Description
Huang Lian Gao (Coptis Ointment), from Orthodox Lineage of External Medicine (Wai Ke Zheng Zong).
Actions: Clear heat and resolve toxins, invigorate blood, and relieve swelling, moisten dryness, and engender flesh. Indicated for the treatment of furuncles, eczema, and burn due to hot liquid or fire due to heat toxin accumulation and fluid inadequacy, with skin drying, itching, and pain
Indications: It is not suitable for patients with skin diseases accompanied by fluid effusion due to damp toxin immersion
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Huang Lian
as printed: Rhizoma Coptidis (huang lian) 9 g
|
9g | 2.1% | — | |
|
Huang Bai
as printed: Cortex Phellodendri Chinensis (huang bai) 6 g
|
6g | 1.4% | — | |
|
Jiang Huang
as printed: Rhizoma Curcumae Longae (jiang huang) 9 g
|
9g | 2.1% | — | |
|
Dang Gui
root tail (wei); as printed: Radix Angelicae Sinensis (dang gui wei) 15 g
|
15g | 3.5% | — | |
|
Sheng Di Huang
as printed: Radix Rehmanniae (sheng di huang) 30 g
|
30g | 6.99% | — | |
|
Ma You
batch quantity as printed (stock for a pill/powder/plaster preparation), not a single dose; as printed: Oleum Sesami (ma you) 360 g
|
360g | 83.92% | — |
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 cool (-0.99)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 11%, cool 84%, warm 6%.
Small but decisive: Huang Lian 9g (cold, 2% of the grams), Huang Bai 6g (cold, 1% of the grams), Sheng Di Huang 30g (cold, 7% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 3%
- sweet 89%
- bitter 8%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Large intestine 87%
- Liver 15%
- Heart 13%
- Kidney 8%
- Spleen 8%
- Stomach 2%
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
Make the ingredients into ointment and apply 10–30 g on the affected area each time, 1–2 times a day
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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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