Zeng Ye Tang增液汤
Increase the Fluids Decoction
Ingredients3 herbs
Indications
Fluid depletion with intestinal dryness: heat has consumed the fluids, so what obstructs the bowel is the absence of moisture rather than an accumulation. The abdomen is soft and untender — the sign that a purgative is the wrong tool.
Clinical Manifestations
- Dry, hard constipation after a fever
- Habitual constipation of the elderly or the fluid-depleted
- Thirst with a dry mouth and throat during convalescence
- Dry stool with no abdominal distension or pain
- Mild afternoon warmth with a dry red tongue
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Stool still not moving once fluids are restored — add a small amount of Tiao Wei Cheng Qi Tang — the combination is Zeng Ye Cheng Qi Tang, moistening first and purging only lightly
- Stomach yin deficiency with poor appetite — add Bei Sha Shen 北沙参 and Yu Zhu 玉竹
- Blood deficiency with dry skin and pale nails — add Dang Gui 当归 or Shu Di Huang 熟地黄
- Lingering heat with a dry cough — add Tian Men Dong 天门冬
Contraindications
Not for constipation from heat accumulation with a distended, tender abdomen — that needs a purgative, not moisture. Equally wrong for constipation from qi deficiency or from cold in the interior. The herbs are cold and cloying, so patients with loose stool or a weak, damp middle burner tolerate them poorly.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
Generally compatible in pregnancy under practitioner judgment — nothing here purges or moves blood. Its coldness is the limit: stop if stools turn loose.
Related Formulas
References
Source Wen Bing Tiao Bian 《温病条辨》 · Qing
「阳明温病，无上焦证，数日不大便，当下之，若其人阴素虚，不可行承气者，增液汤主之。」
- 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）治燥剂·滋阴润燥 — 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.