Zhen Wu Tang
Star真武汤 (True Warrior Decoction)
Source: Shang Han Lun — Zhang Zhong-Jing (Eastern Han, c. 220)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Zhen Wu Tang (True Warrior Decoction), from the Shang Han Lun (Discussion of Cold-Induced Disorders) by Zhang Zhong-Jing.
Actions: Warms yang and regulates water.
Presentation: 1. Spleen and Kidney yang deficiency with water accumulation: urinary difficulty, heaviness and pain of the limbs, abdominal pain, diarrhea, limb swelling and edema, no thirst, white tongue coating, deep pulse. 2. Taiyang disorder with exterior condition and fever unresolved after sweating, palpitations, vertigo and muscle twitching.
Cautions:
- For water accumulation from Spleen and Kidney yang deficiency; inappropriate when water accumulation is purely an excess condition
Pharmacological effects reported:
- Circulatory: 22 days of use reduced flow resistance and blood viscosity, increased organ perfusion and reduced cardiac workload
- Nephroprotective: beneficial in rats with chronic renal failure; in 18 patients with impaired renal function reduced urinary IgA, IgG, IgM and TF
Source: Chen JK, Chen TT. Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications: Pharmacological Effects & Clinical Research. Art of Medicine Press, 2009, p. 1135.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Zhi Fu Zi
pao (blast-fried); as printed: Fu Zi (Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata) 1 piece [9g]
|
9g | 21.43% | Jun (Chief) | warms Spleen and Kidney yang |
|
Fu Ling
as printed: Fu Ling (Poria) 9g
|
9g | 21.43% | Chen (Deputy) | strengthens the Spleen, induces urination and dispels water |
|
Sheng Jiang
as printed: Sheng Jiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens) 9g
|
9g | 21.43% | Zuo (Assistant) | helps Fu Zi warm and dispel cold and helps Fu Ling disperse water |
|
Bai Zhu
as printed: Bai Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae) 6g
|
6g | 14.29% | Zuo (Assistant) | strengthens the Spleen and dries dampness |
|
Bai Shao
as printed: Bai Shao (Radix Paeoniae Alba) 9g
|
9g | 21.43% | prevents warm acrid herbs from injuring yin and relieves abdominal pain |
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 (+0.57)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cool 21%, neutral 21%, warm 36%, hot 21%.
Taste
- pungent 32%
- sweet 29%
- sour 11%
- bitter 18%
- bland 11%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Spleen 100%
- Lung 43%
- Heart 43%
- Kidney 43%
- Stomach 36%
- Liver 21%
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
Cook in 8 cups [1,600 mL] water down to 3 cups [600 mL]; take 0.7 cup [140 mL] warm three times daily.
Relationships
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Formula family
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
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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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