Er Shen Wan二神丸
Two-Miracle Pill
Ingredients4 herbs
Indications
Spleen and Kidney yang deficiency with chronic diarrhoea: the Kidney's fire no longer warms the Spleen, so food is not transformed and the stool stays loose. Appetite loss is as prominent as the diarrhoea.
Clinical Manifestations
- Chronic loose stools from cold in the Spleen and Kidney
- No appetite, no interest in food
- Undigested food in the stool
- Cold abdomen with dull discomfort
- Early-morning loose stool without severe cramping
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Cramping abdominal pain and daybreak urgency — add Wu Zhu Yu 吴茱萸 and Wu Wei Zi 五味子 — this is Si Shen Wan 四神丸
- Qi deficiency with fatigue and prolapse — add Dang Shen 党参, Bai Zhu 白术 and Huang Qi 黄芪
- Loss uncontrolled — add Chi Shi Zhi 赤石脂 or He Zi 诃子 to bind more firmly
Contraindications
Not for diarrhoea with damp-heat, food stagnation or an acute infection — warming a hot, foul, urgent stool makes it worse. Persistent change in bowel habit in an adult should be investigated before it is treated as a deficiency pattern.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
Used with caution in pregnancy and only on practitioner advice — Bu Gu Zhi is strongly warming and there is little classical guidance on its use during pregnancy.
References
Source Pu Ji Ben Shi Fang 《普济本事方》 · Southern Song
- Classical source as cited above (public domain).
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）— listed as an appended formula to Si Shen Wan.
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.