginger.

Cut the eight ingredients into pieces. Boil them in nine sheng of water until three sheng remain, then strain out the herbs. Divide into three doses and take three times a day.

Deer Meat Decoction: Treats weakness and exposure to wind after childbirth, headache, high fever, and confused speech.

Ingredients: three jin of deer meat; three liang each of peony root, pubescent angelica root, gentian root, baical skullcap root, and astragalus root; one sheng of pinellia; two liang each of dried rehmannia root, cinnamon bark, and Sichuan lovage root; six liang of fresh ginger; one liang each of licorice root and donkey hide gelatin; and four liang each of poria (listed as “poria with hostwood” in the Qianjin Yifang) and ginseng.

First cut the deer meat into pieces and boil it in two dou of water until one dou and two sheng remain. Remove the meat, add the herbs, and continue boiling until three sheng remain. Strain out the herbs and stir in the donkey hide gelatin until it melts. Divide into four doses and take three times during the day and once at night.

Pubescent Angelica Wine: Treats postpartum windstroke.

Ingredients: one jin of pubescent angelica root, three liang of cinnamon bark, and five liang of gentian root.

Cut the three ingredients into pieces and soak them in one and a half dou of wine for three days. Drink five he each time, gradually increasing the amount to one sheng. If you cannot drink that much, take an amount suited to your capacity.

Soybean Decoction: Treats sudden windstroke after childbirth, when the illness strikes and the person collapses, dazed and unconscious. It is also used for wind disorders during pregnancy and for various illnesses that occur while a woman is confined to bed after giving birth.

Fry five sheng of soybeans until lightly browned, then chop them together with eight liang each of kudzu root and angelica pubescens, and six liang of fangji. Boil the soybeans in one dou and two sheng of wine until eight sheng remain, then strain out the soybean residue. Add the remaining herbs and simmer until four sheng remain; strain out the herbs. Divide the liquid into six doses: take four doses during the day and two at night.

Five-Mineral Decoction: Used to treat sudden wind-stroke after childbirth, with symptoms including clenched jaws, collapse with chest oppression, white foam at the mouth, convulsions of the hands and feet, dizziness and confusion, loss of consciousness, damp impediment (numbness, heaviness, and similar symptoms caused by dampness), weakness and limpness of the limbs, and bodily spasms. It is also used for various illnesses during pregnancy.

Three liang of purple fluorite; two liang each of stalactite, red halloysite, gypsum, white quartz, oyster shell, ginseng, baical skullcap root, white atractylodes, licorice, snakegourd root, Sichuan lovage rhizome, cinnamon bark, fangji, Chinese angelica, and dried ginger; three liang of angelica pubescens; four liang of kudzu root.

These are eighteen ingredients. Grind the five mineral ingredients into powder and chop the remaining herbs. Boil them in one dou and four sheng of water until three and a half sheng remain. Divide into five doses: take three during the day and two at night. Another version also adds two liang each of talc and cold-water stone, and twenty jujubes.

Four-Mineral Decoction: Used to treat sudden wind-stroke after childbirth, with symptoms including clenched jaws, convulsions of the hands and feet, chest oppression and distension, loss of consciousness, limpness or stiffness of the limbs, impediment pain caused by various wind pathogens and toxins, and bodily spasms and rigidity. It is also used for wind-stroke in pregnant women and for various illnesses in women.

Three liang each of purple fluorite, white quartz, gypsum, and red halloysite; six liang each of angelica pubescens and fresh ginger; four liang of kudzu root; two liang each of cinnamon bark, Sichuan lovage rhizome, licorice, peony root, and baical skullcap root.

Chop the twelve ingredients. Boil them in one dou and two sheng of water until three and a half sheng remain. Strain out the herbs and divide the liquid into five doses.

Minor Bupleurum Decoction: Used for women who become ill after childbirth from exposure to wind and experience feverish heat in the limbs. If there is feverish heat without headache, take the Three-Herb Scutellaria Decoction; if there is a headache, take the Minor Bupleurum Decoction.

Half a jin of bupleurum; three liang each of baical skullcap root, ginseng, and licorice; two liang of fresh ginger; twelve jujubes; half a sheng of pinellia.

