Hou Po Ma Huang Tang
StarSource: Jin Gui Yao Lue — Zhang Zhong-Jing (Eastern Han, c. 220)
Last updated October 23, 2026
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Description
Hou Po Ma Huang Tang (Magnolia Bark and Ephedra Decoction), from Jin Gui Yao Lue.
Actions: Disperse Lung and cleanse the congested fluid.
Indications: The evil beverage attacks the Lung, which disturbs the dispersing and descending functions. Symptoms include wheezing, cough, fullness at chest, difficulty breathing, rattling phlegm sound in the throat, and floating pulse.
Source: Liu C, Tseng A, with Yang S. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Modern Applications of Traditional Formulas. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2005, p. 24.
Composition
Botanical-genus cautions
These come from the ingredient's botanical genus, not its name. Advisory notes are not part of the safety screen; the Aristolochia genus check is.
Xi Xin — Asarum belongs to the aristolochic-acid family (Aristolochiaceae). The Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020 admits only the root and rhizome; use pharmacopoeial root and rhizome only.
Asarum (aristolochic-acid family) — advisory note — recorded as Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum. Botanical names: WCVP
- ShennongAlpha NMM-01CA 细辛, quoting the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, Vol. I (secondary source; the ChP text itself not read first-hand) — “本品为马兜铃科植物北细辛Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt var. mandshuricum (Maxim.)Kitag.……的干燥根和根茎。”
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hou Po
as printed: Hou Po 15 g
|
15g | 16.13% | — | |
|
Ma Huang
as printed: Ma Huang 9 g
|
9g | 9.68% | — | |
|
Shi Gao
as printed: Shi Gao 24 g
|
24g | 25.81% | — | |
|
Xing Ren
as printed: Xing Ren 9 g
|
9g | 9.68% | — | |
|
Ban Xia
as printed: Ban Xia 12 g
|
12g | 12.9% | — | |
|
Gan Jiang
as printed: Gan Jiang 6 g
|
6g | 6.45% | — | |
|
Xi Xin
as printed: Xi Xin 3 g
|
3g | 3.23% | — | |
|
Wu Wei Zi
as printed: Wu Wei Zi 6 g
|
6g | 6.45% | — | |
|
Fu Xiao Mai
as printed: Fu Xiao Mai 9 g
|
9g | 9.68% | — |
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 (+0.10)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 26%, cool 10%, warm 58%, hot 7%.
Pairs warm and cool. 65% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 36% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Small but decisive: Gan Jiang 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 48%
- sweet 21%
- sour 3%
- bitter 23%
- salty 5%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Lung 100%
- Stomach 61%
- Spleen 36%
- Large intestine 26%
- Heart 26%
- Kidney 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.
Preparation
Decoction. Take the warm decoction in three doses.
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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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