Ling Gan Wu Wei Jiang Xin Tang
Star苓甘五味姜辛汤 (Poria, Licorice, Schisandra, Ginger and Asarum Decoction)
Source: Jin Kui Yao Lue (c. 220)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Ling Gan Wu Wei Jiang Xin Tang (Poria, Licorice, Schisandra, Ginger and Asarum Decoction), from the Jin Kui Yao Lue, is used to warm the Lung and transform cold-phlegm.
Presentation: cough with copious thin, watery or white phlegm; uncomfortable sensation in the chest; tongue: white and moist coating; pulse: wiry and slippery.
Syndrome: Damp-cold syndrome.
Composition strategy:
- Two approaches to cold-phlegm in the Lung: warm the interior and dissolve phlegm
- Only five herbs, each with a distinct role; dispersing herbs balanced by a stabilizing herb; no extra Qi-regulating herbs needed (Zhang Zhong Jing style)
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 208, 244.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gan Jiang
as printed: Gan Jiang (Zingiberis rhizoma)
|
9g | 23.08% | Jun (Chief) | warm the interior (Spleen), dissolve cold-phlegm |
|
Xi Xin
toxic mark * in source; as printed: Xi Xin (Asari herba)
|
6g | 15.38% | Jun (Chief) | warm the interior (Kidney), dissolve cold-phlegm |
|
Fu Ling
as printed: Fu Ling (Poria)
|
12g | 30.77% | Chen (Deputy) | leach out dampness via urination (relatively large dose) |
|
Wu Wei Zi
corrective assistant; as printed: Wu Wei Zi (Schisandrae fructus)
|
6g | 15.38% | Zuo (Assistant) | stabilize Lung-Qi, protect Yin and fluid from hot herbs |
|
Gan Cao
assistant and envoy; as printed: Zhi Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae radix preparata)
|
6g | 15.38% | Zuo (Assistant) | protect Middle-Jiao; also envoy harmonizing the formula |
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 (+0.77)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: neutral 46%, warm 31%, hot 23%.
Taste
- pungent 39%
- sweet 39%
- sour 8%
- bland 15%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Lung 100%
- Heart 100%
- Spleen 69%
- Kidney 62%
- Stomach 39%
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
Decoction; today the doses of xi xin and wu wei zi are often halved.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 806.
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
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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