Cut up the seven ingredients and boil them in one dou and two sheng of water. Reduce the liquid to six sheng, then strain out the dregs. Take one sheng per dose, three times a day.

Three-Ingredient Scutellaria Decoction

Scutellaria root and Sophora root, two liang each; dried Rehmannia root, four liang.

Cut up the three ingredients and boil them in eight sheng of water until the liquid is reduced to two sheng. Strain out the dregs and let the decoction cool to a suitable temperature before taking it. Take one sheng per dose, twice a day. The original text says that after taking it, one may vomit or have diarrhea in large quantities and pass worms.

Licorice Decoction

Used to treat abdominal injury after childbirth accompanied by alternating chills and fever, confusion, delirious speech, and seeing ghosts or other apparitions. The original text attributes these conditions to wind-stroke after childbirth and deficiency of Qi in the internal organs.

Licorice root and peony root, five liang each; mutton, three jin; tetrapanax pith, three liang. The book Chanbao uses Chinese angelica root in place of tetrapanax pith.

Cut the mutton into pieces and boil it first in one dou and six sheng of water. When the liquid has reduced to one dou, remove the mutton. Add the medicinal ingredients and continue boiling until the liquid is reduced to six sheng, then strain out the dregs. Divide into five doses: take three during the day and two at night.

Mutton Decoction

Used to treat wind-stroke after childbirth that persists for a long time, as well as obstructed menstruation with menstrual blood that alternates between red and white. It is also used for men with deficiency and exhaustion when cold predominates.

Mutton, two jin; chengtuo, garlic (peeled and sliced), and fermented black beans, three sheng each.

Boil the three ingredients in one dou and three sheng of water until the liquid is reduced to five sheng, then strain out the dregs. Add one sheng of butter and boil again until reduced to three sheng. Divide into three doses and take warm.

Kudzu Decoction

Used to treat clenched jaws, convulsions and rigidity, numbness of the limbs, rapid breathing, dizziness and mental cloudiness, and fatigue and weakness caused by wind-stroke after childbirth. It is also used for other postpartum conditions.

Kudzu root and fresh ginger, six liang each; Chinese angelica root, four liang; Chinese angelica root, three liang; licorice root, cassia bark, poria, gypsum, ginseng, white atractylodes rhizome, Sichuan lovage rhizome, and siler root, two liang each.

Cut up the twelve ingredients and boil them in one dou and two sheng of water until reduced to three sheng. Strain out the dregs and divide into three doses, taken three times a day.

Siler Wine

Used to treat wind-stroke after childbirth.

Siler root and pubescent angelica root, one jin each; nüwei and cassia bark, two liang each; yinyu, one liang; and dendrobium, five liang.

Cut up the six ingredients and soak them in two dou of wine for three nights. Take one ge at first, gradually increasing the dose to three or four ge, three times a day.

Wooden Fangji Paste, used to treat wind-stroke after childbirth.

Trachelospermum stem (half a sheng) and Japanese yew root (five liang).

Coarsely chop these two ingredients and soak them overnight in nine sheng of sour wine (vinegar). Then add four sheng of pork fat and simmer. During cooking, bring it to a boil three times. Once the ointment is ready, warm the hands over it and rub the affected area a thousand times. The illness will then be cured.

A formula for treating invasion by Rou wind after childbirth, pain throughout the body, spontaneous sweating, and various other conditions:

Angelica pubescens root (eight liang) and Chinese angelica root (four liang).

Coarsely chop these two ingredients and boil them in eight sheng of wine until four sheng of liquid remain. Strain out the dregs and divide the liquid into four doses: take three during the day and one at night, until the body sweats lightly. Ge Hong’s formula uses only angelica pubescens root; the Xiaopin Fang adds Chinese angelica root. If there is an upward surging of Qi, add two liang of cinnamon bark. If the condition has not improved, prepare and take another course according to the formula.

A medicinal bath for treating postpartum windstroke and swelling of the limbs:

Salt (five sheng, dry-fried until red) and a handful of chicken feathers, burned to ash.

Boil the salt in one shi of water to make a medicinal decoction, then add the chicken-feather ash. When the water reaches a comfortable temperature, bathe in it; it works very well. This formula can also be used for cold, swollen, painful female genitalia, and for swelling caused by wind pathogen, including facial swelling so severe that the face seems about to split. One dose of “Purple Decoction” will bring a cure; it is highly effective. (Purple Decoction is made from beans fried until black.)

