Chinese: 活人葱豉汤
Pinyin: Huó Rén Cōng Shì Tāng
Other names: Scallion and Prepared Soybean Decoction from Book to Safeguard Life
Number of ingredients: 4 herbs
Formula category: Formulas that clear early-stage Exterior disorders
Mother formula: Cong Chi Tang
Conditions for which it may be prescribed: InfluenzaCommon coldUpper respiratory tract infections
- Unblocks the Yang Qi (Defensive Qi) in the Exterior
- Induces sweating
Source date: 1108 AD
Source book: Book to Safeguard Life Arranged According to Pattern
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.
Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang is a 4-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula with Scallions (Cong Bai) as a principal ingredient.
Invented in 1108 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that clear early-stage Exterior disorders. Its main actions are: 1) unblocks the Yang Qi (Defensive Qi) in the Exterior and 2) induces sweating .
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 Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang is used by TCM practitioners to fight patterns like Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat. From a Western Medicine standpoint, such patterns can give rise to a range of conditions such as upper respiratory tract infections, common cold or influenza for instance.
On this page, after a detailed description of each of the four ingredients in Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang, we review the patterns and conditions that Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang helps treat.
The four ingredients in Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang
Cong Bai is a king ingredient in Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang. Like the name indicates, it means it has more power than other ingredients in the formula.
1. Scallions (Cong Bai)
Cong Bai Relieves the Exterior through sweating. It is a warm and acrid herb which unblocks the Yang Qi (Protective Qi) flow in the Exterior and induces sweating.
Dan Dou Chi is a deputy ingredient in Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang. This means it helps the king ingredient(s) treat the main pattern or it serves to treat a coexisting pattern.
2. Fermented Soybeans (Dan Dou Chi)
Part used: Fermented preparation obtain from the ripe bean
Nature: Cool
Dan Dou Chi releases externally-contracted pernicious influences from the Exterior and keeps Yang Qi in the Interior.
Ma Huang is a deputy ingredient in Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang. This means it helps the king ingredient(s) treat the main pattern or it serves to treat a coexisting pattern.
3. Ephedra (Ma Huang)
Ma Huang induces sweating and clears the Lungs. It is added to the original formula of Cong Shi Tang for the patients that have no chills or sweating, but have headache, neck pain, upper and lower back pain, and a tight pulse. Comparing with the original one, this daughter formula is for more severe penetration of Wind-Cold into the Exterior, especially if the disease has lasted for one or two days.
Ge Gen is a deputy ingredient in Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang. This means it helps the king ingredient(s) treat the main pattern or it serves to treat a coexisting pattern.
4. Kudzu Roots (Ge Gen)
Ge Gen induces sweating and relax muscles. It is added to the original formula of Cong Shi Tang for the patients that have no chills or sweating, but have headache, neck pain, upper and lower back pain, and a tight pulse.
Conditions and patterns for which Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang may be prescribed
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 Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang is used by TCM practitioners to treat two different patterns which we describe below.
But before we delve into these patterns here is an overview of the Western conditions they're commonly associated with:
Upper respiratory tract infections Common cold Influenza
Again it wouldn't be correct to say "Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang treats upper respiratory tract infections" for instance. Rather, Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang is used to treat patterns that are sometimes the root cause behind upper respiratory tract infections.
Now let's look at the two patterns commonly treated with Huo Ren Cong Shi 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
Pulse type(s): Tight (Jin), Floating (Fu)
Symptoms: Fever Chills Sneezing Coughing No sweat Headaches No thirst Runny nose Body aches Sore throat Blocked nose Itchy throat Aversion to cold White watery mucus Occipital headaches Occipital stiffness
Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang is sometimes prescribed by TCM practitioners to treat Wind-Cold. This pattern leads to symptoms such as aversion to cold, fever, sneezing and coughing. Patients with Wind-Cold typically exhibit tight (Jin) or floating (Fu) pulses.
This pattern is similar to Wind-Heat, but the Wind is combined with Cold rather than Heat. The shared symptoms are aversion to cold, sneezing, coughing, runny nose (with different mucus color), fever, occipital stiffness and ache. The different symptoms are the white watery mucus, no thirst, no... read more about Wind-Cold
'Heat' as a body pattern in Chinese Medicine is one of the so-called "Eight Principles". Learn more about Heat pattern in Chinese Medicine
Wind-Heat
Pulse type(s): Rapid (Shu), Floating (Fu)
Symptoms: Fever Chills Thirst Sneezing Coughing Sweating Headaches Runny nose Sore throat Yellow mucus Fear of wind Blocked nose Itchy throat Swollen tonsils Aversion to cold Occipital stiffness Occipital headaches
Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang is sometimes prescribed by TCM practitioners to treat Wind-Heat. This pattern leads to symptoms such as aversion to cold, fever, sneezing and coughing. Patients with Wind-Heat typically exhibit rapid (Shu) or floating (Fu) pulses.
Within the Four-Levels theory, Wind-Heat is the first level of invasion of External Pathogens, when it still resides in the body's Exterior.
This pattern is similar to Wind-Cold, but the Wind is together with Heat rather than Cold. The common symptoms are aversion to cold, sneezing, coughing, runny... read more about Wind-Heat
Formulas similar to Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang
Cong Chi Tang is 50% similar to Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang
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Ge Gen Tang is 29% similar to Huo Ren Cong Shi Tang
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