Tong Guan San
Star通关散 (Open the Gate Powder)
Source: Important Formulas Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces (650)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Tong Guan San (Open the Gate Powder), from Important Formulas Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces (650).
Actions: Unblocks the gate (jaw); Opens the sensory orifices
Indications: Sudden collapse, loss of consciousness, clenched jaw, extreme difficulty in breathing, a pale, ashen complexion, and obstruction by abundant phlegm and spittle.
Pattern: Phlegm collapse / noxious-stroke: excess cold closed disorder with turbid phlegm
Composition note: No individual doses printed; equal portions of the ingredients.
Cautions:
- Contraindicated in pregnancy and abandoned-type loss of consciousness
- Contraindicated for loss of consciousness from hypertensive crisis, cerebral hemorrhage or head trauma
- Emergency use only; stop once sneezing or consciousness returns
Modifications:
- To increase orifice-opening effect: add Moschus (she xiang) and Menthae haplocalycis Herba (bo he)
- Excessive sputum and saliva: add Alumen (ming fan)
- To revive more quickly: combine with acupuncture at GV-26 (shui gou) and LI-4 (he gu)
Commentary: Insufflated to induce sneezing, which disseminates Lung qi and reopens the orifices as an emergency measure; treat the underlying pattern afterward. Originally used for those who had hanged themselves.
Category: Formulas that Warm and Open the Sensory Orifices.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 500.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Zhu Ya Zao
role: no chief/deputy terms used in the Analysis; as printed: Gleditsiae Fructus abnormalis (zhu ya zao)
|
g | — | Irritates the nose to induce sneezing; scours phlegm, opens orifices | |
|
Xi Xin
role: no chief/deputy terms used in the Analysis; as printed: Asari Herba (xi xin)
|
g | — | Unblocks the channels and especially the nose |
Dui Yao — Core Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations at the heart of this formula, as recorded on the herbs' own pages — each pair has an action neither herb has alone.
Preparation
Grind equal portions to powder and blow a very small amount into the nose, avoiding inhalation into the lungs.
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Formula family
Full herb lists
- Gui She San = this formula + Ding Gui San + Ban Xia, Bing Pian, Ma Huang, She Xiang and Tian Nan Xing
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
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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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