A formula for treating postpartum windstroke, with swelling and distention of the head, face, and arms:

Three sheng of soybeans. Boil them in six sheng of water until one and a half sheng of liquid remain. Strain out the beans and let the liquid settle. Then simmer it down to one sheng. Add eight liang of white atractylodes rhizome, three liang of aconite, three liang of angelica pubescens root, and eight liang of fresh ginger. Add one dou of water and boil until five sheng remain. Then add five sheng of good wine and simmer the mixture down to five sheng. Strain out the dregs and divide into five doses: take three during the day and one at night. Eat rice porridge at intervals while taking the medicine. Continue for three doses.

Poria Spirit Decoction: For treating sudden palpitations and restlessness after childbirth, an unsettled spirit, confusion and disorientation, and disordered speech. These symptoms are caused by weakness of heart Qi.

Poria with Spirit (four liang); ginseng and poria (three liang each); peony root, licorice root, Chinese angelica root, and cinnamon bark (two liang each); fresh ginger (eight liang); and thirty jujubes.

Coarsely chop these nine ingredients and boil them in one dou of water until three sheng of liquid remain. Strain out the dregs and divide into three doses: take two during the day and one at night. This works well.

Polygala Decoction: For treating sudden palpitations and restlessness after childbirth, an unsettled spirit…

The original text is incomplete here.

A prescription for treating postpartum confused speech, a dazed state of mind, and inner confusion that the patient does not notice:

Polygala root, dwarf lilyturf root, ginseng, licorice, Chinese angelica, and cinnamon heart, two liang each; peony root, one liang; poria, five liang; fresh ginger, six liang; and twenty jujubes.

Cut the ten ingredients into pieces. Decoct them in one dou of water until three sheng of liquid remain. Strain out the dregs and take the medicine in three doses, three times a day. Those who are weak may divide it into four doses. These symptoms after childbirth are caused by weakness of the heart Qi. If Chinese angelica is unavailable, it may be replaced with chuanxiong rhizome. If Qi surges upward in the chest, add three liang of pinellia.

Poria Decoction: Treats sudden palpitations and unease after childbirth, confused speech, a dazed state of mind, and inner agitation. These symptoms are all caused by weakness of the heart Qi.

Poria, five liang; licorice, peony root, cinnamon heart, and Chinese angelica, two liang each; fresh ginger, six liang; dwarf lilyturf root, one sheng; and thirty jujubes.

Cut the eight ingredients into pieces. Decoct them in one dou of water until three sheng of liquid remain. Strain out the dregs and take the medicine in three doses, three times a day. If Chinese angelica is unavailable, it may be replaced with chuanxiong rhizome. If the spirit is unsettled, add two liang of ginseng; two liang of Polygala root may also be added. If there is agitation and shortness of breath, add one sheng of fresh bamboo leaves. First decoct the bamboo leaves in one dou and three sheng of water until one dou of liquid remains, then add the other ingredients and decoct them. If there is a mild invasion of wind, add three liang of pubescent angelica root and two liang each of ephedra and cinnamon heart, and decoct in one dou and five sheng of water. If the neck is taut and the back stiff, add three liang each of pubescent angelica root and kudzu root, two liang each of ephedra and cinnamon heart, and eight liang of fresh ginger; decoct in one dou and a half of water.

Calming the Heart Decoction: Treats postpartum palpitations and unease, a dazed state of mind that the patient does not notice, confused speech, vexation from deficiency with shortness of breath, and an unsettled spirit. These symptoms are caused by weakness of the heart Qi.

Polygala root and licorice, two liang each; ginseng, poria spirit, Chinese angelica, and peony root, three liang each; dwarf lilyturf root, one sheng; and thirty jujubes.

Cut the eight ingredients into pieces. Decoct them in one dou of water until three sheng of liquid remain. Strain out the dregs and take the medicine in three doses, three times a day. If vexation from deficiency and shortness of breath are pronounced, add two liang of light bamboo leaves.

Boil bamboo leaves in one dou and two sheng of water until one dou remains, then add the medicinal ingredients. If there is also a deficiency of Qi in the chest, the amount of licorice root may be increased to three liang; this is even better.

