Si Yin Jian
Star四阴煎 (Four-Yin Decoction)
Source: Jing Yue Quan Shu (1624)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Si Yin Jian (Four-Yin Decoction), from Collected Treatises of [Zhang] Jing-Yue (1624).
Associated formula of Yang Yin Qing Fei Tang.
Actions: Nourishes the yin; Clears heat; Protects the Lungs; Stops coughing
Indications: Yin-deficiency consumption with blazing ministerial fire parching the yang fluids: irritability and thirst, coughing, spitting up blood, spontaneous external bleeding, and severe fever.
Pattern: Yin-deficiency consumption with blazing ministerial fire
Usage: For consumptive yin deficiency with cough, bleeding and fever; emphasizes nourishing the (yang) fluids rather than resolving throat toxin as the principal formula does.
Category: Formulas that Enrich the Yin and Moisten Dryness.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 675.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sheng Di Huang
dose printed as 6-9g; as printed: Rehmanniae Radix (sheng di huang) 6-9g
|
g | — | — | |
|
Mai Men Dong
as printed: Ophiopogonis Radix (mai men dong) 6g
|
6g | 19.05% | — | |
|
Bai Shao
as printed: Paeoniae Radix alba (bai shao) 6g
|
6g | 19.05% | — | |
|
Bai He
as printed: Lilii Bulbus (bai he) 6g
|
6g | 19.05% | — | |
|
Sha Shen
as printed: Glehniae/Adenophorae Radix (sha shen) 6g
|
6g | 19.05% | — | |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Glycyrrhizae Radix (gan cao) 3g
|
3g | 9.52% | — | |
|
Fu Ling
as printed: Poria (fu ling) 4.5g
|
4.5g | 14.29% | — |
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 (-1.33)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 57%, cool 19%, neutral 24%.
Taste
- sweet 45%
- sour 10%
- bitter 38%
- bland 7%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Lung 81%
- Spleen 62%
- Heart 62%
- Stomach 48%
- Liver 19%
- Kidney 14%
Share of the grams entering each channel, from 100% of the weighed grams.
1 herb without a dose in grams, so left out of every figure above: Sheng Di Huang.
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
Decoction, taken separately from meals.
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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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