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

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

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 gynecological disorders for the major presenting symptom of a sensation in the throat as if a piece 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’. Thus, the formula is useful for cases with ‘plum stone’ throat associated with anxiety.

This variant has been enhanced with the addition of Curcuma tuber (yu jin) and Amomum fruit (sha ren). While both herbs promote the movement of Qi, the former enters the Liver channel and helps to disperse the stagnant Liver Qi, while the latter acts mainly on the middle Jiao, drying Damp and harmonising the Spleen and Stomach.

Ingredients:
– Pinellia ternata, tuber 半夏 57.2 mg
– Magnolia officinalis, stem bark 厚樸 57.2 mg
– Wolfiporia cocos, fruit. body 茯苓 76.3 mg
– Perilla frutescens, leaf 紫蘇葉 57.2 mg
– Curcuma longa, tuber 鬱金 57.2 mg
– Zingiber officinale, rhizome (fresh) 生薑 38.2 mg
– Amomum villosum, fruit 砂仁 31.8 mg

Signs & Symptoms
– Gastritis, chronic
– Laryngitis, chronic
– Pharyngitis, chronic
– Gastro-intestinal neurosis
– Gastrointestinal side effects of chemotherapy
– Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
– Hysteria (with globus hystericus)
– Oesophageal spasm
– Neurosis
– Acid reflux

Dosage & Course of Treatment
– 30 – 40 pills twice daily, half to one hour away from food.
– In severe cases the dosage may be increased up to 50%, e.g. 50 pills twice daily or 30 – 40 pills, three times daily.
– Course of treatment: 2 weeks to 3 months.

Cautions & Contraindications
– Not suitable for acute infections.
– Caution for patients on anti-coagulant medications (e.g. heparin, warfarin, aspirin).