Yu Gong San
Star禹功散 (Yu Achievement Powder)
Source: Ru Men Shi Qin (1228)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Yu Gong San (Yu Achievement Powder), from Confucians’ Duties to Their Parents (Ru Men Shi Qin).
Actions and indications: Expel water and promote defecation, move qi and relieve edema. Indicated for the treatment of yang edema with a pattern of water retention with qi obstruction, accompanied by edema all over the body, abdominal distention and dyspneal fullness, constipation, difficulty in micturition, deep and forceful pulse; or edema of scrotum, with swelling and distention of scrotum, bearing-down pain, moist scrotum with sweating, and scanty urine
Modifications: For qi stagnation, add Radix Aucklandiae ( mu xiang ) to rectify qi; for exuberance of cold pathogen in interior, add Ramulus Cinnamomi ( gui zhi ), Pericarpium Zanthoxyli ( hua jiao ) and Fructus Evodiae ( wu zhu yu ); if kidney yang deficiency, add True Warrior Decoction ( zhen wu tang )
Cautions: Its use is cautious in pregnant women, the old and the weak
Category: Formulas that Expel Water by Purgation.
Source: Xi S, Gong Y. Essentials of Chinese Materia Medica and Medical Formulas: New Century Traditional Chinese Medicine. Academic Press/Elsevier, 2017, pp. 458–459.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Qian Niu Zi
batch quantity as printed (stock for a pill/powder/plaster preparation), not a single dose; as printed: Semen Pharbitidis (qian jiu zi) 120 g
|
120g | 80% | — | |
|
Xiao Hui Xiang
as printed: Fructus Foeniculi (xiao hui xiang) 30 g
|
30g | 20% | — |
Dui Yao — Core Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations at the heart of this formula, as recorded on the herbs' own pages — each pair has an action neither herb has alone.
Expelling water downward while warming and moving qi in the lower burner, so fluid is drained without cold stagnation remaining.
Edema and hernia-like disorders from water and qi stagnation. Qian Niu Zi is toxic, contraindicated in pregnancy and incompatible with Ba Dou (nineteen antagonisms).
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 (-1.40)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 80%, warm 20%.
Taste
- pungent 60%
- bitter 40%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Kidney 100%
- Lung 80%
- Large intestine 80%
- Stomach 20%
- Spleen 20%
- Liver 20%
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
Grind the ingredients into fine powder, take 3–6 g each time orally with appropriate amount of Succus Rhizomatis Zingiberis ( sheng jiang zhi ) at bedtime
Relationships
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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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