Licorice Root Pills: Treat postpartum deficiency of Heart Qi, palpitations, an unsettled heart and spirit, shortness of breath and weakness, or mental confusion and an inability to recognize that anything is wrong.

Three liang each of licorice root, polygala root, and sweet flag rhizome; two liang each of ginseng, ophiopogon root, dried ginger, and poria; one liang each of alisma rhizome and cassia bark; fifty jujubes.

Grind the ten ingredients into a fine powder and mix with honey to form pills the size of soybeans. Take twenty pills with wine, four or five times a day, and once more at night. If they do not take effect, gradually increase the dose. If alisma is unavailable, it may be replaced with atractylodes; if the chest feels cold, increase the dried ginger.

Ginseng Pills: Treat severe postpartum deficiency, palpitations, an unsettled heart and mind, mental confusion, fear and anxiety, inability to sleep at night, inner distress, and deficiency of Qi.

Three liang each of ginseng, licorice root, and poria; two liang each of ophiopogon root, sweet flag rhizome, alisma rhizome, Chinese yam, and dried ginger; one liang of cassia bark; fifty jujubes.

Grind the ten ingredients into a fine powder, mix evenly with honey and jujube paste, and form pills the size of Chinese parasol tree seeds. Take twenty pills with wine before meals, three times a day and once at night. If they do not take effect, gradually increase the dose. Adding two liang of polygala root works even better; if internal disturbance by Wind Qi is present, add three liang each of Chinese angelica and pubescent angelica root. This formula also treats deficiency and debility in men, with palpitations.

Large Polygala Pills: Treat postpartum deficiency of Heart Qi, palpitations and alarm, an unsettled heart and mind, mental confusion, abdominal cramping pain, restless sleep at night, and shortness of breath in the chest. This formula replenishes internal injury, strengthens Qi, and calms the heart and spirit; it also treats deficiency and debility.

Three liang each of polygala root, licorice root, dried rehmannia root, cassia bark, poria, ophiopogon root, ginseng, Chinese angelica, atractylodes, alisma rhizome, pubescent angelica root, and sweet flag rhizome; two liang each of Chinese yam and donkey-hide gelatin; four liang of dried ginger.

Grind the fifteen ingredients into a fine powder, mix with honey, and form pills the size of soybeans. Take twenty pills with warm wine before meals, three times a day. If they do not take effect, gradually increase the dose to fifty pills. The original text is incomplete here; the passage after the final words, “severe deficiency…,” is missing.

For those whose bodies feel cold and whose fluids are somewhat depleted, add three liang of stalactite; this works well.

Fourth: Pain in the Heart and Abdomen (Prescriptions)

Sichuan Pepper Decoction: Treats heart pain after childbirth. Here, the pain is understood to result from an excess of cold Qi.

Two ge of Sichuan pepper; two liang each of peony root, Chinese angelica, pinellia, licorice, cinnamon bark, ginseng, and poria; one sheng of honey; and five ge of fresh ginger juice.

Chop the ten ingredients. First boil the Sichuan pepper in nine sheng of water. Once it comes to a boil, add the remaining medicines and simmer until reduced to two and a half sheng. Strain out the dregs, add the fresh ginger juice and honey, then simmer until reduced to three sheng. Take five ge per dose, gradually increasing to six ge. Avoid cold foods.

Large Rock-Honey Decoction: Treats heart pain after childbirth.

Two liang each of dried rehmannia, Chinese angelica, pubescent angelica, licorice, peony root, cinnamon bark, asarum, and small gentian; one sheng of Evodia fruit; and three liang of dried ginger.

Chop the ten ingredients and simmer them in nine sheng of water until reduced to three sheng. Add five ge of honey and simmer once more. Divide into three doses and take three times daily. The Hu Qia version omits pubescent angelica, cinnamon bark, and small gentian; the Supplement to the Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold omits the honey.

Dried Rehmannia Decoction: Treats distension, fullness, and pain in both flanks after childbirth, and is also used to address various conditions.

Three liang each of dried rehmannia and peony root; two liang each of Chinese angelica and cattail pollen; five liang of fresh ginger; six liang of cinnamon bark; one liang of licorice; and twenty jujubes.

