BLACK PEARL BP067 BAN XIA HOU PO TANG (JIA WEI) PINELLIA & MAGNOLIA

BAN XIA HOU PO TANG (Jia Wei)
半夏厚朴湯（加味)
Pinellia & Magnolia Combination
Product Code: BP067

TCM Actions
Moves the Qi and relieves stagnation, redirects the Qi downward and resolves Phlegm.

Indications
Chronic laryngitis, chronic pharyngitis, hysteria (with globus hystericus), gastro-intestinal neurosis, gastro-oesophageal reflux, chronic gastritis, oesophageal spasm, gastrointestinal side effects of chemotherapy.

Dosage & Course Of Treatment
8 pills, 3 times daily, half to one hour away from food.

Course of treatment: 2 weeks to 3 months.

Signs and Syndromes
Plum-pit Qi due to emotional upset and Qi-Phlegm

Sensation of a foreign body stuck in the throat

Symptoms brought on by emotional upset (i.e. psychosomatic symptoms)

Chest oppression, sighing

Loss of appetite

Cough, frequent clearing of the throat, dysphagia

Vomiting or nausea

Tongue has a moist or greasy white coat

Pulse is wiry and slippery

Cautions & Contraindications
Not suitable for acute infections.

Caution for patients on anti-coagulant medications (i.e. heparin, warfarin, aspirin).

Comments
This formula was originally recorded in the ‘Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet’ (jin gui yao lue fang lun) by Zhang Zhong-jing (circa 150 – 219 CE). This work is the earliest surviving record that details the diagnosis and treatment of miscellaneous diseases of internal medicine, as well as some surgical diseases and gynecological disorders, according to the Eight Principles. The formula was originally described under the treatment of gynecological disorders for the major presenting symptom of a sensation in the throat as if apiece of roasted meat was stuck there. In contemporary TCM this symptom is referred to as plum-pit Qi (mei he qi), which may occur in either sex. One cause of this condition is Qi-Phlegm (a pathogenic complex of stagnant Qi and Phlegm); other causes include Fire from Liver Qi constraint and Qi-Blood dual deficiency. The pathogenesis of the conditions treated by this formula is Liver Qi constraint (generally due to stress or emotional strain), which leads to Qi stagnation both in the Liver channel as well as the Triple Jiao. This affects the Fluid pathways, impairing transformation and distribution of Fluids. The Fluids stagnate and this leads to the formation of Phlegm, which combines with the stagnated Qi. The combined pathogens are carried up to the throat via the Liver channel. In a contemporary clinical setting, the physical location of this disorder may relate to an inability of patients to vocalise or express certain emotions or accept a particular situation in their lives. Moreover, the clinical applications of this formula are often incorrectly described under the diagnostic category of ‘depression’ in TCM literature. This is due to the mistranslation of ‘yu zheng’ as ‘melancholia’ or ‘depression’ rather than the broader and more accurate: ‘emotional disorders characterized by Qi stagnation’. Thus, the formula is useful for cases with ‘plum stone’ throat associated with anxiety.

Ingredients
PINELLIA TERNATA, TUBER (ban xia) – 半夏 – 57.2 mg
MAGNOLIA OFFICINALIS, STEM BARK (hou po) – 厚朴 – 57.2 mg
WOLFIPORIA COCOS, FRUIT. BODY (fu ling) – 茯苓 – 76.3 mg
PERILLA FRUTESCENS, LEAF (zi su ye) – 紫蘇葉 – 57.2 mg
CURCUMA LONGA, TUBER (yu jin) – 鬱金 – 57.2 mg
ZINGIBER OFFICINALE, RHIZ. (sheng jiang) – 生薑 – 38.2 mg
AMOMUM VILLOSUM, FRUIT (sha ren) – 砂仁 – 31.8 mg