Ren Shen Gu Ben Wan
StarSource: Gu Fang Ba Zhen
Last updated October 23, 2026
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Description
Ren Shen Gu Ben Wan (Ginseng Pill to Reserve the Source), from Gu Fang Ba Zhen.
Actions: Sweet and cold to nourish Yin, and stop cough.
Indications: Lung and Kidney Yin deficiency, deficient fire scorching Lung. Symptoms include cough without phlegm, hemoptysis, red tongue, scanty tongue coating, dry throat or sore throat, and thin, rapid pulse.
Source: Liu C, Tseng A, with Yang S. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Modern Applications of Traditional Formulas. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2005, p. 314.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ren Shen
as printed: Ren Shen 60 g
|
60g | 11.11% | — | |
|
Mai Men Dong
as printed: Mai Men Dong 120 g
|
120g | 22.22% | — | |
|
Tian Men Dong
as printed: Tian Men Dong 120 g
|
120g | 22.22% | — | |
|
Sheng Di Huang
as printed: Sheng Di Huang 120 g
|
120g | 22.22% | — | |
|
Shu Di Huang
as printed: Shu Di Huang 120 g
|
120g | 22.22% | — |
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 cool (-1.00)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 67%, warm 33%.
Pairs warm and cool. 33% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 67% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Taste
- sweet 61%
- bitter 39%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Kidney 78%
- Lung 56%
- Heart 56%
- Liver 44%
- Spleen 33%
- Stomach 22%
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 into fine powder and mix with honey to form pills. Take 6 g, twice a day.
Conditions Addressed
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Formula family
Full equations
- Shi Hu Ye Guang Wan = this formula + Sheng Mai San + Chuan Xiong, Fang Feng, Fu Ling, Gan Cao, Gou Qi Zi, Huang Lian, Ji Li, Ju Hua, Jue Ming Zi, Ling Yang Jiao, Niu Xi, Qing Xiang Zi, Rou Cong Rong, Shan Yao, Shi Hu, Tu Si Zi, Xi Jiao, Xing Ren and Zhi Ke. Proportions not compared: no dose entered for Mai Men Dong, Ren Shen, Sheng Di Huang, Shu Di Huang and Tian Men Dong.
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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