Chop the eight ingredients and simmer them in one dou of water until reduced to two and a half sheng. Strain out the dregs, divide into three doses, and take three times daily.

Peony Decoction: Treats lower abdominal pain after childbirth.

Six liang of peony root; three liang each of cinnamon bark and fresh ginger; two liang of licorice; eight liang of maltose syrup; and twelve jujubes.

Chop the six ingredients and simmer them in seven sheng of water until reduced to four sheng. Strain out the dregs, add the maltose syrup, and once it has dissolved, divide into three doses and take three times daily.

Chinese Angelica Decoction: Treats cold-type abdominal colic in women, deficiency and exhaustion, and cramping abdominal pain after childbirth.

Two liang each of Chinese angelica and peony root. The Secret Record of the Child and Mother gives “licorice” in place of “peony root.”

Five liang of fresh ginger and one jin of lamb. Chop the medicinal ingredients, add them to the lamb with eight sheng of water, and boil. When the lamb is cooked, remove the meat and set it aside, leaving the broth. Add the medicinal ingredients to the broth and simmer until it is reduced to three sheng. Let the decoction cool to a suitable drinking temperature. Take seven he each time, three times a day. The Jin Gui Yao Lue and Hu Qia’s formula do not include this ingredient. This formula is called “Peony and Lamb Soup.”

Peach Kernel and Peony Soup: Used to treat abdominal pain after childbirth.

Half a sheng of peach kernels, and two liang each of peony, chuanxiong (Ligusticum), Chinese angelica, dry lacquer, cinnamon heart (the heartwood of the cinnamon tree), and licorice. Chop the seven ingredients, add eight sheng of water, and boil down to three sheng of decoction. Divide it into three doses.

Lamb Soup: Used for extreme weakness after childbirth or after a cold-damage illness, with Qi surging upward, abdominal pain, and mild exposure to wind.

Two jin of fatty lamb; three liang each of poria, astragalus, and dried ginger; two liang each of licorice, pubescent angelica, cinnamon heart, and ginseng; seven he of dwarf lilyturf; five liang of fresh rehmannia; and twelve jujubes. Chop the medicinal ingredients. First boil the lamb in two dou of water until one dou of broth remains. Remove the lamb, add the medicinal ingredients, and simmer to yield two and a half sheng of decoction. Divide it into four doses, taking three during the day and one at night. The formula recorded in the Qian Jin Yi Fang does not include dried ginger. If lamb is unavailable, muntjac or venison may be used instead.

Lamb and Chinese Angelica Soup: Used to treat severe pain in the abdomen and below the heart after childbirth, inability to eat, and alternating chills and fever. It is also used for weakness after windstroke.

Three jin of lamb; two liang each of Chinese angelica, scutellaria, chuanxiong, saposhnikovia, and licorice; three liang of peony; and four liang of fresh ginger. The Zhou Hou Fang substitutes astragalus for scutellaria and ginseng for saposhnikovia. Chop the eight ingredients. First boil the lamb in one dou and two sheng of water until the broth is reduced by half. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer to yield three sheng of decoction. Strain out the dregs and divide the decoction into three doses, taken three times a day.

The formula recorded by Hu Qia substitutes astragalus for scutellaria and atractylodes for peony, and is called “Large Lamb Soup.” The Zi Mu Mi Lu substitutes cinnamon heart for saposhnikovia and adds seventeen jujubes; it says this version of the formula works well.

Lamb and Eucommia Soup: Used to treat lower back pain, coughing, and shortness of breath after childbirth. Four jin of lamb, eucommia, aster… The original text ends here.

Three liang each of danggui (Chinese angelica), guixin (the inner wood of cinnamon), and baizhu (white atractylodes); two liang each of wuweizi (schisandra), xixin (asarum), kuandonghua (coltsfoot flower), renshen (ginseng), houpo (magnolia bark), qiongqiong (also known as Sichuan lovage), fuzi (aconite), bixie (dioscorea), gancao (licorice), and huangqi (astragalus); eight liang of fresh ginger; and thirty jujubes.

Coarsely chop all eighteen ingredients. Boil the meat in two and a half dou of water until one dou and five sheng of broth remains. Remove the meat, add the herbs, and simmer until the liquid is reduced to three and a half sheng. Strain out the herbs and divide into five doses: take three during the day and two at night.

