Gou Chong Wan
StarSource: Chen Zhang Wei Fang
Last updated October 23, 2026
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Description
Gou Chong Wan (Hookworm Pill), from Chen Zhang Wei Fang.
Actions: Dry dampness, kill parasites, promote the function of Gallbladder, and alleviate jaundice.
Indications: Hookworm. Symptoms include palpitation, shortness of breath, sallow complexion and skin, or yellow edema, or craving of raw rice and dirt.
Source: Liu C, Tseng A, with Yang S. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Modern Applications of Traditional Formulas. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2005, p. 149.
Composition
Liquorice: this formula's amounts are batch totals for a powder, pill or paste, not a daily dose — glycyrrhizic acid not estimated.
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Zhi Zi
as printed: Shan Zhi Zi 10 g
|
10g | 9.09% | — | |
|
Huang Bai
as printed: Huang Bai 10 g
|
10g | 9.09% | — | |
|
Gan Song (Xiang)
as printed: Gan Song 10 g
|
10g | 9.09% | — | |
|
Ming Fan
as printed: Bai Fan 10 g
|
10g | 9.09% | — | |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Gan Cao 10 g
|
10g | 9.09% | — | |
|
Yin Chen
as printed: Yin Chen Hao 20 g
|
20g | 18.18% | — | |
|
Cang Zhu
as printed: Cang Zhu 20 g
|
20g | 18.18% | — | |
|
Zao Fan
as printed: Qing Fan 20 g
|
20g | 18.18% | — |
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 slightly cool (-0.64)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 27%, cool 36%, neutral 9%, warm 27%.
Pairs warm and cool. 27% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 64% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Small but decisive: Zhi Zi 10g (cold, 9% of the grams), Huang Bai 10g (cold, 9% of the grams), Ming Fan 10g (cold, 9% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 23%
- sweet 14%
- sour 27%
- bitter 36%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Spleen 82%
- Liver 64%
- Stomach 55%
- Lung 46%
- Heart 27%
- Large intestine 18%
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
Grind the above ingredients into powder and form into pills with brown sugar. Taken once in the morning and once at night with rice soup and finish the herbs in 7 days. In severe cases, one can take four to five bags of this formula.
Conditions Addressed
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Formula family
Full equations
- This formula = Zhi Zi Bai Pi Tang + Fa Mu Wan + Gan Song (Xiang), Ming Fan and Yin Chen. Gan Cao at about 2.5× the dose relative to the other herbs, against the catalogue's Zhi Zi Bai Pi Tang.
- This formula = Fa Mu Wan + Zhi Zi Bai Pi Tang + Gan Song (Xiang), Ming Fan and Yin Chen. Relative doses differ by up to about 2× from the catalogue's Fa Mu Wan.
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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