Da Bu Yin Wan
Star大补阴丸 (Great Tonify Yin Pill)
Source: Dan Xi Xin Fa (1481)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Da Bu Yin Wan (Great Tonify Yin Pill), from the Dan Xi Xin Fa, is used to nourish Kidney-Yin and reduce empty-fire.
Presentation: bone steaming; afternoon fever; night sweats; spontaneous emissions; weakness of back and knees; irritability; tongue: red without coating; pulse: rapid, forceful in the Kidney positions.
Syndrome: Syndrome of Kidney-Yin deficiency.
Composition strategy:
- Combines strong tonifying and strong reducing herbs
- Rice wine, pig marrow, honey and salt in preparation reflect a balance within the formula
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 175.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shu Di Huang
as printed: Shu Di Huang (Rehmanniae radix praeparata)
|
180g | 30% | Jun (Chief) | tonify essence and Kidney-Yin |
|
Gui Ban
toxic mark ** in source; as printed: Gui Ban (Testudinis carapax)
|
180g | 30% | Chen (Deputy) | animal product; strongly tonify Yin and essence |
|
Huang Bai
as printed: Huang Bai (Phellodendri cortex)
|
120g | 20% | Chen (Deputy) | clear heat, reduce empty-fire in Lower-Jiao |
|
Zhi Mu
as printed: Zhi Mu (Anemarrhenae rhizoma)
|
120g | 20% | Chen (Deputy) | clear heat, reduce empty-fire; processed with wine to reduce coldness |
|
Feng Mi
as printed: honey
|
g | — | Shi (Envoy) | harmonize the formula |
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.
Yin and essence are strongly nourished while yang is anchored, treating yin deficiency with blazing fire.
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 (-1.10)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 70%, warm 30%.
Pairs warm and cool. 30% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 70% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Taste
- sweet 55%
- bitter 30%
- salty 15%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Kidney 100%
- Liver 60%
- Heart 30%
- Lung 20%
- Large intestine 20%
- Stomach 20%
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: Feng Mi.
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
pills; take with lightly salted water
Relationships
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Formula family
Full herb lists
- Hu Qian Wan = this formula without Feng Mi + Bai Shao, Chen Pi, Gan Jiang, Suo Yang and Hu Gu
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.
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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