Sheng Mai San生脉散
Generate the Pulse Powder (Ginseng & Ophiopogon Formula)
Ingredients3 herbs
Indications
Dual deficiency of qi and yin, whether from summer heat forcing out sweat or from prolonged illness draining the Lung. The design is a triangle: replace what has been spent, moisten what has been dried, and close the door so the leak stops.
Clinical Manifestations
- Heat exhaustion with profuse sweating and thirst
- Chronic dry cough with shortness of breath
- Fatigue and spontaneous sweating after a febrile illness
- Palpitations with a weak, faint pulse
- Dry mouth and a low voice after long illness
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Yin damage predominant — use Xi Yang Shen 西洋参 in place of Ren Shen 人参, or add Sha Shen
- Qi deficiency predominant — add Huang Qi 黄芪
- Sweating still profuse — add Mu Li 牡蛎, Fu Xiao Mai 浮小麦
- Gentle or long courses — Dang Shen 党参 commonly replaces Ren Shen 人参 — the familiar Sheng Mai Yin form sold as a daily tonic
Contraindications
Not for an unresolved exterior pattern, nor for summer heat complicated by damp or by frank excess heat — Wu Wei Zi's astringency would hold the pathogen in. Cough with thick or copious sputum is a different pattern and needs a different strategy.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
Generally compatible — practitioner judgment applies; ginseng-containing formulas are individualized in pregnancy rather than self-prescribed.
References
Source Yi Xue Qi Yuan 《医学启源》 · Jin dynasty
- 《医学启源》(classical source, public domain) — the formula's recorded origin; it is also transmitted through Li Dong-yuan's works.
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.