Niu Bang Jie Ji Tang牛蒡解肌汤
Burdock Decoction to Release the Flesh
Ingredients9 herbs
Indications
Wind-heat with phlegm-fire attacking the head and neck: the swelling is red, hot and painful, and the exterior sign — chills, fever, headache — is still present, marking the pattern as early and superficial rather than deep and suppurated.
Clinical Manifestations
- Early abscess or boil of the head, face or neck with fever and chills
- Swollen, painful nodes at the side of the neck or in front of the ear
- Dental abscess or gum swelling of the wind-heat type, alongside dental care
- Sore throat with tender neck swelling
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Marked toxin with intense redness — add Jin Yin Hua 金银花 and Pu Gong Ying 蒲公英
- Hard nodes that will not soften — add Zhe Bei Mu 浙贝母 and Xuan Shen 玄参 in larger dose
- Severe sore throat — add Jie Geng 桔梗 and Ma Bo 马勃
- Constipation with heat — add a small amount of Da Huang 大黄 to give the heat a way down
Contraindications
Not for the yin-type swelling that is flat, pale and cold, nor for a sore that has already suppurated and needs draining rather than dispersing — dispersing a formed abscess wastes time the patient may not have. The cold, bitter and enriching herbs (Zhi Zi, Xuan Shen, Shi Hu) burden a weak, cold digestion and can cause loose stool. Bo He is added late in the decoction and, in traditional practice, is used cautiously by nursing mothers as it is said to reduce milk. cools and moves the blood, so it is used with caution in pregnancy and alongside anticoagulants. The medical limits matter most here: infections of the face and neck can be dangerous out of proportion to their size. A swelling that is spreading, an abscess with fluctuance, a floor-of-mouth or submandibular swelling, difficulty swallowing, drooling, voice change, trismus, neck stiffness, or a high fever in a child needs same-day medical or dental assessment — deep neck space infection and orbital or intracranial spread are surgical emergencies, and dental abscess needs dental drainage. Diabetes and immunosuppression lower the threshold further.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
Used with caution in pregnancy. cools and moves the blood and Zhi Zi is markedly cold; neither is forbidden outright, but the formula as a whole is cooling and dispersing, and its use in pregnancy is a matter for the treating practitioner. Facial or neck infection in pregnancy should be assessed medically without delay.
References
Source Yang Ke Xin De Ji 《疡科心得集》 · Qing
- Classical source named in the source fields (pre-1900, 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）— chapter placement, 功用 and 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.