Xi Gan San
Star洗肝散 (Liver-Washing Powder)
Source: Formulary of the Pharmacy Service for Benefiting the People in the Taiping Era (1107)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Xi Gan San (Liver-Washing Powder), from Formulary of the Pharmacy Service for Benefiting the People in the Taiping Era (1107).
Associated formula of Xie Qing Wan.
Actions: Dredges wind; Disperses heat; Clears the Liver; Drains fire
Usage: For red, swollen, painful eyes from ascending wind-heat, with tearing, eye screens, blurred vision, constipation, dark urine, strong wiry pulse.
Category: Formulas that Clear Heat from the Organs.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 203.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dang Gui
(6-8g); as printed: Angelicae sinensis Radix (dang gui) 60g (6-8g)
|
60g | 12.5% | — | |
|
Bo He
(6-8g—add at end); as printed: Menthae haplocalycis Herba (bo he) 60g (6-8g—add at end)
|
60g | 12.5% | — | |
|
Qiang Huo
(6-8g); as printed: Notopterygii Rhizoma seu Radix (qiang huo) 60g (6-8g)
|
60g | 12.5% | — | |
|
Fang Feng
(6-10g); as printed: Saposhnikoviae Radix (fang feng) 60g (6-10g)
|
60g | 12.5% | — | |
|
Zhi Zi
(6-10g); as printed: Gardeniae Fructus (zhi zi) 60g (6-10g)
|
60g | 12.5% | — | |
|
Da Huang
(4-8g—add at end); as printed: Rhei Radix et Rhizoma (da huang) 60g (4-8g—add at end)
|
60g | 12.5% | — | |
|
Gan Cao
(4-8g); as printed: Glycyrrhizae Radix preparata (zhi gan cao) 60g (4-8g)
|
60g | 12.5% | — | |
|
Chuan Xiong
(4-8g); as printed: Chuanxiong Rhizoma (chuan xiong) 60g (4-8g)
|
60g | 12.5% | — |
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 (-0.13)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 25%, cool 13%, neutral 13%, warm 50%.
Pairs warm and cool. 50% of the weighed grams are warm or hot and 38% cool or cold — the net is their average, not the whole story.
Taste
- pungent 44%
- sweet 25%
- bitter 31%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Liver 63%
- Spleen 50%
- Lung 38%
- Heart 38%
- Stomach 25%
- Pericardium 25%
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
Fine powder, 6g per dose with cool water after meals; parenthesized amounts are the editors' decoction suggestions.
Relationships
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Formula family
Full herb lists
- This formula = Da Huang Gan Cao Tang + Bo He, Chuan Xiong, Dang Gui, Fang Feng, Qiang Huo and Zhi Zi
Full herb lists
- Jia Wei Xiu Gan San = this formula + Wu Lin San + Huang Qin, Ji Li, Jing Jie, Ju Hua, Lian Qiao, Ma Huang, Mu Zei and Sang Piao Xiao
- Qu Feng Zhi Bao Dan = this formula + Fang Feng Tong Sheng San + Wen Qing Yin + Du Huo, Quan Xie, Ren Shen, Tian Ma and Xi Xin
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.
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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