Ji Ming San
Star鸡鸣散 (Powder to Take at Cock's Crow)
Source: Lei Bian Zhu Shi Ji Yan Yi Fang — Zhu Zuo (Song, 1266)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Ji Ming San (Powder to Take at Cock's Crow), from the Lei Bian Zhu Shi Ji Yan Yi Fang (Effective Medical Formulas Arranged by Category by Doctor Zhu) by Zhu Zuo.
Actions: Activates qi circulation and causes turbidity to descend; Dispels cold and resolves dampness.
Presentation: Leg qi characterized by dampness and cold: feeling of swelling, heaviness, weakness, numbness, coldness and pain in the legs, fever, aversion to cold, spasms, chest stuffiness, and nausea.
Cautions:
- Not for leg qi due to damp-heat
- Contraindicated in pregnancy
- Reported side effects: abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, salivation, diarrhea, dizziness, itching
Source: Chen JK, Chen TT. Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications: Pharmacological Effects & Clinical Research. Art of Medicine Press, 2009, p. 1183.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bing Lang
as printed: Bing Lang (Semen Arecae) 7 pieces [35g]
|
35g | 25% | Jun (Chief) | activates qi and dispels dampness |
|
Mu Gua
as printed: Mu Gua (Fructus Chaenomelis) 30g
|
30g | 21.43% | Chen (Deputy) | eliminates dampness and relaxes muscles and tendons |
|
Chen Pi
as printed: Chen Pi (Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae) 30g
|
30g | 21.43% | Chen (Deputy) | strengthens Spleen, activates qi, dispels dampness |
|
Zi Su Ye
including the twigs; as printed: Zi Su Ye (Folium Perillae) 9g
|
9g | 6.43% | Zuo (Assistant) | dispels exterior wind-cold, disperses qi stagnation |
|
Jie Geng
as printed: Jie Geng (Radix Platycodonis) 15g
|
15g | 10.71% | Zuo (Assistant) | dispels exterior wind-cold, disperses qi stagnation |
|
Wu Zhu Yu
as printed: Wu Zhu Yu (Fructus Evodiae) 6g
|
6g | 4.29% | Shi (Envoy) | warms and dissolves damp-cold, relieves nausea and chest stuffiness |
|
Sheng Jiang
including the peel; as printed: Sheng Jiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens) 15g
|
15g | 10.71% | Shi (Envoy) | warms and dissolves damp-cold, relieves nausea |
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 (+0.94)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: neutral 11%, warm 85%, hot 4%.
Small but decisive: Wu Zhu Yu 6g (hot, 4% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 48%
- sour 21%
- bitter 31%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Spleen 64%
- Lung 49%
- Stomach 46%
- Large intestine 31%
- Liver 26%
- Kidney 4%
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
Coarse powder cooked in 3 large bowls water to 1.5; re-cook residue in 2 bowls to 1; combine and take at room temperature on waking (5 a.m.); may be warm in winter. Black watery stools indicate damp-cold being expelled. Today decocted twice, combined, taken at room temperature on an empty stomach early morning.
Relationships
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Formula family
Full herb lists
- This formula = Ju Pi Tang + Bing Lang, Mu Gua, Jie Geng, Zi Su Ye and Wu Zhu Yu
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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