Lamb and Fresh Rehmannia Decoction: Used for abdominal pain three days after childbirth. It nourishes the body’s central Qi and the internal organs, strengthens the body, and helps disperse blood stasis.

Three jin of lamb; one sheng of sliced fresh rehmannia root; two liang each of guixin, danggui, gancao, qiongqiong, and renshen; and three liang of shaoyao (peony root).

Coarsely chop all eight ingredients. Boil the lamb in two dou of water until one dou of broth remains. Remove the lamb, add the herbs, and simmer until the liquid is reduced to three sheng. Divide into four doses: take three during the day and one at night.

Internal Nourishment Danggui and Cinnamon Decoction: Used after childbirth for physical weakness, wasting and fatigue, persistent dull abdominal pain, shortness of breath and weak Qi, or cramping pain in the lower abdomen that extends to the lower back and prevents eating. Taking four or five doses during the first month after childbirth is beneficial for restoring strength.

Four liang of danggui; five liang of shaoyao; two liang of gancao; six liang of fresh ginger; three liang of guixin; and eighteen jujubes.

Coarsely chop all six ingredients. Boil them in one dou of water until three sheng remain. Strain out the herbs and divide into three doses, to be taken over the course of one day. If the body is especially weak, add six liang of maltose syrup: after the decoction has finished simmering, add the syrup and heat it again until it dissolves. If fresh ginger is unavailable, substitute three liang of dried ginger. If excessive blood loss causes heavy bleeding and persistent physical depletion, add six liang of fresh rehmannia root and two liang of donkey-hide gelatin, making eight ingredients in all. These may be simmered together with the original prescription, or the herbs may first be strained out and the gelatin added afterward. If danggui is unavailable, substitute qiongqiong.

Internal Nourishment Qiongqiong Decoction: Used for women after childbirth who are physically weak, wasted, and fatigued; for physical depletion caused by heavy bleeding or persistent bleeding; and for cramping abdominal pain.

Four liang each of qiongqiong and dried rehmannia root, and five liang of shaoyao.

The original text breaks off here.

Cinnamon bark (two liang), licorice root and dried ginger (three liang each), and jujubes (forty).

Chop the seven ingredients. Boil them in twelve sheng of water until three sheng remain, then strain out the herbs. Divide into three doses and take three times a day. If there is no improvement, prepare and take the decoction again in the same way, for no more than three courses in succession. For symptoms such as aversion to cold or cold pain, add three liang of aconite.

This formula is very effective for women with bodily weakness, shortness of breath and fatigue, cramping pain in the abdomen, or bodily depletion caused by metrorrhagia and metrostaxis (abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding). It is also used for a pale complexion and pallor around the eyes, as well as vomiting blood or coughing and spitting up blood.

Major Tonifying Danggui Decoction

This formula is used for physical debility and deficiency of Qi and blood after childbirth, with cramping abdominal pain. It is also used for blood in the urine with pain in the lower abdomen; injuries to the abdomen from a fall from a height; and metal-inflicted wounds with excessive bleeding or internal injury. Men may also take it.

Danggui, teasel root, cinnamon bark, chuanxiong, dried ginger, and ophiopogon root (three liang each); peony root (four liang); Sichuan pepper (one sheng); dried rehmannia root (six liang); licorice root and angelica dahurica root (two liang each); and jujubes (forty).

Chop the twelve ingredients and soak them overnight in one dou of wine. In the morning, add one dou of water and boil them together until five sheng remain. Strain out the herbs, divide into five doses, and take three times during the day and twice at night. Adding two liang of astragalus root makes the formula more effective.

Cinnamon Bark Wine

This formula is used for pain after childbirth and for sudden pain in the chest and abdomen.

Boil three liang of cinnamon bark in three sheng of wine until two sheng remain, then strain out the herbs. Divide into three doses and take three times a day.

Fresh Achyranthes Wine

This formula is used for abdominal pain after childbirth.

Boil five liang of fresh achyranthes root in five sheng of wine until two sheng remain, then divide into two doses. If using dried achyranthes root, first soak it in wine overnight, then boil it.

