Gui Ling Wu Wei Gan Cao Tang
Star桂苓五味甘草汤 (Cinnamon Twig, Poria, Schisandra, and Licorice Decoction)
Source: Jin Gui Yao Lue (c. 220)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Gui Ling Wu Wei Gan Cao Tang (Cinnamon Twig, Poria, Schisandra, and Licorice Decoction), from Essentials from the Golden Cabinet (c. 220).
Associated formula of Ling Gan Wu Wei Jiang Xin Tang.
Actions: Preserves the Lungs; Transforms congested fluids; Directs the qi downward
Indications: Yang deficiency with congested fluids: cough with profuse, thin, white sputum, cold hands and feet, palpitations, dizziness, occasional qi rushing up from the lower abdomen to the chest, pale tongue with white slippery coating, submerged wiry pulse forceless at the proximal position.
Pattern: Kidney yang deficiency with congested fluids and upward-rushing qi
Usage: For cough with underlying Kidney yang deficiency following a recent external cold disorder.
Category: Formulas that Warm and Transform Phlegm-Cold.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 808.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gui Zhi
as printed: Cinnamomi Ramulus (gui zhi) 12g
|
12g | 36.36% | — | |
|
Fu Ling
as printed: Poria (fu ling) 12g
|
12g | 36.36% | — | |
|
Wu Wei Zi
dose printed as 12-15g; as printed: Schisandrae Fructus (wu wei zi) 12-15g
|
g | — | — | |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Glycyrrhizae Radix (gan cao) 9g
|
9g | 27.27% | — |
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 warm (+0.36)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: neutral 64%, warm 36%.
Taste
- pungent 18%
- sweet 64%
- bland 18%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Lung 100%
- Heart 100%
- Spleen 64%
- Kidney 36%
- Stomach 27%
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: Wu Wei Zi.
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.
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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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