San Miao Wan
Star三妙丸 (Three-Marvel Pill)
Source: Yi Xue Zheng Zhuan — Yu Tian-Min (Ming, 1515)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
San Miao Wan (Three-Marvel Pill), from the Yi Xue Zheng Zhuan (True Lineage of Medicine) by Yu Tian-Min — a variation of Er Miao San.
Actions: Clears heat and dries dampness.
Presentation: Damp-heat affecting the lower half of the body: joint pain, leg numbness, burning sensations.
Composition: Er Miao San plus Chuan Niu Xi
Source: Chen JK, Chen TT. Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications: Pharmacological Effects & Clinical Research. Art of Medicine Press, 2009, p. 1190.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Huang Bai
ban (blended) with liquor and chao (dry-fried); as printed: Huang Bo (Cortex Phellodendri Chinensis) 120g [12g]
|
12g | 33.33% | — | |
|
Cang Zhu
jin (soaked) in rice water for 1-2 nights and bei (stone-baked) to dry; as printed: Cang Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis) 180g [18g]
|
18g | 50% | — | |
|
Chuan Niu Xi
as printed: Chuan Niu Xi (Radix Cyathulae) 60g [6g]
|
6g | 16.67% | guides the formula downward and tonifies Liver and Kidney |
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 (-0.17)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 33%, neutral 17%, warm 50%.
Pairs warm and cool. 50% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 33% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Taste
- pungent 25%
- sweet 8%
- bitter 67%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Liver 67%
- Stomach 50%
- Spleen 50%
- Kidney 50%
- Large intestine 33%
- Bladder 33%
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
Powder, form small flour pills (~5 mm); take 50-70 pills on an empty stomach with a decoction of salt and Sheng Jiang. Today may be decocted with bracketed doses.
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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