Hong Ling Dan

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Source: Zhong Yi Wai Ke Xue

Last updated October 1, 2026

Not yet clinically reviewed

Description

Hong Ling Dan (Red Wonder Pellet), from TCM External Medicine (Zhong Yi Wai Ke Xue).

Actions: Invigorate blood and relieve pain, relieve swelling and dissolve phlegm. Indicated for the treatment of carbuncle-abscess without ulceration or carcinoma of penis, with carbuncle-abscess, red swelling and hot pain, protruding over the skin, or papule and irregular hard tubercle in the glans of penis, serous and hematoid effusion with cacosmia, red tongue with yellow and greasy coating, wiry or slippery pulse

Indications: Its use is prohibited in patients with carbuncle-abscess with yin pattern, or ulcerated carbuncle-abscess and carcinoma of penis in the later stage with suppuration

Source: Xi S, Gong Y. Essentials of Chinese Materia Medica and Medical Formulas: New Century Traditional Chinese Medicine. Academic Press/Elsevier, 2017, pp. 861–873.

Composition

Herb Amount % Role Function
Xiong Huang
as printed: Realgar (xiong huang) 18 g
18g 9.84% —
Ru Xiang
as printed: Olibanum (ru xiang) 18 g
18g 9.84% —
Mo Yao
as printed: Myrrha (mo yao) 18 g
18g 9.84% —
Xiao Shi
as printed: Nitrum (xiao shi) 18 g
18g 9.84% —
Meng Shi
as printed: Lapis Chloriti (qing meng shi) 9 g
9g 4.92% —
Bing Pian
as printed: Borneolum Syntheticum (bing pian) 9 g
9g 4.92% —
Peng Sha
as printed: calcined Borax (duan peng sha) 30 g
30g 16.39% —
Zhu Sha
as printed: Cinnabaris (zhu sha) 60 g
60g 32.79% —
She Xiang
as printed: Moschus (she xiang) 3 g
3g 1.64% —

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

Cold Cool Neutral Warm Hot

Net slightly cool (-0.52)

From 100% of the weighed grams.

cold cool neutral warm

Grams by band: cold 10%, cool 54%, neutral 15%, warm 21%.

Small but decisive: Xiao Shi 18g (cold, 10% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.

Taste

pungent sweet bitter salty
  • pungent 19%
  • sweet 43%
  • bitter 22%
  • salty 16%

From 100% of the weighed grams.

Channels reached

  • Heart 69%
  • Stomach 36%
  • Spleen 36%
  • Liver 36%
  • Lung 26%
  • Large intestine 10%

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.

Compare side by side with Liu Shen San →

Preparation

Grind the ingredients into fine powder, make into ointment, and apply on the affected area

Click a node for details · double-click to expand it · Ctrl/⌘ + scroll or two fingers to zoom and pan.

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Formula family

Contains Xing Xiao Wan + Bing Pian, Meng Shi, Peng Sha and 2 more
Full herb lists
  • This formula = Xing Xiao Wan + Bing Pian, Meng Shi, Peng Sha, Xiao Shi and Zhu Sha

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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