Tiān Wáng Bŭ Xīn Dān

Question 1

Actions

Answer 1

Enriches the yin, nourishes the blood, clears heat, and calms the spirit

Question 2

Indications

Answer 2

Irritability, palpitations with anxiety, fatigue, insomnia with very restless sleep, inability to think or concentrate for even short periods of time, nocturnal emissions, forgetfulness, dry stools
May also be sores of the mouth and tongue, low-grade fever, night sweats
T: red, little coating
P: thin, rapid

Question 3

Diagnostic Pattern

Answer 3

Yin deficiency of the Heart and Kidneys.

Question 4

Chief

Answer 4

shēng dì huáng: nourishes the yin, clears heat
enriches KD yin (water) –> able to control disturbance of spirit due to fire
nourishing blood

Question 5

Deputies

Answer 5

tiān mén dōng
mài mén dōng
xuán shēn
enrich the yin, clear heat from deficiency
calming the spirit

Question 6

Assistants

Answer 6

dān shēn, jiŭ xĭ dāng guī: tonify blood to nourish HT without causing stasis

băi zĭ rén, yuăn zhì: calm the spirit

rén shēn, fú líng: assist the HT qi

chăo suān zăo rén, wŭ wèi zĭ: prevent leakage of HT qi and yin fluids

together: support those functions of the Heart that have been damaged by worry, thinking, mental exertion

Question 7

Envoy

Answer 7

jié gĕng: conducts actions of other herbs upward toward upper burner, the abode of the spirit

zhū shā: anchors, alms the wayward spirit

Question 8

Cautions and Contraindications

Answer 8

Ingredients are cold and rich so use in caution with weak and deficient SP/ST.

Question 9

Method of Preparation

Answer 9

Grind the ingredients into powder and form into pills with honey. The pills were
traitionally coated with Zhu Sha, but this should not be done due to mercury toxicity. The source text advises taking 9g of the formula on an empty stomach with either boiled water or a decoction of Long Yan Rou. Today the usual dosage is 9g taken 2-3 times a
day on an empty stomach with warm water. Also prepared as a decoction with a proportionate reduction in dosage.