Ling Gan Wu Wei Jia Jiang Xin Ban Xia Xing Ren Tang
Star苓甘五味加姜辛半夏杏仁汤 (Poria, Licorice, and Schisandra plus Ginger, Asarum, Pinellia, and Apricot Kernel Decoction)
Source: Jin Gui Yao Lue (c. 220)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Ling Gan Wu Wei Jia Jiang Xin Ban Xia Xing Ren Tang (Poria, Licorice, and Schisandra plus Ginger, Asarum, Pinellia, and Apricot Kernel Decoction), from Essentials from the Golden Cabinet (c. 220).
Associated formula of Ling Gan Wu Wei Jiang Xin Tang.
Actions: Warms the interior; Transforms fluids; Dissipates qi; Promotes the water metabolism
Indications: Cold obstructing Lung qi with edema of the extremities: shortness of breath, wheezing, cough with thin white sputum, aversion to cold, heavy body, edema, increased urination without thirst, fatigue, white tongue coating, thin submerged pulse.
Pattern: Cold obstructing the Lung qi with fluid accumulation, deficiency type
Usage: Less astringent but more downward-directing than the principal formula; for deficient patients unsuited to ephedra-based formulas.
Category: Formulas that Warm and Transform Phlegm-Cold.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 808.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fu Ling
as printed: Poria (fu ling) 6g
|
6g | 16.67% | — | |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Glycyrrhizae Radix (gan cao) 4.5g
|
4.5g | 12.5% | — | |
|
Wu Wei Zi
as printed: Schisandrae Fructus (wu wei zi) 4.5g
|
4.5g | 12.5% | — | |
|
Gan Jiang
as printed: Zingiberis Rhizoma (gan jiang) 4.5g
|
4.5g | 12.5% | — | |
|
Xi Xin
as printed: Asari Herba (xi xin) 4.5g
|
4.5g | 12.5% | — | |
|
Ban Xia
as printed: Pinelliae Rhizoma (ban xia) 6g
|
6g | 16.67% | — | |
|
Xing Ren
as printed: Semen Pruni Armeniacae (xing ren) 6g
|
6g | 16.67% | — |
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 (+0.83)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: neutral 29%, warm 58%, hot 13%.
Taste
- pungent 42%
- sweet 27%
- sour 6%
- bitter 17%
- bland 8%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Lung 100%
- Heart 67%
- Spleen 58%
- Stomach 42%
- Kidney 42%
- Large intestine 17%
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.
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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.
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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