English
Astringent formulae arrest abnormal discharge or leakage of fluids and other substances from the body, such as sweat, sputum, blood, urine, stool, sperm and vaginal discharges.
In TCM, qi (vital energy), blood and body fluids are fundamental substances for normal life activities. Under normal circumstance, these substances are under constantly consumed and replenished inside the body. Excessive draining of any body substance will substantially affect body health, it often indicates a profound deficiency or weakness existed inside the body and needs immediate intervention. The TCM strategy is to stabilize or tone the weakened processes with an astringent substance.
Based on the specific effects of the formulae, they are further divided into: consolidating the exterior (arrest sweating), astringing the lung (stop cough and throat secretions), stabilizing the intestines (stop diarrhea and prevent anal prolapse), stabilizing the kidney (arrest emission and urinary incontinence), and stabilizing the womb (for uterine bleeding and vaginal discharges). In fact, astringent therapy only provide a temporary relief, it is often not a radical or primary treatment, tonification therapy alongside astringent therapy is necessary for a complete cure.
Astringent formulae are used for simply weakened or deficient conditions itself, when the discharge processes are forced out by particular pathogens, such as profuse sweating in febrile disease, cough by phlegm and static fluid retentions, diarrhea caused by an improper diet, or excessive menses due to blood heat, then these formulae are contraindicated.
- Consolidating Thoroughfare Decoction (gu chong tang)
- Immortal Organ Nourishing Decoction (zhen ren yang zang tang)
- Oyster Shell Powder (mu li san)
- Peach Blossom Decoction (tao hua tang)
- Treating Morbid Leukorrhagia Decoction (wan dai tang)
