Hai Zao Yu Hu Tang
Star海藻玉壶汤 (Sargassum Decoction for the Jade Flask)
Source: Yi Zong Jin Jian (1617)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Hai Zao Yu Hu Tang (Sargassum Decoction for the Jade Flask), from the Yi Zong Jin Jian, is used to transform phlegm and soften masses; reduce and dissipate goiter.
Presentation: goiter: immovable, painless mass in the front of the neck with unchanged skin colour.
Syndrome: Syndrome of phlegm.
Composition strategy:
- Herbs clearly grouped to eliminate phlegm, soften hardness and regulate Qi and blood
- Salty and pungent substances preferred for stronger phlegm-eliminating and dispersing action
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 246.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hai Zao
as printed: Hai Zao (Sargassum)
|
3g | 8.7% | Jun (Chief) | eliminate phlegm, soften masses |
|
Kun Bu
as printed: Kun Bu (Eckloniae thallus)
|
3g | 8.7% | Jun (Chief) | eliminate phlegm, soften masses |
|
Hai Dai
as printed: Hai Dai (Laminariae japonicae herba)
|
1.5g | 4.35% | Jun (Chief) | eliminate phlegm, soften masses |
|
Ban Xia
as printed: Ban Xia (Pinelliae rhizoma)
|
3g | 8.7% | Chen (Deputy) | eliminate phlegm, dissipate masses |
|
Zhe Bei Mu
as printed: Zhe Bei Mu (Fritillariae thunbergii bulbus)
|
3g | 8.7% | Chen (Deputy) | eliminate phlegm, dissipate masses |
|
Chen Pi
as printed: Chen Pi (Citri reticulatae pericarpium)
|
3g | 8.7% | Zuo (Assistant) | move Spleen Qi |
|
Qing Pi
as printed: Qing Pi (Citri reticulatae viride pericarpium)
|
3g | 8.7% | Zuo (Assistant) | move Liver Qi |
|
Lian Qiao
as printed: Lian Qiao (Forsythiae fructus)
|
3g | 8.7% | Zuo (Assistant) | disperse stagnation, clear heat from stagnation |
|
Dang Gui
as printed: Dang Gui (Angelicae sinensis radix)
|
3g | 8.7% | Zuo (Assistant) | regulate blood, dissipate stagnation |
|
Chuan Xiong
as printed: Chuan Xiong (Chuanxiong rhizoma)
|
3g | 8.7% | Zuo (Assistant) | regulate blood, dissipate stagnation |
|
Du Huo
as printed: Du Huo (Angelicae pubescentis radix)
|
3g | 8.7% | Zuo (Assistant) | disperse dampness |
|
Gan Cao
assistant and envoy; as printed: Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae radix)
|
3g | 8.7% | Zuo (Assistant) | protect Spleen; also 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 neutral (-0.17)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 30%, cool 9%, neutral 9%, warm 52%.
Pairs warm and cool. 52% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 39% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Small but decisive: Hai Zao 3g (cold, 9% of the grams), Kun Bu 3g (cold, 9% of the grams), Zhe Bei Mu 3g (cold, 9% of the grams), Hai Dai 1.5g (cold, 4% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 35%
- sweet 13%
- bitter 35%
- salty 17%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Liver 56%
- Stomach 48%
- Lung 44%
- Spleen 35%
- Heart 35%
- Kidney 30%
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
Decoction; today most doses are raised to the figures in parentheses.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 800.
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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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