Xian Xiong Cheng Qi Tang
StarSource: Tong Su Shang Han Lun — Yu Gen-Chu (Qing)
Last updated October 23, 2026
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Description
Xian Xiong Cheng Qi Tang (Sinking into the Chest and Order of Qi Decoction), from Tong Su Shang Han Lun.
Actions: Scour phlegm, open the chest, drain heat, and unblock the bowel.
Indications: Yang Ming excess heat with phlegm fire accumulating and binding in the chest. Symptoms include focal distention and pain at the chest and diaphragm, coma or delirious speech in severe cases, abdominal fullness, constipation, and yellow burned tongue coating with slippery and rapid pulse.
Source: Liu C, Tseng A, with Yang S. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Modern Applications of Traditional Formulas. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2005, p. 135.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gua Lou Ren
as printed: Gua Lou Ren (crushed slightly) 20 g
|
20g | 37.74% | — | |
|
Zhi Shi
as printed: Zhi Shi 5 g
|
5g | 9.43% | — | |
|
Ban Xia
as printed: Ban Xia 10 g
|
10g | 18.87% | — | |
|
Huang Lian
as printed: Huang Lian 3 g
|
3g | 5.66% | — | |
|
Da Huang
as printed: Sheng Da Huang 10 g
|
10g | 18.87% | — | |
|
Mang Xiao
as printed: Mang Xiao 5 g
|
5g | 9.43% | — |
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 (-1.34)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 72%, cool 9%, warm 19%.
Small but decisive: Huang Lian 3g (cold, 6% of the grams), Mang Xiao 5g (cold, 9% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 22%
- sweet 38%
- sour 3%
- bitter 32%
- salty 5%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Stomach 100%
- Large intestine 81%
- Lung 57%
- Spleen 53%
- Liver 25%
- Pericardium 19%
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
Decoction.
Click a node for details · double-click to expand it · Ctrl/⌘ + scroll or two fingers to zoom and pan.
Formula family
Full equations
- This formula = Da Huang Huang Lian Xie Xin Tang + Bai Hu Cheng Qi Tang + Ban Xia, Gua Lou Ren and Zhi Shi. Relative doses differ by up to about 1.7× from the catalogue's Da Huang Huang Lian Xie Xin Tang.
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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