Wei Jing Tang
Star苇茎汤 (Reed Decoction)
Source: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang (627)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Wei Jing Tang (Reed Decoction), from the Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, is used to clear Lung heat; eliminate phlegm and discharge pus.
Presentation: lung abscess from heat-toxin; cough with foul-smelling sputum possibly streaked with blood; slight fever; mild chest pain; tongue: red with a yellow, sticky coating; pulse: slippery and rapid.
Syndrome: Syndrome of heat in the Lung.
Composition strategy:
- Demonstrates herb combinations for expelling pus from the Lung
- Highlights blood circulation in abscess healing
- Treats constrained heat of the abscess by moving blood with Tao Ren
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 111.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lu Gen
as printed: Lu Gen (Phragmitis rhizoma)
|
30g | 32.26% | Jun (Chief) | transform phlegm, discharge pus, nourish Lung fluid |
|
Yi Yi Ren
as printed: Yi Yi Ren (Coicis semen)
|
30g | 32.26% | Chen (Deputy) | dissolve damp-heat in Upper and Middle Jiao |
|
Dong Gua Zi
as printed: Dong Gua Zi (Benincasae semen)
|
24g | 25.81% | Zuo (Assistant) | large dose; eliminate phlegm and pus |
|
Tao Ren
as printed: Tao Ren (Persicae semen)
|
9g | 9.68% | Zuo (Assistant) | move blood, break congealed blood, disperse constrained heat |
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 (-1.23)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 32%, cool 58%, neutral 10%.
Taste
- sweet 79%
- bitter 5%
- bland 16%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Lung 100%
- Stomach 90%
- Large intestine 68%
- Spleen 32%
- Kidney 32%
- Small intestine 26%
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
Source: decoct wei jing in 20 cups down to 5, strain, add the rest and reduce to 2 cups; now a normal decoction. The source only says 'melon seed' (gua ban), usually read as dong gua zi.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 878.
Relationships
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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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