Hui Yang Jiu Ji Tang
Star回阳救急汤 (Restore and Revive the Yang Decoction)
Source: Shang Han Liu Shu (1445)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Hui Yang Jiu Ji Tang (Restore and Revive the Yang Decoction), from the Shang Han Liu Shu, is used to rescue the Yang from collapse; tonify the Qi.
Presentation: severe Yang deficiency of Kidney, Spleen and Heart with cold accumulation; extremely cold extremities; exhaustion with constant desire to sleep; vomiting; diarrhea with undigested food; abdominal pain and cold; severe chills; purple nails and lips; tongue: pale with a white coating; pulse: weak and deep.
Syndrome: Internal cold syndrome.
Composition strategy:
- rescues Yang in a critical condition using processed rather than raw Fu Zi, since raw Fu Zi may break the fragile Yin-Yang binding
- considers Yin as well as Yang, Spleen as well as Kidney, and Qi together with Yang
Cautions:
- raw Fu Zi stimulates Yang too quickly and strongly and may worsen Yang collapse; use processed Fu Zi
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 126.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Zhi Fu Zi
toxic mark * in source; as printed: Shu Fu Zi (processed Aconiti radix lateralis preparata)
|
9g | 14.04% | Jun (Chief) | stimulate the Yang and expel cold in Yang collapse; processed form gentler than raw |
|
Gan Jiang
as printed: Gan Jiang (Zingiberis rhizoma)
|
5g | 7.8% | Chen (Deputy) | warm Spleen-Yang, eliminate cold-dampness |
|
Rou Gui
as printed: Rou Gui (Cinnamomi cassiae cortex)
|
3g | 4.68% | Chen (Deputy) | warm Kidney-Yang, strengthen vital-gate fire, bring floating Yang back to its source |
|
Ren Shen
as printed: Ren Shen (Ginseng radix)
|
6g | 9.36% | Zuo (Assistant) | tonify Qi to help stabilize the Yang |
|
Bai Zhu
helping assistant; as printed: Bai Zhu (Atractylodis macrocephalae rhizoma)
|
9g | 14.04% | Zuo (Assistant) | tonify Spleen-Qi, eliminate dampness |
|
Fu Ling
helping assistant; as printed: Fu Ling (Poria)
|
9g | 14.04% | Zuo (Assistant) | tonify Spleen-Qi, eliminate dampness |
|
Chen Pi
helping assistant; as printed: Chen Pi (Citri reticulatae pericarpium)
|
6g | 9.36% | Zuo (Assistant) | regulate Middle-Jiao Qi, remove damp-phlegm |
|
Gan Cao
assistant and envoy; as printed: Zhi Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae radix preparata)
|
5g | 7.8% | Zuo (Assistant) | tonify Qi; harmonize the formula |
|
Wu Wei Zi
corrective assistant; as printed: Wu Wei Zi (Schisandrae fructus)
|
3g | 4.68% | Zuo (Assistant) | sour, stabilizes Yang in collapse, generates Yin with sweet herbs, balances She Xiang, reduces harshness of hot herbs |
|
Ban Xia
helping assistant; as printed: Ban Xia (Pinelliae rhizoma)
|
9g | 14.04% | Zuo (Assistant) | regulate Middle-Jiao Qi, remove damp-phlegm |
|
She Xiang
helping assistant; toxic mark ** in source; as printed: She Xiang (Moschus)
|
0.1g | 0.16% | Zuo (Assistant) | strongly aromatic; quickly opens all meridians to spread Yang-Qi |
|
Sheng Jiang
as printed: Sheng Jiang (Zingiberis rhizoma recens)
|
3pieces | 100% | — |
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 warm (+1.05)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: neutral 22%, warm 52%, hot 27%.
Small but decisive: Gan Jiang 5g (hot, 8% of the grams), Rou Gui 3g (hot, 5% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 36%
- sweet 38%
- sour 2%
- bitter 16%
- bland 7%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Spleen 95%
- Lung 67%
- Heart 63%
- Kidney 47%
- Stomach 44%
- Liver 5%
Share of the grams entering each channel, from 100% of the weighed grams.
1 herb without a dose in grams, so left out of every figure above: Sheng Jiang.
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 cooked with 3 pieces of fresh ginger (source gives no dose). Take 0.1g Moschus (she xiang) followed by the strained decoction.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 278.
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
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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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