Bu Gan Tang
Star补肝汤 (Tonify the Liver Decoction)
Source: Yi Zong Jin Jian (1742)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Bu Gan Tang (Tonify the Liver Decoction), from the Yi Zong Jin Jian, is used to tonify the Liver-blood and Yin; relax the tendons; calm the mind.
Presentation: cramp of muscles and tendons; tingling of the limbs; restless sleep; uneasy feeling of the body during sleep; brittle nails.
Syndrome: Syndrome of Liver-blood deficiency.
Composition strategy:
- blood and Yin tonics used together
- sour and sweet herbs enhance tonifying the substantial aspect of blood
Note: the book prints different doses in its two discussions of this formula: Dang Gui 12 g (p. 153) vs 9 g (p. 169).
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 153, 169.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dang Gui
Si Wu Tang group as chief; as printed: Dang Gui (Angelicae sinensis radix)
|
12g | 14.81% | Jun (Chief) | tonify blood |
|
Bai Shao
Si Wu Tang group as chief; as printed: Bai Shao Yao (Paeoniae radix lactiflora)
|
12g | 14.81% | Jun (Chief) | tonify blood; with Suan Zao Ren calm mind |
|
Shu Di Huang
Si Wu Tang group as chief; as printed: Shu Di Huang (Rehmanniae radix praeparata)
|
12g | 14.81% | Jun (Chief) | tonify blood |
|
Chuan Xiong
Si Wu Tang group as chief; as printed: Chuan Xiong (Chuanxiong rhizoma)
|
9g | 11.11% | Jun (Chief) | tonify/move blood |
|
Mai Men Dong
as printed: Mai Men Dong (Ophiopogonis radix)
|
12g | 14.81% | Chen (Deputy) | generate Yin and fluids to nourish tendons |
|
Suan Zao Ren
as printed: Suan Zao Ren (Ziziphi spinosae semen)
|
9g | 11.11% | Zuo (Assistant) | sour; soften Liver, relax tendons, calm mind |
|
Mu Gua
as printed: Mu Gua (Chaenomelis fructus)
|
9g | 11.11% | Zuo (Assistant) | sour; soften Liver, relax tendons |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Zhi Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae radix preparata)
|
6g | 7.41% | Zuo (Assistant) | ease tendons and muscles |
Energetics dose-weighted
The formula's overall nature, taste balance and channel reach, weighted by each herb's dose. Classical formulas often pair warm and cool herbs on purpose, so a net figure summarises the mix — it doesn't describe every herb in it.
Nature
Net neutral (+0.07)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 15%, cool 15%, neutral 19%, warm 52%.
Pairs warm and cool. 52% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 30% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Taste
- pungent 19%
- sweet 43%
- sour 24%
- bitter 15%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Liver 78%
- Spleen 63%
- Heart 48%
- Lung 22%
- Stomach 22%
- Gallbladder 22%
Share of the grams entering each channel, from 100% of the weighed grams.
Dose-weighted from each herb's recorded nature, taste and channels (missing values are left out, never counted as neutral). It describes the composition — it is not a recommendation.
Relationships
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Formula family
Each entry reads as the larger formula written out: “+” adds its other catalogue cores, then the herbs none of them hold. A catalogue formula counts as a core only when at least 80% of its herbs are present, no more than 1 is absent, and the absent herb is not its chief.
Formula Network
Formulas that share herbs with this one — the closer to the centre, the stronger the match. Click a node to explore.
Similar Formulas by composition
Match score combines dosage-weighted composition (cosine, 70%) with shared-herb overlap (Jaccard, 30%).
Traditional formula information is for educational purposes only. Herbal formulas should be prescribed by a qualified practitioner — dosages and combinations are individualized and can interact with medications.
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