San Huang Shi Gao Tang
Star三黄石膏汤 (Three-Yellow and Gypsum Decoction)
Source: Wai Ke Zheng Zhi Zhun Sheng — Wang Ken-Tang (Ming, 1602)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
San Huang Shi Gao Tang (Three-Yellow and Gypsum Decoction), from the Wai Ke Zheng Zhi Zhun Sheng (Standards of Patterns and Treatments in External Medicine) by Wang Ken-Tang.
Actions: Clears heat and eliminates toxins.
Presentation: Interior heat and toxins: delirium, incoherent speech, irritability, thirst, constipation, and dysuria.
Note: the book also describes a formula of the same name from Shang Han Liu Shu (p. 362). This record follows the Wai Ke Zheng Zhi Zhun Sheng version.
Source: Chen JK, Chen TT. Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications: Pharmacological Effects & Clinical Research. Art of Medicine Press, 2009, p. 361, 362.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Huang Qin
as printed: Huang Qin (Radix Scutellariae) 4.5g
|
4.5g | 12.82% | Clears heat and toxins from the upper jiao | |
|
Huang Lian
as printed: Huang Lian (Rhizoma Coptidis) 6g
|
6g | 17.09% | Clears heat and toxins from the middle jiao | |
|
Huang Bai
as printed: Huang Bo (Cortex Phellodendri Chinensis) 3g
|
3g | 8.55% | Clears heat and toxins from the lower jiao | |
|
Zhi Zi
as printed: Zhi Zi (Fructus Gardeniae) 3g
|
3g | 8.55% | Ensures heat and toxins are cleared from all three jiaos | |
|
Shi Gao
as printed: Shi Gao (Gypsum Fibrosum) 9g
|
9g | 25.64% | Clears heat and promotes fluid generation | |
|
Zhi Mu
as printed: Zhi Mu (Rhizoma Anemarrhenae) 4.5g
|
4.5g | 12.82% | Clears heat and promotes fluid generation | |
|
Xuan Shen
as printed: Xuan Shen (Radix Scrophulariae) 3g
|
3g | 8.55% | Clears deficiency heat from the ying and xue levels | |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Gan Cao (Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae) 2.1g
|
2.1g | 5.98% | 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 cold (-1.79)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 86%, cool 9%, neutral 6%.
Small but decisive: Huang Bai 3g (cold, 9% of the grams), Zhi Zi 3g (cold, 9% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 13%
- sweet 28%
- bitter 56%
- salty 3%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Stomach 83%
- Lung 74%
- Heart 44%
- Large intestine 39%
- Spleen 36%
- Kidney 30%
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
Prepare as a decoction.
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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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