Huang Lian Jie Du Tang黄连解毒汤

Coptis Decoction to Relieve Toxicity (Coptis & Scute Combination)

Clearing Heat 清热剂Clear Heat and Resolve Toxicity 清热解毒

Ingredients4 herbs

HerbDosageRoleWhat it does in this formula

黄Huang Lian黄连Coptidis Rhizoma9g君 ChiefDrains Heart fire and empties heat from the middle burner 黄Huang Qin黄芩Scutellariae Radix6g臣 DeputyClears heat from the upper burner and the Lung 黄Huang Bo黄柏Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex6g佐 AssistantDrains fire from the lower burner 栀Zhi Zi栀子擘Gardeniae Fructus9g佐 AssistantDrains fire through all three burners and leads the heat out with the urine

Indications

Drains fire and relieves toxicityClears heat from all three burners

Fire-toxin flooding the three burners: a pure excess-heat pattern with no deficiency component — fever, restlessness, a dry mouth, red tongue with yellow coating and a forceful rapid pulse.

Clinical Manifestations

High fever with irritability progressing to delirium
Bleeding driven by reckless heat — nosebleed, blood in vomit
Hot swollen sores, boils and carbuncles
Dysenteric diarrhea with heat
Agitation and insomnia from blazing fire

TongueRed with a dry yellow coating

PulseRapid and forceful

Health Categories

Digestive HealthSkin HealthImmune SupportCold & Flu Relief

Modern Applications

Sepsis-pattern high fever Cellulitis Furuncles and abscesses Bacterial dysentery Epistaxis Acute eczema

Common adjustments

Constipation with the fire pattern — add Da Huang 大黄 so the heat has an outlet below
Bleeding prominent — add blood-cooling herbs such as Sheng Di Huang 生地黄 and Mu Dan Pi 牡丹皮
Damp-heat jaundice — add Yin Chen 茵陈
Sores and toxic swelling predominant — add Jin Yin Hua 金银花 and Lian Qiao 连翘

Contraindications

Severely bitter and cold: it injures the Spleen and stomach and consumes fluids, so it is used briefly and only where the fire is genuinely excess. Not for deficiency heat, not for a patient whose digestion is already weak or whose yin is depleted, and not continued once the fever has broken.

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

Pregnancy

Not used in pregnancy except briefly for a clear excess-heat emergency under close practitioner supervision — the concentrated bitter cold readily injures the Spleen and the fluids.

Related Formulas

References

Source 方出《肘后备急方》，名见《外台秘要》引崔氏方 · Tang dynasty

「……苦烦闷干呕，口燥呻吟，错语不得卧，余思作此黄连解毒汤方。」
— 《外台秘要》引崔氏方 (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.