Ning Sou Wan
Star宁嗽丸 (Quiet the Cough Pill)
Source: Zhong Guo Guo Yao Gu You Cheng Fang Xuan Ji — Chinese Herbal Medicine Committee of the Ministry of the Interior (1967)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Ning Sou Wan (Quiet the Cough Pill), from the Zhong Guo Guo Yao Gu You Cheng Fang Xuan Ji (A Selection of Traditional Prescriptions of Chinese Medicine) by Chinese Herbal Medicine Committee of the Ministry of the Interior.
Actions: Clears the Lung and disperses stagnation; Dissolves phlegm and relieves cough.
Presentation: Exterior wind-heat: nasal obstruction, nasal discharge, headache, fever, cough with sputum, wheezing and dyspnea, sneezing, and aversion to wind.
Source: Chen JK, Chen TT. Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications: Pharmacological Effects & Clinical Research. Art of Medicine Press, 2009, p. 113.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Zi Su Zi
as printed: Zi Su Zi (Fructus Perillae) 60g
|
60g | 10.53% | dispels phlegm, clears the Lung, arrests cough | |
|
Xing Ren
as printed: Ku Xing Ren (Semen Armeniacae Amarum) 45g
|
45g | 7.89% | dispels phlegm, clears the Lung, arrests cough | |
|
Jie Geng
as printed: Jie Geng (Radix Platycodonis) 60g
|
60g | 10.53% | dispels phlegm, clears the Lung, arrests cough | |
|
Ban Xia
zhi (prepared); as printed: Ban Xia (Rhizoma Pinelliae) 60g
|
60g | 10.53% | dispels phlegm, clears the Lung, arrests cough | |
|
Chuan Bei Mu
as printed: Chuan Bei Mu (Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae) 60g
|
60g | 10.53% | dispels phlegm, clears the Lung, arrests cough | |
|
Ju Hong
as printed: Ju Hong (Exocarpium Citri Reticulatae) 30g
|
30g | 5.26% | dispels phlegm, clears the Lung, arrests cough | |
|
Bo He
as printed: Bo He (Herba Menthae) 45g
|
45g | 7.89% | dispels exterior wind-heat; its coolness offsets the warm herbs | |
|
Fu Ling
as printed: Fu Ling (Poria) 60g
|
60g | 10.53% | strengthens the Spleen, transforms water, prevents phlegm formation | |
|
Gu Ya
as printed: Gu Ya (Fructus Setariae Germinatus) 30g
|
30g | 5.26% | strengthens the Spleen, prevents phlegm formation | |
|
Sang Bai Pi
as printed: Sang Bai Pi (Cortex Mori) 45g
|
45g | 7.89% | promotes urination and drains dampness | |
|
Shi Hu
as printed: Shi Hu (Caulis Dendrobii) 60g
|
60g | 10.53% | moistens the Lung, relieves cough, protects yin from phlegm-drying herbs | |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Zhi Gan Cao (Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae Praeparata cum Melle) 15g
|
15g | 2.63% | harmonizes 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 neutral (-0.05)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 8%, cool 29%, neutral 24%, warm 40%.
Pairs warm and cool. 40% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 37% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Small but decisive: Sang Bai Pi 45g (cold, 8% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 37%
- sweet 37%
- bitter 21%
- bland 5%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Lung 84%
- Spleen 42%
- Stomach 29%
- Heart 24%
- Kidney 21%
- Large intestine 18%
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
Decoct Sang Bai Pi and Shi Hu; grind the rest to fine powder; combine into mung-bean-sized pills. Take 4.5g twice daily with warm water.
Relationships
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Formula family
Full herb lists
- This formula = Jie Geng Tang + Ban Xia, Bo He, Chuan Bei Mu, Fu Ling, Gu Ya, Ju Hong, Sang Bai Pi, Shi Hu, Xing Ren and Zi Su Zi
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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