Xie Huang San
Star泻黄散 (Drain the Yellow Powder)
Source: Xiao Er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue (1119)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Xie Huang San (Drain the Yellow Powder), from the Xiao Er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue, is used to drain smoldering fire in the Spleen caused by dampness accumulation.
Presentation: mouth ulcers with foul breath; frequent thirst and hunger; dry mouth and lips; tongue: red with a yellow, sticky coating; pulse: rapid.
Syndrome: Syndrome of damp-heat in the Spleen and Large Intestine.
Composition strategy:
- Dilemma: cold herbs for heat injure Spleen-Yang and add dampness; pungent-warm herbs for dampness add heat — the formula separates and removes both without side effects
- Fang Feng is used not to release the exterior but to disperse and ascend constrained Qi and smoldering Spleen heat
- Combining descending and ascending herbs activates Qi to reduce heat and dampness
- Honey and alcohol processing (dry-frying) moderates the aromatic/pungent herbs for steady action; alcohol enhances dispersal — both act as assistants
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 106.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fang Feng
as printed: Fang Feng (Saposhnikoviae radix)
|
120g | 47.62% | Jun (Chief) | large dose; disperse and ascend constrained Qi and smoldering fire, eliminate Spleen dampness |
|
Shi Gao
as printed: Shi Gao (Gypsum)
|
15g | 5.95% | Chen (Deputy) | clear and disperse smoldering fire |
|
Zhi Zi
as printed: Zhi Zi (Gardeniae fructus)
|
6g | 2.38% | Chen (Deputy) | clear and disperse heat |
|
Chinese giant-hyssop
as printed: Huo Xiang (Agastachis herba)
|
21g | 8.33% | Zuo (Assistant) | aromatic; revive Spleen, eliminate dampness, assist Fang Feng |
|
Gan Cao
assistant and envoy; as printed: Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae radix)
|
90g | 35.71% | Zuo (Assistant) | tonify Spleen, slow pungent herbs, harmonize |
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 slightly warm (+0.34)
From 92% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 9%, neutral 39%, warm 52%.
Small but decisive: Shi Gao 15g (cold, 7% of the grams), Zhi Zi 6g (cold, 3% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 29%
- sweet 68%
- bitter 3%
From 92% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Spleen 91%
- Liver 52%
- Lung 48%
- Stomach 46%
- Heart 42%
Share of the grams entering each channel, from 92% of the weighed grams.
1 herb not profiled (no recorded temperature, taste or channels): Chinese giant-hyssop.
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
Herbs are honey- and alcohol-processed (dry-fried) before use.
Relationships
Full-screen graph →Click a node for details · double-click to expand it · Ctrl/⌘ + scroll or two fingers to zoom and pan.
Formula family
Full herb lists
- Qu Feng Zhi Bao Dan = this formula without Chinese giant-hyssop + Fang Feng Tong Sheng San + Xi Gan 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.
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.
📝 Notes
Public notes from the community and your own private notes on Xie Huang San.
No notes yet.