Chai Hu Shu Gan San
Star柴胡疏肝散 (Bupleurum Powder to Spread the Liver)
Source: Jing Yue Quan Shu (1602)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Chai Hu Shu Gan San (Bupleurum Powder to Spread the Liver), from the Jing Yue Quan Shu, is used to spread the Liver-Qi; harmonize the blood.
Presentation: acute excess Liver-Qi stagnation; hypochondriac pain; depression; irritability; fullness in the chest; abdominal distension; dysmenorrhea; premenstrual tension; tongue: white coating; pulse: wiry.
Syndrome: Syndrome of Liver-Qi stagnation.
Composition strategy:
- variation of Si Ni San with more and stronger Qi movers plus a blood regulator
- more powerful and quicker than Si Ni San for distension and pain; widely used clinically
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 256.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chai Hu
as printed: Chai Hu (Bupleuri radix)
|
6g | 19.05% | Jun (Chief) | spread Liver-Qi |
|
Xiang Fu
as printed: Xiang Fu (Cyperi rhizoma)
|
4.5g | 14.29% | Chen (Deputy) | enhance Chai Hu in spreading Qi in Liver, Gall Bladder, San Jiao |
|
Chuan Xiong
as printed: Chuan Xiong (Chuanxiong rhizoma)
|
4.5g | 14.29% | Chen (Deputy) | regulate blood, support Qi movers, stop pain |
|
Chen Pi
as printed: Chen Pi (Citri reticulatae pericarpium)
|
6g | 19.05% | Zuo (Assistant) | with Zhi Ke reduce distension and pain |
|
Zhi Ke
as printed: Zhi Ke (Aurantii fructus)
|
4.5g | 14.29% | Zuo (Assistant) | broaden chest, regulate Qi in chest and epigastrium (replaces Zhi Shi) |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Zhi Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae radix preparata)
|
1.5g | 4.76% | Zuo (Assistant) | soften the Liver with Bai Shao Yao |
|
Bai Shao
as printed: Bai Shao Yao (Paeoniae radix lactiflora)
|
4.5g | 14.29% | soften the Liver |
Dui Yao — Core Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations at the heart of this formula, as recorded on the herbs' own pages — each pair has an action neither herb has alone.
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 (-0.14)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cool 48%, neutral 19%, warm 33%.
Pairs warm and cool. 33% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 48% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Taste
- pungent 43%
- sweet 10%
- sour 12%
- bitter 36%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Spleen 67%
- Liver 62%
- Lung 38%
- Pericardium 33%
- Gallbladder 33%
- Stomach 19%
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.
Preparation
Take in one dose before meals, boiling with 2 cups of water down to eight-tenths of a cup.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 512.
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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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