Yin Chen Hao Tang茵陈蒿汤

Virgate Wormwood Decoction

Expelling Dampness 祛湿剂Clear Heat and Expel Damp 清热祛湿

Ingredients3 herbs

HerbDosageRoleWhat it does in this formula

茵Yin Chen茵陈Artemisiae Scopariae Herba18g君 ChiefThe specific herb for jaundice — drains damp-heat out of the Liver and Gallbladder through the urine 栀Zhi Zi栀子Gardeniae Fructus12g臣 DeputyDrains heat from all three burners and directs damp-heat downward through the urine 大Da Huang大黄去皮Rhei Radix et Rhizoma6g佐 AssistantOpens the stool so the bound damp-heat has a second way out

Indications

Clears heat and drains dampResolves jaundiceFrees the stool and promotes urinationUnblocks the middle burner

Damp-heat jaundice of the yang type: damp and heat bind in the middle burner and steam upward and outward, so the whole body, the face and the sclerae turn a vivid orange-yellow.

Clinical Manifestations

Yang jaundice with a bright orange colour
Jaundice with dark scanty urine and constipation
Damp-heat in the Liver and Gallbladder
Abdominal fullness with a bitter taste and nausea
Fever with generalized itching in jaundice

TongueYellow greasy coating

PulseSlippery and rapid, or sinking and rapid with force

Health Categories

Liver Health & DetoxUrinary & Bladder Health

Modern Applications

Jaundice Acute hepatitis Cholecystitis Cholestasis Hyperbilirubinemia

Common adjustments

Damp is heavier than heat — add Fu Ling 茯苓 and Ze Xie 泽泻, reduce Da Huang 大黄
Heat is heavier than damp — add Huang Bai 黄柏 and Long Dan Cao 龙胆草
Marked hypochondriac pain — add Yu Jin 郁金 and Chuan Lian Zi 川楝子
Nausea and vomiting — add Zhi Ban Xia 制半夏 and Chen Pi 陈皮
Severe itching — add Bai Xian Pi 白鲜皮 and Di Fu Zi 地肤子

Contraindications

Only for the yang type of jaundice, where the colour is bright and the pulse has force. Yin jaundice — a dull, smoky yellow with cold limbs, a pale tongue and a deep thin pulse — is made worse by this formula, which is cold and purging. New or deepening jaundice always needs medical assessment: it can signal biliary obstruction, hepatitis or haemolysis, and none of those is a pattern to be managed by herbs alone.

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

Pregnancy

Contraindicated in pregnancy in its full form — Da Huang purges downward and is avoided in pregnancy. Jaundice arising in pregnancy is an urgent medical matter and must be investigated by a physician.

Related Formulas

References

Source Shang Han Lun 《伤寒论》 · Eastern Han

「阳明病，发热汗出者，此为热越，不能发黄也；但头汗出，身无汗，剂颈而还，小便不利，渴引水浆者，此为瘀热在里，身必发黄，茵陈蒿汤主之。」
— 《伤寒论》(classical source, public domain)

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.