Chinese: 白术附子汤
Pinyin: Bái Zhú Fù Zǐ Tāng
Other names: White Atractylodes and Aconite Accessory Root Decoction
Number of ingredients: 5 herbs
Formula category: Formulas that warm the middle and dispel Cold
Conditions for which it may be prescribed: ArthropathyPediatric diarrheaPost-stroke debility and one other condition
- Warms the channels
- Disperses Cold
- Strenghtens the Middle Burner
- Promotes the resolution of Dampness
Contraindications: This formula has warming and strengthening properties and should not be used... This formula has warming and strengthening properties and should not be used for hard stools caused by Heat or Yin deficiency. see more
Source date: 220 AD
Source book: Essentials of the Golden Cabinet
The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.
Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang is a 5-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula with Prepared Aconite (Zhi Fu Zi) as a principal ingredient.
Invented in 220 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that warm the middle and dispel Cold. Its main actions are: 1) warms the channels and 2) disperses Cold.
In Chinese Medicine health conditions are thought to arise due to "disharmonies" in the body as a system. These disharmonies are called "patterns" and the very purpose of herbal formulas is to fight them in order to restore the body's harmony.
In this case Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang is used by TCM practitioners to fight patterns like Wind-Cold-Damp. From a Western Medicine standpoint, such patterns can give rise to a range of conditions such as degenerative joint disease, post-stroke debility or arthropathy for instance.
On this page, after a detailed description of each of the five ingredients in Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang, we review the patterns and conditions that Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang helps treat.
The five ingredients in Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang
Zhi Fu Zi is a king ingredient in Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang. Like the name indicates, it means it has more power than other ingredients in the formula.
1. Prepared Aconite (Zhi Fu Zi)
Zhi Fu Zi has the strong nature of warming and dispersing, so that it mobilizes the Yang Qi at the gate of vitality to spread throughout the entire body to reach the Exterior, the Middle Burner, and the Intestines.
Bai Zhu is a deputy ingredient in Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang. This means it helps the king ingredient(s) treat the main pattern or it serves to treat a coexisting pattern.
2. Atractylodes Rhizomes (Bai Zhu)
Part used: Dried rhizome
Nature: Warm
Meridian affinity: SpleenStomach
Category: Tonic herbs for Qi Deficiency
Bai Zhu is warm, sweet, and bitter. It dries Dampness and augments the Qi. In combination with the acrid and warming Prepared aconite, its action is more focused on the Exterior such as the muscles and flesh. It also stops sweating so as to counterbalance the dispersing action of the key herb. Sweating is contraindicated because there is already Dryness in the Intestines.
Sheng Jiang is an assistant ingredient in Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang. This means that it either serves to reinforces the effect of other ingredients or it moderates their toxicity.
3. Fresh Ginger (Sheng Jiang)
Sheng Jiang harmonizes the Nutritive and Protective Qi, assists the Qi transformation
of the Middle Burner, and soothes the diverse actions of the formula into a single whole.
Gan Cao is an assistant ingredient in Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang. This means that it either serves to reinforces the effect of other ingredients or it moderates their toxicity.
4. Liquorice (Gan Cao)
Part used: Dried root and rhizome
Nature: Neutral
Taste(s): Sweet
Meridian affinity: HeartLungSpleenStomach
Category: Tonic herbs for Qi Deficiency
Gan Cao harmonizes the Nutritive and Protective Qi, assists the Qi transformation
of the Middle Burner, and soothes the diverse actions of the formula into a single whole.
Da Zao is an assistant ingredient in Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang. This means that it either serves to reinforces the effect of other ingredients or it moderates their toxicity.
5. Jujube Dates (Da Zao)
Part used: Dried ripe fruit
Nature: Warm
Taste(s): Sweet
Meridian affinity: SpleenStomach
Category: Tonic herbs for Qi Deficiency
Da Zao harmonizes the Nutritive and Protective Qi, assists the Qi transformation
of the Middle Burner, and soothes the diverse actions of the formula into a single whole.
Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang is used to treat Wind-Cold-Damp
It's important to remember that herbal formulas are meant to treat patterns, not "diseases" as understood in Western Medicine. According to Chinese Medicine patterns, which are disruptions to the body as a system, are the underlying root cause for diseases and conditions.
As such Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang is mostly used to treat the pattern "Wind-Cold-Damp" which we describe below.
But before we delve into Wind-Cold-Damp here is an overview of the Western conditions it is commonly associated with:
Degenerative joint disease Post-stroke debility Arthropathy Pediatric diarrhea
Again it wouldn't be correct to say "Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang treats degenerative joint disease" for instance. Rather, Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang is used to treat Wind-Cold-Damp, which is sometimes the root cause behind degenerative joint disease.
Now let's look at Wind-Cold-Damp, a pattern that TCM practitioners commonly treat with Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang.
'Cold' as a body pattern in Chinese Medicine is one of the so-called "Eight Principles". Learn more about Cold pattern in Chinese Medicine
Wind-Cold-Damp
Pulse type(s): Fine (Xi), Floating (Fu), Slowed-down (Huan)
Symptoms: No thirst Stiff body Dry stools
Bai Zhu Fu Zi Tang is sometimes prescribed by TCM practitioners to treat Wind-Cold-Damp. This pattern leads to symptoms such as stiff body, no thirst and dry stools. Patients with Wind-Cold-Damp typically exhibit fine (Xi), floating (Fu) or slowed-down (Huan) pulses.
This pattern is characterized by Yang Deficiency with a predominance of Dampness, leading to specific symptoms and signs. This pattern is not primarily due to a disorder in the Spleen, despite its association with Spleen, as indicated by the absence of nausea or diarrhea. Instead, the root lies in... read more about Wind-Cold-Damp
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