Bai Hu Tang白虎汤

White Tiger Decoction

Clearing Heat 清热剂Clear Qi-Level Heat 清气分热

Ingredients4 herbs

HerbDosageRoleWhat it does in this formula

石Shi Gao石膏碎Gypsum Fibrosum50g君 ChiefAcrid, sweet and very cold — clears blazing heat from Lung and Stomach without binding it in 知Zhi Mu知母Anemarrhenae Rhizoma18g臣 DeputyDrains fire and, unlike Shi Gao, also moistens what the fire has dried 甘Zhi Gan Cao甘草炙Glycyrrhizae Radix Praeparata6g佐使 Assistant–EnvoyHarmonises, guards the middle burner and moderates the cold herbs

粳Geng Mi粳米Oryzae Semen9g佐 AssistantProtects the Stomach from so much cold and helps generate fluids

Indications

Clears heat from the qi levelDrains Stomach and Lung fireGenerates fluids and stops thirst

Blazing heat in the qi level: pathogenic heat has passed the exterior but has not congealed into a bowel excess, so it spreads through the whole qi level and scorches the fluids. The strategy is to clear, not to purge — there is nothing solid to move.

Clinical Manifestations

High fever with profuse sweating and aversion to heat
Intense thirst for cold drinks
Red face, irritability, headache with heat
Febrile stage of infectious illness with a flooding pulse
Heat-type toothache and gum swelling with Stomach fire

TongueRed with a dry yellow coating

PulseFlooding and forceful

Health Categories

Respiratory HealthHeart & CirculationCold & Flu Relief

Modern Applications

High fever Influenza Pneumonia Heat stroke Dehydration Gingivitis

Common adjustments

Fluids and qi both exhausted (background weakness, faint flooding pulse) — add Ren Shen 人参 — Bai Hu Jia Ren Shen Tang 白虎加人参汤
Joint heat and pain with the fever — add Gui Zhi 桂枝 — Bai Hu Jia Gui Zhi Tang 白虎加桂枝汤
Damp-warmth with a greasy coating and chest fullness — add Cang Zhu 苍术 — Bai Hu Jia Cang Zhu Tang 白虎加苍术汤
Stools blocked, abdomen full and tender — the pattern has become a bowel excess — switch to a Cheng Qi purgative strategy

Contraindications

Not for fever with an unresolved exterior (no sweating, floating pulse, aversion to cold), not for the flooding-but-empty pulse of blood deficiency, and not for true-cold-false-heat where the limbs are cold and the person wants warm drinks. Spleen and Stomach yang deficiency with loose stools tolerates it poorly.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.

Pregnancy

Use in pregnancy only under practitioner supervision — the formula is markedly cold and easily injures Spleen and Stomach yang; it is reserved for genuine high-grade qi-level heat and stopped as soon as the fever breaks.

Related Formulas

References

Source Shang Han Lun 《伤寒论》 · Eastern Han

「伤寒脉滑而厥者，里有热，白虎汤主之。」
— 《伤寒论》(classical source, public domain)

Classical source (public domain), cited in the source-quote section.
2. Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. — composition & dosage cross-checked.
3. 《方剂学》（全国中医药行业高等教育规划教材）— pattern analysis cross-checked.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.