This formula is used when the abdomen feels as if it is being pulled by a rope, repeatedly tightening and causing unbearable pain:

Take two square-inch spoonfuls of danggui powder and boil it in one sheng of honey. When it has cooled to a warm temperature, take it all at once.

Sichuan Pepper Decoction

This formula is used for women with a preexisting cold condition, fullness and pain in the chest, stabbing pain in the chest and abdomen, vomiting, or reduced appetite. It is also used for swelling, aversion to cold, diarrhea, and feeble breathing that is almost extinguished. It is suitable when these symptoms worsen after childbirth as well.

Sichuan pepper (two liang), saposhnikovia root, platycodon root, dried ginger, licorice root, and asarum.

Danggui and dried rehmannia root, twelve zhu each; dried rehmannia root is separately listed as eighteen zhu.

Chop the eight ingredients. Boil them in four sheng of water until one and a half sheng of liquid remains. Strain out the dregs and take in two doses.

Puhuang Decoction: Treats various ailments that persist after childbirth, such as qi deficiency in the chest, abdominal pain, headache, retained blood that has not yet been fully expelled, and unbearable abdominal distension.

Puhuang, fresh rehmannia root, and fresh ginger, five liang each; Chuanxiong (also called Xiongqiong) and cassia bark, one liang each; mirabilite, two liang; twenty peach kernels; fifteen Chinese dates.

Chop the eight ingredients. Boil them in nine sheng of water until two and a half sheng of liquid remains. Strain out the dregs, then add the mirabilite. Take in three doses, three times a day. The text says this prescription is highly effective.

Baijiang Decoction: Treats postpartum pain that pulls into the lower back, with abdominal pain like being pierced by an awl or knife.

Baijiang, three liang; cassia bark and Chuanxiong, one and a half liang each; danggui, one liang.

Chop the four ingredients. Simmer them over low heat in two sheng of clear wine and four sheng of water until two sheng of liquid remain. Strain out the dregs. When the liquid has cooled to a suitable warmth, take seven he. Take it three times a day before meals. The Qianjin Yifang records a version of this prescription using baijiang as its only ingredient.

Chuanxiong Decoction: Treats postpartum abdominal pain.

Chuanxiong and licorice, two liang each; puhuang and nüwei, one and a half liang each; peony root and rhubarb, thirty zhu each; danggui, eighteen liang; cassia bark, peach kernels, astragalus root, and qianhu, one liang each; fresh rehmannia root, one sheng. The Qianjin Yifang records astragalus root as Scutellaria root.

Chop the twelve ingredients. Boil them together in one dou of water and two sheng of wine until three sheng of liquid remain. Strain out the dregs and take in four doses, three times during the day and once at night.

Duhuo Decoction: Treats postpartum abdominal pain that pulls into the lower back, with stiffness and pain in the lower back.

Duhuo, danggui, cassia bark, peony root, and fresh ginger, three liang each; licorice, two liang; twenty Chinese dates.

Chop the seven ingredients. Boil them in eight sheng of water until three sheng of liquid remain. Strain out the dregs and take in three doses. After each dose, wait about as long as it takes to walk ten li before taking the next.

Peony and Astragalus Decoction: Treats postpartum pain in the heart and abdomen.

Four liang of peony; two liang each of astragalus, angelica dahurica, cassia bark, fresh ginger, ginseng, Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong), Chinese angelica, dried Rehmannia, and licorice; three liang of poria; and ten jujubes.

Crush the twelve ingredients. Add five sheng each of wine and water, boil them together, and reduce the liquid to three sheng. Strain out the dregs. Take one sheng before meals, three times a day. The Qianjin Yifang omits ginseng, Chinese angelica, Chuanxiong, and Rehmannia; according to that text, there are seven ingredients in all, including poria.

A formula for postpartum abdominal distension and unbearable pain: Boil the sticky roots of millet and drink the liquid. A single dose is said to bring relief.

A formula for treating heart pain in women: Wrap salt in cloth to make a ball the size of a pellet, burn it to ash, and swallow it with wine. The condition will be cured.

Another formula: Heat a steelyard weight until red-hot, place it in wine, then drink the wine. This is also effective.

Yet another formula: Fry soybeans, put them in wine, and take them with the wine. This works well too.