Yi Yuan San益元散
Augment the Primal Powder
Ingredients2 herbs
Indications
Summer-heat with damp that has also disturbed the Heart: the same damp-heat as Liu Yi San, plus heat harassing the spirit.
Clinical Manifestations
- Summer damp-heat with palpitations and agitation
- Restless sleep during a heat wave
- Irritability with scanty dark urine
- Summer fever with an unsettled spirit
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Where cinnabar is unavailable or not permitted — omit it and use Fu Shen 茯神 or Dan Zhu Ye 淡竹叶 instead — this is standard modern practice
- Marked insomnia — add Suan Zao Ren 酸枣仁
Contraindications
Contains /Zhu Sha (cinnabar, mercuric sulfide). It is a heavy-metal mineral: never take it over a prolonged period, never at increased dose, never heated, and never in liver or kidney impairment. Its sale and use are restricted or prohibited in many jurisdictions. Contraindicated in children. Beyond the cinnabar, the Liu Yi San cautions apply: not for patterns without damp-heat, and Hua Shi requires pharmaceutical-grade material and short courses.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
Contraindicated in pregnancy and while breastfeeding — the formula contains cinnabar (mercuric sulfide), which crosses to the fetus and into milk. Use Liu Yi San without cinnabar instead.
Related Formulas
References
Source 《伤寒直格》 · Jin
- Classical source (public domain), as recorded in the source field.
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.