Zi Sheng Wan
Star资生丸 (Nourish Life Pill)
Source: Xian Xing Zhai Yi Xue Guang Bi Ji — Miao Xi-Yong (Ming, 1613)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Zi Sheng Wan (Nourish Life Pill), from the Xian Xing Zhai Yi Xue Guang Bi Ji (Wide-Ranging Medical Notes from the First-Awakened Studio) by Miao Xi-Yong — a variation of Jian Pi Wan.
Actions: Strengthens the Spleen; Reduces food stagnation; Increases appetite; Stops diarrhea.
Presentation: Spleen deficiency with lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea; first-trimester yangming deficiency with an unstable fetus; children with low energy, fatigue, loose stools, and poor appetite.
Composition: Pill-batch quantities; no bracketed modern doses.
Source: Chen JK, Chen TT. Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications: Pharmacological Effects & Clinical Research. Art of Medicine Press, 2009, p. 1278.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bai Zhu
as printed: Bai Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae) 90g
|
90g | 13.35% | — | |
|
Ren Shen
as printed: Ren Shen (Radix et Rhizoma Ginseng) 90g
|
90g | 13.35% | — | |
|
Yi Yi Ren
as printed: Yi Yi Ren (Semen Coicis) 45g
|
45g | 6.68% | — | |
|
Fu Ling
as printed: Fu Ling (Poria) 45g
|
45g | 6.68% | — | |
|
Shan Zha
as printed: Shan Zha (Fructus Crataegi) 60g
|
60g | 8.9% | — | |
|
Ju Hong
as printed: Ju Hong (Exocarpium Citri Reticulatae) 60g
|
60g | 8.9% | — | |
|
Huang Lian
as printed: Huang Lian (Rhizoma Coptidis) 9g
|
9g | 1.34% | — | |
|
Bai Dou Kou
as printed: Dou Kou (Fructus Amomi Rotundus) 10g
|
10g | 1.48% | — | |
|
Ze Xie
as printed: Ze Xie (Rhizoma Alismatis) 10g
|
10g | 1.48% | — | |
|
Jie Geng
as printed: Jie Geng (Radix Platycodonis) 15g
|
15g | 2.23% | — | |
|
Chinese giant-hyssop
leaf; as printed: Huo Xiang Ye (Folium Agastaches) 15g
|
15g | 2.23% | — | |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Zhi Gan Cao (Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae Praeparata cum Melle) 15g
|
15g | 2.23% | — | |
|
Bai Bian Dou
as printed: Bai Bian Dou (Semen Lablab Album) 45g
|
45g | 6.68% | — | |
|
Lian Zi
as printed: Lian Zi (Semen Nelumbinis) 45g
|
45g | 6.68% | — | |
|
Shan Yao
chao (dry-fried); as printed: Shan Yao, chao (dry-fried) (Rhizoma Dioscoreae) 45g
|
45g | 6.68% | — | |
|
Qian Shi
chao (dry-fried); as printed: Qian Shi, chao (dry-fried) (Semen Euryales) 45g
|
45g | 6.68% | — | |
|
Mai Ya
chao (dry-fried); as printed: Mai Ya, chao (dry-fried) (Fructus Hordei Germinatus) 30g
|
30g | 4.45% | — |
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 (+0.41)
From 98% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cold 3%, cool 7%, neutral 36%, warm 54%.
Small but decisive: Huang Lian 9g (cold, 1% of the grams), Ze Xie 10g (cold, 2% of the grams). Dose weighting nearly cancels a herb this small, but it may be what the formula is for.
Taste
- pungent 7%
- sweet 60%
- sour 5%
- bitter 21%
- bland 8%
From 98% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Spleen 96%
- Lung 49%
- Kidney 49%
- Stomach 46%
- Heart 31%
- Liver 15%
Share of the grams entering each channel, from 98% 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
Source text: fine powder formed into honey pills; chew and swallow 1 pill [6g] with boiled water, rice soup, or a decoction of Chen Pi or dry-fried Sha Ren. Avoid peaches, plums, clams, and raw or cold foods.
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Formula family
Full herb lists
- This formula = Shen Ling Bai Zhu San without Sha Ren + Ze Xie Tang + Bai Dou Kou, Chinese giant-hyssop, Huang Lian, Ju Hong, Mai Ya, Qian Shi and Shan Zha
- This formula = Si Jun Zi Tang + Shen Ling Bai Zhu San + Ze Xie Tang + Bai Dou Kou, Chinese giant-hyssop, Huang Lian, Ju Hong, Mai Ya, Qian Shi and Shan Zha
- This formula = Jie Geng Tang + Shen Ling Bai Zhu San + Ze Xie Tang + Bai Dou Kou, Chinese giant-hyssop, Huang Lian, Ju Hong, Mai Ya, Qian Shi and Shan Zha
- This formula = Ze Xie Tang + Shen Ling Bai Zhu San + Bai Dou Kou, Chinese giant-hyssop, Huang Lian, Ju Hong, Mai Ya, Qian Shi and Shan Zha
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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