Xi Di Tou Ying Tang
Star犀地透营汤 (Rhinoceros Horn and Rhemannia Decoction for Venting the Nutritive Level)
Source: Selected Formulas for Warm-Heat Pathogen Diseases (c. 1900)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Xi Di Tou Ying Tang (Rhinoceros Horn and Rhemannia Decoction for Venting the Nutritive Level), from Selected Formulas for Warm-Heat Pathogen Diseases (c. 1900).
Associated formula of Qing Ying Tang.
Indications: Burning fever without sweating, physical and mental irritability, restlessness worse at night, transient delirious speech, eyes kept open or closed, bloodshot eyes in severe cases; tongue with a white coating at the front but crimson at the root, or a thin white coating on a red body; pulse rapid at the left distal position and submerged and rapid at the right distal position; cold extremities in severe cases
Pattern: Wind-warmth sinking inward: early nutritive-level disorder between the protective and nutritive levels
Usage: Vents early nutritive-level heat via the protective qi by unblocking the upper burner qi dynamic, without bitter-cold draining herbs.
Category: Formulas that Clear Nutritive-Level Heat and Cool the Blood.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 163.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shui Niu Jiao
dose printed as 30-120g; modern substitute for rhinoceros horn (xi jiao); as printed: Bubali Cornu (shui niu jiao) 30-120g
|
g | — | — | |
|
Sheng Di Huang
as printed: Rehmanniae Radix recens (xian di huang) 12g
|
12g | 11.94% | — | |
|
Dan Dou Chi
as printed: Sojae Semen praeparatum (dan dou chi) 6g
|
6g | 5.97% | — | |
|
Mu Dan Pi
as printed: Moutan Cortex (mu dan pi) 6g
|
6g | 5.97% | — | |
|
Lian Qiao
as printed: Forsythiae Fructus (lian qiao) 9g
|
9g | 8.96% | — | |
|
Zhi Zi
as printed: Gardeniae Fructus (zhi zi) 6g
|
6g | 5.97% | — | |
|
Lu Gen
as printed: Phragmitis Rhizoma (lu gen) 60g
|
60g | 59.7% | — | |
|
Deng Xin Cao
as printed: Junci Medulla (deng xin cao) 1.5g
|
1.5g | 1.49% | — |
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 (-1.78)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 78%, cool 22%.
Small but decisive: Zhi Zi 6g (cold, 6% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 5%
- sweet 68%
- bitter 26%
- bland 1%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Lung 82%
- Stomach 66%
- Heart 34%
- Kidney 18%
- Liver 18%
- Small intestine 10%
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: Shui Niu Jiao.
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. Source specifies 2.4g of Rhinocerotis Cornu; decoct lu gen and deng xin cao first and use their strained liquid to cook the rest.
Relationships
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Formula family
Full herb lists
- This formula = Zhi Zi Chi Tang + Deng Xin Cao, Lian Qiao, Lu Gen, Mu Dan Pi, Sheng Di Huang and Shui Niu Jiao
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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