Miao Xiang San
Star妙香散 (Marvelously Fragrant Powder)
Source: Formulary of the Pharmacy Service for Benefiting the People in the Taiping Era (1148)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Miao Xiang San (Marvelously Fragrant Powder), from Formulary of the Pharmacy Service for Benefiting the People in the Taiping Era (1148).
Associated formula of Ding Zhi Wan.
Actions: Nourishes the Heart; Calms the spirit
Indications: Heart qi deficiency characterized by anxiety, apprehensiveness, worry, and distress with palpitations, insomnia, forgetfulness, nocturnal emissions, spontaneous sweating, a pale tongue body, and a deficient pulse
Pattern: Heart qi deficiency with restlessness and generalized qi deficiency
Usage: For Heart qi deficiency with more restlessness and generalized qi deficiency than the principal formula.
Category: Formulas that Nourish the Heart (Blood and Yin) and Calm the Spirit.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 468.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ren Shen
as printed: Ginseng Radix (ren shen) 15g
|
15g | 5.32% | — | |
|
Shan Yao
as printed: Dioscoreae Rhizoma (shan yao) 30g
|
30g | 10.64% | — | |
|
Huang Qi
as printed: Astragali Radix (huang qi) 30g
|
30g | 10.64% | — | |
|
Fu Ling
as printed: Poria (fu ling) 30g
|
30g | 10.64% | — | |
|
Fu Shen
as printed: Poriae Sclerotium pararadicis (fu shen) 30g
|
30g | 10.64% | — | |
|
Yuan Zhi
as printed: Polygalae Radix (yuan zhi) 30g
|
30g | 10.64% | — | |
|
Zhu Sha
as printed: Cinnabaris (zhu sha) 9g
|
9g | 3.19% | — | |
|
Mu Xiang
as printed: Aucklandiae Radix (mu xiang) 75g
|
75g | 26.6% | — | |
|
She Xiang
as printed: Moschus (she xiang) 3g
|
3g | 1.06% | — | |
|
Jie Geng
as printed: Platycodi Radix (jie geng) 15g
|
15g | 5.32% | — | |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Glycyrrhizae Radix preparata (zhi gan cao) 15g
|
15g | 5.32% | — |
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 warm (+0.51)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cool 3%, neutral 43%, warm 54%.
Taste
- pungent 22%
- sweet 43%
- bitter 24%
- bland 11%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Spleen 81%
- Lung 59%
- Heart 47%
- Kidney 37%
- Stomach 32%
- Large intestine 27%
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 powder; take 6g doses with warm wine. Codonopsis at 2-3x usually replaces Ginseng.
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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