Liang Ge San
Star凉膈散 (Cool the Diaphragm Powder)
Source: Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang (1107)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Liang Ge San (Cool the Diaphragm Powder), from the Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang, is used to clear heat and heat-toxin from the Upper-Jiao, Heart, Lung and diaphragm.
Presentation: fever; restlessness; dry mouth and throat; thirst; swollen sore throat; mouth or tongue ulcers; red face and eyes; scanty urine; constipation; tongue: red border, particularly dry in the middle, yellow coating; pulse: rapid and forceful.
Syndrome: Syndrome of heat at the Qi level.
Composition strategy:
- Heat is removed by several routes at once: cooling/descending, purging the bowel, promoting urination and dispersing Qi and heat, so it is eliminated completely
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 77.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lian Qiao
as printed: Lian Qiao (Forsythiae fructus)
|
1250g | 31.65% | Jun (Chief) | clear and disperse excess heat in the Upper-Jiao/Heart; large dose |
|
Zhi Zi
as printed: Zhi Zi (Gardeniae fructus)
|
300g | 7.59% | Chen (Deputy) | clear and disperse Upper-Jiao heat, drain Heart heat via urination |
|
Bo He
as printed: Bo He (Menthae herba)
|
300g | 7.59% | Chen (Deputy) | disperse Upper-Jiao heat |
|
Huang Qin
as printed: Huang Qin (Scutellariae radix)
|
300g | 7.59% | Chen (Deputy) | clear Upper-Jiao heat |
|
Dan Zhu Ye
as printed: Dan Zhu Ye (Lophatheri herba)
|
g | — | Chen (Deputy) | clear Heart heat via urination |
|
Da Huang
as printed: Da Huang (Rhei rhizoma)
|
600g | 15.19% | Zuo (Assistant) | purge heat via the intestines ('remove fuel under the pan'), protecting fluids |
|
Mang Xiao
as printed: Mang Xiao (Natrii sulfas)
|
600g | 15.19% | Zuo (Assistant) | purge heat via the intestines |
|
Gan Cao
assistant and envoy; as printed: Zhi Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae radix preparata)
|
600g | 15.19% | Zuo (Assistant) | moderate harsh purgatives, protect Stomach |
|
Feng Mi
assistant and envoy; as printed: honey
|
g | — | Zuo (Assistant) | moderate purgatives, protect Stomach |
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 (-1.30)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 46%, cool 39%, neutral 15%.
Small but decisive: Zhi Zi 300g (cold, 8% of the grams), Huang Qin 300g (cold, 8% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 8%
- sweet 15%
- bitter 70%
- salty 8%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Lung 70%
- Heart 62%
- Stomach 53%
- Small intestine 39%
- Large intestine 38%
- Spleen 38%
Share of the grams entering each channel, from 100% of the weighed grams.
2 herbs without a dose in grams, so left out of every figure above: Dan Zhu Ye, Feng Mi.
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
Dan Zhu Ye and honey are added to the prepared powder.
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Formula family
Full herb lists
- This formula = Tiao Wei Cheng Qi Tang + Lian Qiao, Bo He, Dan Zhu Ye, Huang Qin, Zhi Zi and Feng Mi
- This formula = Bai Hu Cheng Qi Tang + Tiao Wei Cheng Qi Tang + Lian Qiao, Bo He, Dan Zhu Ye, Huang Qin, Zhi Zi and Feng Mi
- This formula = Da Huang Gan Cao Tang + Tiao Wei Cheng Qi Tang + Lian Qiao, Bo He, Dan Zhu Ye, Huang Qin, Zhi Zi and Feng Mi
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.
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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