Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan
Star甘露消毒丹 (Sweet Dew Special Pill to Eliminate Toxin)
Source: Wen Re Jing Wei (1831)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan (Sweet Dew Special Pill to Eliminate Toxin), from the Wen Re Jing Wei, is used to leach out and transform turbid dampness; clear heat-toxin.
Presentation: fever, sleepiness; fullness in chest, abdominal distension; stiff, sore limbs; painful swollen throat; thirst; vomiting, diarrhea; difficult urination; wan complexion or jaundice; tongue: white or thick, sticky, or dry yellow coating; pulse: soft and rapid.
Syndrome: Damp-heat syndrome.
Composition strategy:
- Chief herbs in large doses to separate damp-heat of equal intensity at the Qi level
- Aromatic, pungent dispersing herbs combined with bitter-cold drying and descending herbs
- Leaching, drying and dispersing approaches combined; herbs enter San Jiao, Spleen, Large Intestine, Heart, Lung and Liver
Cautions:
- Mu Tong here is Akebia (Caulis Akebiae, 木通), as Xi & Gong 2017 specify. Do not substitute Guan Mu Tong (Aristolochia manshuriensis), which contains nephrotoxic aristolochic acids and is banned in many countries.
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 218.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hua Shi
batch quantity as printed (stock for a pill/powder/plaster preparation), not a single dose; as printed: Talcum (hua shi) 450 g
|
450g | 20.83% | Jun (Chief) | — |
|
Yin Chen
batch quantity as printed (stock for a pill/powder/plaster preparation), not a single dose; as printed: Herba Artemisiae Scopariae (mian yin chen) 330 g
|
330g | 15.28% | Jun (Chief) | — |
|
Huang Qin
batch quantity as printed (stock for a pill/powder/plaster preparation), not a single dose; as printed: Radix Scutellariae (huang qin) 300 g
|
300g | 13.89% | Jun (Chief) | — |
|
Shi Chang Pu
batch quantity as printed (stock for a pill/powder/plaster preparation), not a single dose; as printed: Rhizoma Acori Tatarinowii (shi chang pu) 180 g
|
180g | 8.33% | Chen (Deputy) | — |
|
Chinese giant-hyssop
batch quantity as printed (stock for a pill/powder/plaster preparation), not a single dose; as printed: Herba Agastachis (huo xiang) 120 g
|
120g | 5.56% | Chen (Deputy) | — |
|
Bai Dou Kou
batch quantity as printed (stock for a pill/powder/plaster preparation), not a single dose; as printed: Fructus Amomi Kravanh (bai dou kou) 120 g
|
120g | 5.56% | Chen (Deputy) | — |
|
Chuan Bei Mu
batch quantity as printed (stock for a pill/powder/plaster preparation), not a single dose; as printed: Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae (chuan bei mu) 150 g
|
150g | 6.94% | Zuo (Assistant) | — |
|
Mu Tong
batch quantity as printed (stock for a pill/powder/plaster preparation), not a single dose; as printed: Caulis Akebiae (mu tong) 150 g
|
150g | 6.94% | Zuo (Assistant) | — |
|
She Gan
batch quantity as printed (stock for a pill/powder/plaster preparation), not a single dose; as printed: Rhizoma Belamcandae (she gan) 120 g
|
120g | 5.56% | Zuo (Assistant) | — |
|
Lian Qiao
batch quantity as printed (stock for a pill/powder/plaster preparation), not a single dose; as printed: Fructus Forsythiae (lian qiao) 120 g
|
120g | 5.56% | Zuo (Assistant) | — |
|
Bo He
batch quantity as printed (stock for a pill/powder/plaster preparation), not a single dose; as printed: Herba Menthae (bo he) 120 g
|
120g | 5.56% | Shi (Envoy) | — |
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 (-1.21)
From 94% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 50%, cool 35%, warm 15%.
Small but decisive: Mu Tong 150g (cold, 7% of the grams), She Gan 120g (cold, 6% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 24%
- sweet 15%
- bitter 50%
- bland 11%
From 94% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Stomach 68%
- Lung 46%
- Heart 44%
- Spleen 37%
- Gallbladder 31%
- Small intestine 28%
Share of the grams entering each channel, from 94% of the weighed grams.
1 herb not profiled (no recorded temperature, taste or channels): Chinese giant-hyssop.
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
Originally powdered and made into pills, 9g twice daily with water; now usually decocted at the doses in parentheses.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 702.
Relationships
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Formula Network
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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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