San Ren Tang三仁汤

Three-Nut Decoction

Expelling Dampness 祛湿剂Clear Heat and Expel Damp 清热祛湿

Ingredients8 herbs

HerbDosageRoleWhat it does in this formula

杏Xing Ren杏仁Armeniacae Amarum Semen15g君 ChiefOpens and descends Lung qi — the upper burner; when the lid lifts, water below can move

飞飞滑石18g臣 Deputy

白白通草6g臣 Deputy

白白蔻仁6g君 Chief

竹Dan Zhu Ye竹叶Lophatheri Herba6g臣 DeputyClears the light heat and leads it out through the urine

厚Hou Po厚朴Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex6g佐 AssistantMoves qi downward and disperses damp fullness of the epigastrium

生Yi Yi Ren生薏苡仁Coicis Semen18g君 ChiefBlandly leaches damp out of the lower burner through the urine

半Zhi Ban Xia半夏Pinelliae Rhizoma praeparatum15g佐 AssistantDries damp and settles the Stomach so the middle stays open

Indications

Opens and frees the qi dynamic of the three burnersPromotes urination and leaches out dampClears the light heat that damp has trappedRelieves heaviness, chest oppression and afternoon fever

Early-stage damp-warmth, or summerheat complicated by damp, with the pathogen still at the defensive and qi levels. Damp wraps the heat, so the fever is low, sticky and worse in the afternoon.

Clinical Manifestations

Early damp-warmth with an afternoon rise in temperature
Headache and aversion to cold with heavy aching limbs
Chest oppression with no appetite
Low fever that lingers with a white greasy coating and no thirst
Summertime fevers with damp

TongueWhite coating, not dry; the tongue itself is not markedly red

PulseWiry, thin and soggy

Health Categories

Digestive HealthUrinary & Bladder HealthEnergy & FatigueImmune SupportCold & Flu Relief

Modern Applications

Typhoid fever Fever of unknown origin Gastroenteritis Urinary tract infection Post-viral fatigue

Common adjustments

Heat is beginning to outweigh damp — add Huang Qin 黄芩 and Lian Qiao 连翘
Damp is very heavy with a thick coating — add Cang Zhu 苍术 and Huo Xiang 藿香
Marked nausea and vomiting — increase Zhi Ban Xia 制半夏 and add Chen Pi 陈皮
An exterior chill is still present — add Xiang Ru 香薷 or Dan Dou Chi 淡豆豉
Jaundice appears — add Yin Chen 茵陈

Contraindications

Not for a warm disease without damp, where the tongue is red and dry and the patient is thirsty — the acrid drying herbs will consume fluids. Not once the damp has fully turned to heat with a yellow greasy coating and high fever. Wu Tang's own warning holds: in damp-warmth, sweating causes confusion and deafness, purging causes diarrhoea, and rich yin-nourishing herbs entrench the damp.

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

Pregnancy

Use with caution in pregnancy — Yi Yi Ren in quantity and Ban Xia are both approached cautiously in pregnancy, and a fever in pregnancy needs medical assessment. Prescribe only on a practitioner's judgment.

Related Formulas

References

Source Wen Bing Tiao Bian 《温病条辨》 · Qing

「头痛恶寒，身重疼痛，舌白不渴，脉弦细而濡，面色淡黄，胸闷不饥，午后身热，状若阴虚，病难速已，名曰湿温……三仁汤主之。」
— 《温病条辨》(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.