Si ni tang
sheng fu zi 6 gan jiang 4.5 zhi gan cao 6
When the pulse is floating but slow, and there is fever on the surface but cold in the interior, with downpour of clear and grains, si ni tang governs.
The representative formula for shao yin yang deficiency.
Fu zi, Aconiti radix lateralis praeparata is pungent dispersing of liver blood and the ministerial fire in the san jiao. It is pungent dispersing of the heart and kidneys. It is pungent dispersing of the tai yang channels. It is pungent dispersing of excess water.
It warms the original qi of the kidneys and the gathering qi of the lungs and heart. Fu zi infuses the body with fire and promotes water metabolism through the descent of fire into the water reservoirs of the body to draw qi from the body.
Fu zi is warming and raising the yang qi of the heart, kidneys and lungs. This raises the clear qi to the 100 vessels and warms the ministerial fire in the san jiao to warm the fluids in the stomach domain.
In modern clinic fu zi is used processed starting at 15 grams.
Gan jiang, Zingiberis rhizoma, dried is warm (or hot) pungent and astringent. Gan jiang is the main herb to warm the tai yin level and treat excessive dampness by introducing yang ming dryness in tai yin dampness. Warms the interior and especially tai yin. It warms the fluids in the lungs and spleen, while assisting in dispersing cold from the body surface.
Gan jiang warms the tai yin and anchors the fu zi that is highly pungent dispersing inwards to warm shao yin and tai yin. Gan jiang anchors fu zi because gan jiang has a stagnant heat that holds fu zi internal.
Zhi gan cao, Glycyrrhizae radix prep is sweet tonifying and nourishing of all organs but especially the heart.
Zhi gan cao is sweet and mildly warm tonifying and nourishing of yin fluids. It nourishes yin fluids in the tai yin and shao yin. It calms wind in the jue yin.
It balances the pungent fu zi and gan jiang with its sweet moderation and nourishing. Zhi gan cao nourishes yin to anchor reckless yang fu zi.
Zhi gan cao is now higher than gan jiang which is very uncommon. It directly enters the heart. Zhi gan cao and fu zi warm the imperial fire of shao yin heart with the taste of sweet and pungent.