Chai Hu Bai Hu Tang
Star柴胡白虎汤 (Bupleurum White Tiger Decoction)
Source: Revised Popular Guide to the Discussion of Cold Damage
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Chai Hu Bai Hu Tang (Bupleurum White Tiger Decoction), from Revised Popular Guide to the Discussion of Cold Damage (Qing dynasty).
Associated formula of Bai Hu Tang.
Actions: Harmonizes the lesser yang; Clears yang brightness-warp heat
Indications: Severe fever alternating with mild chills, sweating, irritability, thirst, and a wiry, forceful, and rapid pulse
Pattern: Concurrent yang brightness- and lesser yang-warp disorder, usually as the condition is resolving
Usage: For combined yang brightness and lesser yang heat, more often seen on the way out than in early stages.
Category: Formulas that Clear Qi-Level Heat.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 155.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chai Hu
as printed: Bupleuri Radix (chai hu) 3g
|
3g | 4.69% | — | |
|
Shi Gao
as printed: Gypsum fibrosum (shi gao) 24g
|
24g | 37.56% | — | |
|
Tian Hua Fen
as printed: Trichosanthis Radix (tian hua fen) 9g
|
9g | 14.08% | — | |
|
Huang Qin
as printed: Scutellariae Radix (huang qin) 4.5g
|
4.5g | 7.04% | — | |
|
Zhi Mu
as printed: Anemarrhenae Rhizoma (zhi mu) 12g
|
12g | 18.78% | — | |
|
Jing Mi
as printed: Nonglutinous rice (jing mi) 9g
|
9g | 14.08% | — | |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Glycyrrhizae Radix (gan cao) 2.4g
|
2.4g | 3.76% | — | |
|
He Ye
dose printed as 1 leaf; as printed: Nelumbinis Folium recens (xian he ye) 1 leaf
|
g | — | — |
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 cool (-1.46)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 63%, cool 19%, neutral 18%.
Small but decisive: Huang Qin 4.5g (cold, 7% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 21%
- sweet 53%
- bitter 26%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Lung 95%
- Stomach 95%
- Spleen 25%
- Kidney 19%
- Gallbladder 12%
- Heart 11%
Share of the grams entering each channel, from 100% of the weighed grams.
1 herb without a dose in grams, so left out of every figure above: He Ye.
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.
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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.
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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