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Cura x Cura

Xiao Chai Hu Tang小柴胡汤

Minor Bupleurum Decoction

Harmonizing 和解剂Harmonize Shaoyang 和解少阳

Ingredients7 herbs

柴Chai Hu柴胡24g君 ChiefLifts and vents the shao yang pathogen outward, frees the qi dynamic黄Huang Qin黄芩9g臣 DeputyClears and drains the heat held in the half-interior人Ren Shen人参9g佐 AssistantSupports upright qi so the pathogen cannot sink into the interior甘Zhi Gan Cao甘草炙9g使 EnvoyAugments qi and harmonizes the cooling and warming herbs半Ban Xia半夏洗9g佐 AssistantHarmonizes the Stomach and directs rebellious qi down, stopping the retching生Sheng Jiang生姜切9g佐 AssistantReinforces Ban Xia in settling nausea大Da Zao大枣擘4枚佐 AssistantWith Ren Shen and Zhi Gan Cao, nourishes and steadies the middle

Indications

Harmonizes shao yangVents pathogenic heat from the half-exterior, half-interiorHarmonizes the Stomach and stops vomitingSupports upright qi so the pathogen does not sink inward

Shao yang disease: the pathogen has left the exterior but not yet entered the yang ming interior, so it lodges at the pivot between them. Because it is neither out nor in, the treatment principle is to harmonizerather than to expel by sweating, vomiting or purging.

Clinical Manifestations

  • Alternating chills and fever
  • Fullness and discomfort under the ribs
  • Bitter taste, dry throat, blurred or dizzy vision
  • Irritability with nausea and no wish to eat
  • Lingering fevers that sweating and purging failed to resolve
  • Fever appearing with menstruation or after childbirth in a shao yang picture
TongueThin white coating
PulseWiry

Health Categories

Digestive HealthLiver Health & DetoxUrinary & Bladder HealthEnergy & FatigueImmune SupportCold & Flu Relief

Modern Applications

Fever of unknown originHepatitisCholecystitisInfluenzaNauseaPost-viral fatigueMalaria

Common adjustments

Contraindications

Avoid in yin deficiency with blood dryness and in ascendant Liver yang — Chai Hu's lifting, venting action can aggravate both. It is a formula for a defined pattern, not a general tonic, and prolonged unsupervised use is discouraged. Note also the well-documented Japanese pharmacovigilance experience: cases of interstitial pneumonitis occurred in chronic hepatitis patients taking this formula together with interferon, so the combination is avoided, and any new dry cough, breathlessness or fever during long-term use should be reported to the prescriber promptly.

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

Pregnancy

Used in pregnancy by experienced practitioners for shao yang fevers, but not a self-selected formula — Ban Xia in particular warrants caution, and fever in pregnancy needs clinical assessment. Take only on a practitioner's prescription.

Related Formulas

References

Source Shang Han Lun 《伤寒论》 · Eastern Han

「伤寒五六日，中风，往来寒热，胸胁苦满，嘿嘿不欲饮食，心烦喜呕……小柴胡汤主之。」
— 《伤寒论》(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 & 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.