Wu Ji Wan戊己丸

Fifth and Sixth Heavenly Stem Pill

Clearing Heat 清热剂Clear Organ Heat 清脏腑热

Ingredients3 herbs

HerbDosageWhat it does in this formula

黄Huang Lian黄连Coptidis Rhizoma10gClears heat in the Liver and Stomach and dries damp in the intestines 吴Wu Zhu Yu吴茱萸Evodiae Fructus10gWarms and opens constraint, directs qi downward, prevents cold congealing 白Bai Shao白芍Paeoniae Radix Alba10gSoftens the Liver, nourishes blood and relaxes cramping pain — the addition that defines this formula

Indications

Clears heat and harmonises the StomachSoftens the Liver and relieves cramping painRegulates Liver and Spleen

Liver and Spleen disharmony with heat: constrained Liver qi with heat is cramping the Spleen, so pain and diarrhoea come together and both worsen with emotional strain. Bai Shao softening the Liver is what separates this from Zuo Jin Wan.

Clinical Manifestations

Abdominal pain with urgent diarrhoea, worse with stress
Acid regurgitation with cramping abdominal pain
Dysenteric diarrhoea with tenesmus and heat signs
Irritable bowel pattern of Liver overacting on Spleen

TongueRed with a thin yellow coating

PulseWiry and rapid, or wiry and slippery

Health Categories

Digestive HealthStress & Emotional Balance

Modern Applications

Irritable bowel syndrome Gastritis Colitis Diarrhoea Acid reflux

Common adjustments

Diarrhoea heavy — add Fu Ling 茯苓 and Bai Zhu 白术
Tenesmus with dysenteric stools — add Mu Xiang 木香 and Bing Lang 槟榔
Acid reflux dominant — return to the Zuo Jin Wan ratio, increasing Huang Lian 黄连

Contraindications

Not for cold diarrhoea with a pale tongue and undigested food in the stool. Wu Zhu Yu is warming and mildly toxic — keep the course short and the dose within the practitioner's direction.

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

Pregnancy

Use in pregnancy only under practitioner supervision — Wu Zhu Yu is generally avoided in pregnancy, so this formula is not one to take unsupervised.

Related Formulas

References

Source Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang 《太平惠民和剂局方》 · Northern Song

Classical source (public domain) — composition per the standard textbook record.
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.