Gui Zhi Shao Yao Zhi Mu Tang
Star桂枝芍药知母汤 (Cinnamon Twig, Peony, and Anemarrhena Decoction)
Source: Jin Gui Yao Lue — Zhang Zhong-Jing (Eastern Han, c. 220)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Gui Zhi Shao Yao Zhi Mu Tang (Cinnamon Twig, Peony, and Anemarrhena Decoction), from the Jin Gui Yao Lue (Essentials from the Golden Cabinet) by Zhang Zhong-Jing.
Actions: Dispels wind-dampness; Clears heat; Unblocks the channels and collaterals.
Presentation: Bi zheng (painful obstruction syndrome) caused by obstruction of wind-dampness and formation of heat: swollen and painful joints, emaciation, swollen feet, dizziness, shortness of breath, atrophy of the muscle, numbness of the extremities, and difficulty in walking and moving.
Source: Chen JK, Chen TT. Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications: Pharmacological Effects & Clinical Research. Art of Medicine Press, 2009, p. 1186.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gui Zhi
as printed: Gui Zhi (Ramulus Cinnamomi) 12g
|
12g | 12.9% | Jun (Chief) | warms and unblocks channels; dispels exterior wind |
|
Ma Huang
as printed: Ma Huang (Herba Ephedrae) 6g
|
6g | 6.45% | Chen (Deputy) | warms and unblocks channels; dispels exterior wind |
|
Zhi Mu
as printed: Zhi Mu (Rhizoma Anemarrhenae) 12g
|
12g | 12.9% | Chen (Deputy) | clears heat, reduces swelling, balances Fu Zi |
|
Fang Feng
as printed: Fang Feng (Radix Saposhnikoviae) 12g
|
12g | 12.9% | Zuo (Assistant) | dispels wind from the exterior |
|
Bai Zhu
as printed: Bai Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae) 15g
|
15g | 16.13% | Zuo (Assistant) | strengthens Spleen, dries dampness, relieves edema |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Gan Cao (Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae) 6g
|
6g | 6.45% | Shi (Envoy) | with Bai Shao relieves spasms and cramps |
|
Sheng Jiang
as printed: Sheng Jiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens) 15g
|
15g | 16.13% | Shi (Envoy) | warms middle jiao, improves appetite |
|
Zhi Fu Zi
pao (blast-fried); as printed: Fu Zi (Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata) 6g
|
6g | 6.45% | warms body and joints, relieves pain | |
|
Bai Shao
as printed: Bai Shao (Radix Paeoniae Alba) 9g
|
9g | 9.68% | balances Fu Zi's heat; with Gan Cao relieves spasms and pain |
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 (+0.42)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 13%, cool 10%, neutral 7%, warm 65%, hot 7%.
Small but decisive: Zhi Fu Zi 6g (hot, 7% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 36%
- sweet 37%
- sour 5%
- bitter 23%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Spleen 68%
- Lung 55%
- Stomach 52%
- Heart 26%
- Liver 23%
- Kidney 19%
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
Cook in 7 cups [1,400 mL] water down to 2 cups [400 mL]; take 0.7 cup [210 mL] warm three times daily.
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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