Chinese: 咳血方
Pinyin: Ké Xiě Fāng
Other names: Coughing of Blood Formula, Ke Xue Fang
Number of ingredients: 5 herbs
Formula category: Formulas that stop bleeding
Conditions for which it may be prescribed: BronchiectasisPulmonary tuberculosis
- Clears Fire
- Transforms Phlegm
- Preserves the Lungs
- Stops coughing and bleeding
Contraindications: This formula should not be given to patients with Spleen Deficiency or Lung and... This formula should not be given to patients with Spleen Deficiency or Lung and Kidney Yin Deficiency. see more
Source date: 1481 AD
Source book: Essential Teachings of [Zhu] Dan-Xi
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.
Ke Xie Fang is a 5-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula with Natural Indigo (Qing Dai) and Cape Jasmine Fruits (Zhi Zi) as principal ingredients.
Invented in 1481 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that stop bleeding. Its main actions are: 1) clears Fire and 2) transforms Phlegm.
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 Ke Xie Fang is used by TCM practitioners to fight patterns like Liver Fire insulting the Lungs. From a Western Medicine standpoint, such patterns can give rise to a range of conditions such as pulmonary tuberculosis or bronchiectasis for instance.
On this page, after a detailed description of each of the five ingredients in Ke Xie Fang, we review the patterns and conditions that Ke Xie Fang helps treat.
The five ingredients in Ke Xie Fang
Qing Dai is a king ingredient in Ke Xie Fang. Like the name indicates, it means it has more power than other ingredients in the formula.
1. Natural Indigo (Qing Dai)
Part used: Dried powder or mass prepared from the leaf and/or the stem
Nature: Cold
Taste(s): Salty
Qing Dai is salty and cold. It clears the Liver, drain Fire, and cool the Blood. It also disperses the Fire from Stagnation and thereby prevents Liver Fire from scorching the Heart and Lungs.
Zhi Zi is a king ingredient in Ke Xie Fang. Like the name indicates, it means it has more power than other ingredients in the formula.
2. Cape Jasmine Fruits (Zhi Zi)
Part used: Dried ripe fruit
Nature: Cold
Taste(s): Bitter
Meridian affinity: GallbladderHeartLungSanjiao
Category: Herbs that clear Heat and purge Fire and/or clear Summer Heat
Zhi Zi is bitter and cold. It clears the Liver, drain Fire, and cool the Blood. To stop bleeding of this type, it is advisable to direct the Qi downward, since the Blood will follow the Qi. Cape jasmine fruit also descends Qi, thereby clearing Heat from the Heart and relieving the irritability.
Gua Lou Ren is a deputy ingredient in Ke Xie Fang. This means it helps the king ingredient(s) treat the main pattern or it serves to treat a coexisting pattern.
3. Snake Gourd Seeds (Gua Lou Ren)
Part used: The seeds, dried
Nature: Cold
Taste(s): Sweet
Meridian affinity: StomachLarge intestineLung
Gua Lou Ren is sweet and cold. It cools and transforms the hot Phlegm and reduce the Fire. Compare with the other deputy Costazia skeleton, it focuses more on moistening the Lungs and stopping coughing.
Fu Hai Shi is a deputy ingredient in Ke Xie Fang. This means it helps the king ingredient(s) treat the main pattern or it serves to treat a coexisting pattern.
4. Costazia Skeletons (Fu Hai Shi)
Fu Hai Shi is sweet and cold. It cools and transforms the hot Phlegm and reduce the Fire. Compare with the other deputy Snake gourd seeds, it focus more on softening what is hard.
He Zi is an assistant ingredient in Ke Xie Fang. This means that it either serves to reinforces the effect of other ingredients or it moderates their toxicity.
5. Terminalia Fruits (He Zi)
Part used: Dry ripe fruits
Nature: Neutral
Meridian affinity: StomachLarge intestineLung
Category: Herbs that stabilize and bind
He Zi is bitter, sour, astringent, and neutral. It cools the Lungs while containing
any leakage of Lung Qi and stopping the coughing.
Ke Xie Fang is used to treat Liver Fire insulting the Lungs
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 Ke Xie Fang is mostly used to treat the pattern "Liver Fire insulting the Lungs" which we describe below.
But before we delve into Liver Fire insulting the Lungs here is an overview of the Western conditions it is commonly associated with:
Pulmonary tuberculosis Bronchiectasis
Again it wouldn't be correct to say "Ke Xie Fang treats pulmonary tuberculosis" for instance. Rather, Ke Xie Fang is used to treat Liver Fire insulting the Lungs, which is sometimes the root cause behind pulmonary tuberculosis.
Now let's look at Liver Fire insulting the Lungs, a pattern that TCM practitioners commonly treat with Ke Xie Fang.
The Liver is a so-called "Zang" Organ. Learn more about the Liver in Chinese Medicine
Liver Fire insulting the Lungs
Pulse type(s): Wiry (Xian)
Symptoms: Asthma Thirst Red face Headaches Dizziness Constipation Breathlessness Bloodshot eyes Scanty and dark urine Bitter taste in the mouth Cough with yellow or blood-tinged sputum Distention and pain in the chest and hypochondria
Ke Xie Fang is sometimes prescribed by TCM practitioners to treat Liver Fire insulting the Lungs. This pattern leads to symptoms such as breathlessness, asthma, distention and pain in the chest and hypochondria and cough with yellow or blood-tinged sputum. Patients with Liver Fire insulting the Lungs typically exhibit wiry (Xian) pulses.
The Liver ensures the smooth flow of Qi, which includes the normal descending of Lung Qi.
Liver-Qi Stagnation, which is necessary for this pattern to develop, causes the feeling of distension of the chest and hypochondrium. If it persists over a long period of time, it can turn into Liver... read more about Liver Fire insulting the Lungs
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