Skip to content
Cura x Cura

Wu Zhi Yin五汁饮

Five-Juice Drink

Treating Dryness 治燥剂Enrich Yin and Moisten Dryness 滋阴润燥

Ingredients5 herbs

梨Li Zhi梨汁equal part, to taste君 ChiefPear juice moistens the Lung, clears heat and thins sticky phlegm
荸Bi Qi Zhi荸荠汁equal part, to taste臣 DeputyWater chestnut juice cools, generates fluids and softens what is congealed
鲜Xian Wei Gen鲜苇根汁equal part, to taste臣 DeputyFresh reed rhizome clears Lung and Stomach heat and stops thirst麦Mai Men Dong麦门冬汁equal part, to taste佐 AssistantNourishes Lung and Stomach yin so the moisture holds
藕Ou Zhi藕汁equal part, to taste (sugarcane juice may replace it)佐 AssistantFresh lotus root juice cools the blood and moistens without cloying

Indications

Generates fluids and quenches thirstClears heat and moistens drynessLoosens sticky, hard-to-raise sputum

Fluid injury from warm dryness: heat has consumed the thin fluids of the Lung and Stomach, so thirst is prominent and secretions turn scant and sticky rather than copious.

Clinical Manifestations

  • Severe thirst during a warm febrile illness
  • Sticky white foam that will not clear from the throat
  • Dry mouth and a dry cough in autumn
  • Convalescent thirst when decoctions are not tolerated
  • Dryness of mouth and throat in the elderly
TongueRed and dry with little moisture
PulseThin and rapid

Health Categories

Respiratory HealthEnergy & FatigueCold & Flu Relief

Modern Applications

DehydrationFeverDry coughDry mouthConvalescence

Common adjustments

  • The patient cannot tolerate cold drinks — warm the mixed juices gently over hot water rather than serving them chilled
  • Cough with thick, sticky sputum predominates — increase the pear and water-chestnut juices, which are the moistening and phlegm-thinning pair here
  • Underlying Stomach yin deficiency once the fever settles — follow with Yi Wei Tang, or add Bei Sha Shen 北沙参 and Yu Zhu 玉竹 as a decoction alongside
  • Thirst with restlessness and a red tongue tip — add Lu Gen 芦根 as a light decoction to the juices

Contraindications

Uniformly cold and raw: unsuitable for a cold or damp middle burner, for loose stool, and for anyone whose thirst comes with a pale swollen tongue and a wish for hot drinks. Raw juices should also be avoided where food-safety or blood-sugar considerations make fresh sweet juices unwise; a practitioner decides.

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

Pregnancy

Generally compatible in pregnancy under practitioner judgment — these are food-grade juices. Their coldness and rawness are the limits: avoid if there is nausea, loose stool or aversion to cold food.

References

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

「太阴温病，口渴甚者，雪梨浆沃之；吐白沫黏滞不快者，五汁饮沃之。」
— 《温病条辨》(classical source, public domain)
  1. Classical source (public domain), cited in the source-quote section.
    2. Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. — composition cross-checked.
    3. 《方剂学》（全国中医药行业高等教育规划教材）治燥剂·滋阴润燥, 附方 note alongside 益胃汤 — 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.