Da Qin Jiao Tang
Star大秦艽汤 (Major Gentiana Qinjiao Decoction)
Source: Su Wen Bing Ji Qi Yi Bao Ming Ji (1186)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Da Qin Jiao Tang (Major Gentiana Qinjiao Decoction), from the Su Wen Bing Ji Qi Yi Bao Ming Ji, is used to expel wind and dampness; clear heat; nourish and invigorate blood.
Presentation: initial stage of wind-damp invading meridians and collaterals with Qi and blood deficiency; deviation of mouth and eyes; stiff tongue; difficulty moving arms and legs.
Syndrome: Syndromes caused by external wind, damp, cold or heat.
Composition strategy:
- many wind-damp herbs expel pathogens quickly in the acute stage
- cold herbs clear early heat to prevent complications
- tonifying herbs prevent injury to Qi and Yin
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 342.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Qin Jiao
as printed: Qin Jiao (Gentianae macrophyllae radix)
|
90g | 12.77% | Jun (Chief) | large dose expels wind-damp and opens meridians and collaterals |
|
Qiang Huo
as printed: Qiang Huo (Notopterygii rhizoma)
|
30g | 4.26% | Chen (Deputy) | expels wind, damp and cold |
|
Du Huo
as printed: Du Huo (Angelicae pubescentis radix)
|
60g | 8.51% | Chen (Deputy) | expels wind, damp and cold |
|
Fang Feng
as printed: Fang Feng (Saposhnikoviae radix)
|
30g | 4.26% | Chen (Deputy) | expels wind, damp and cold |
|
Bai Zhi
as printed: Bai Zhi (Angelicae dahuricae radix)
|
30g | 4.26% | Chen (Deputy) | expels wind, damp and cold |
|
Xi Xin
toxic mark * in source; as printed: Xi Xin (Asari herba)
|
15g | 2.13% | Chen (Deputy) | expels wind, damp and cold |
|
Sheng Jiang
dose printed as 7–8 pieces; as printed: Sheng Jiang (Zingiberis rhizoma recens)
|
pieces | — | Chen (Deputy) | expels wind, damp and cold |
|
Dang Gui
as printed: Dang Gui (Angelicae sinensis radix)
|
60g | 8.51% | Zuo (Assistant) | tonifies blood; with Chuan Xiong moves blood |
|
Bai Shao
as printed: Bai Shao Yao (Paeoniae radix lactiflora)
|
60g | 8.51% | Zuo (Assistant) | tonifies blood |
|
Shu Di Huang
as printed: Shu Di Huang (Rehmanniae radix praeparata)
|
30g | 4.26% | Zuo (Assistant) | tonifies blood |
|
Chuan Xiong
as printed: Chuan Xiong (Chuanxiong rhizoma)
|
60g | 8.51% | Zuo (Assistant) | promotes blood circulation |
|
Bai Zhu
as printed: Bai Zhu (Atractylodis macrocephalae rhizoma)
|
30g | 4.26% | Zuo (Assistant) | tonifies Qi |
|
Fu Ling
as printed: Fu Ling (Poria)
|
30g | 4.26% | Zuo (Assistant) | tonifies Qi |
|
Huang Qin
helping and corrective assistant; as printed: Huang Qin (Scutellariae radix)
|
30g | 4.26% | Zuo (Assistant) | clears heat, offsets pungent warm herbs |
|
Shi Gao
helping and corrective assistant; as printed: Shi Gao (Gypsum)
|
60g | 8.51% | Zuo (Assistant) | clears heat, offsets pungent warm herbs |
|
Sheng Di Huang
helping and corrective assistant; as printed: Sheng Di Huang (Rehmanniae radix)
|
30g | 4.26% | Zuo (Assistant) | clears heat, offsets pungent warm herbs |
|
Gan Cao
also assistant; as printed: Zhi Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae radix preparata)
|
60g | 8.51% | Shi (Envoy) | tonifies Qi (also assistant) and harmonizes |
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 (+0.06)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 17%, cool 9%, neutral 26%, warm 49%.
Pairs warm and cool. 49% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 26% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Small but decisive: Huang Qin 30g (cold, 4% of the grams), Shi Gao 60g (cold, 9% of the grams), Sheng Di Huang 30g (cold, 4% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 38%
- sweet 30%
- sour 4%
- bitter 26%
- bland 2%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Liver 60%
- Stomach 43%
- Spleen 43%
- Lung 32%
- Heart 32%
- Kidney 28%
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: Sheng Jiang.
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
Decoction
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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