Liu Shen Wan
Star六神丸 (Six-Miracle Pill)
Source: Gu Jin Ming Fang — Luo Mei (founded 1734)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Liu Shen Wan (Six-Miracle Pill), from the Gu Jin Ming Fang (Famous Classic and Contemporary Formulas) by Luo Mei.
Actions: Clears heat and eliminates toxins; Reduces inflammation and relieves pain.
Presentation: Presence of heat and toxins: unilateral or bilateral pustular tonsillitis, a sore and swollen throat and difficulty in swallowing, diphtheria, stomatitis, high fever with convulsions in infants, and throat cancer; also sores, abscesses, cellulitis, and various skin disorders.
Composition: Batch quantities for tiny pills.
Cautions:
- Contains potentially toxic Chan Su and Xiong Huang: contraindicated in pregnancy; caution with underlying weakness and deficiency
- Avoid smoking, alcohol, and pungent or spicy foods while taking it
- Xiong Huang is a toxic heavy metal and She Xiang is from an endangered animal; both rarely used today
Toxicology: Reported reactions include itching, restlessness, irritability, pallor, nausea, vomiting, cold extremities, palpitations, sedation, dyspnea and chest congestion. Overdose may cause GI upset and pain, dyspnea, respiratory depression, sedation, weak pulse, bradycardia, irregular heartbeat, yellowing of the skin and dryness; attributed mainly to Chan Su and Xiong Huang.
Source: Chen JK, Chen TT. Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications: Pharmacological Effects & Clinical Research. Art of Medicine Press, 2009, p. 363.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chan Su
Potentially toxic; as printed: Chan Su (Venenum Bufonis) 3g
|
3g | 13.33% | Clears heat and eliminates toxins; enhances the other herbs | |
|
Niu Huang
as printed: Niu Huang (Calculus Bovis) 4.5g
|
4.5g | 20% | Clears heat and eliminates toxins | |
|
Xiong Huang
Potentially toxic heavy metal; rarely used today; as printed: Xiong Huang (Realgar) 3g
|
3g | 13.33% | Clears heat and eliminates toxins | |
|
She Xiang
From an endangered animal; rarely used today; as printed: She Xiang (Moschus) 4.5g
|
4.5g | 20% | Invigorates blood, opens channels and collaterals | |
|
Bing Pian
as printed: Bing Pian (Borneolum Syntheticum) 3g
|
3g | 13.33% | Clears heat, relieves itching and pain | |
|
Zhen Zhu
as printed: Zhen Zhu (Margarita) 4.5g
|
4.5g | 20% | Promotes healing and relieves itching |
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 slightly cool (-0.27)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 20%, cool 33%, warm 47%.
Pairs warm and cool. 47% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 53% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Taste
- pungent 40%
- sweet 27%
- bitter 23%
- salty 10%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Heart 87%
- Liver 73%
- Spleen 33%
- Lung 13%
- Large intestine 13%
- Stomach 13%
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
Grind to fine powder; dissolve Chan Su in grain liquor and add the other powders to form pills the size of Bai Jie Zi seeds, coated with Bai Cao Shuang. Take 5-10 pills per dose, two to three times daily. May also be used topically.
Relationships
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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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