Shu Di Huang

Gui Ban (Testudinis carapax] can be replaced by the combination of Shu Di Huang [Rehmanniae radix praeparata] and Shan Zhu Yu [Comi fructus]. Meat and bone-marrow are also recommended in the patient s diet. 

Dang Gui, Sheng Di Huang and Shu Di Huang are used as chief herbs to tonify blood and Yin in order to treat the cause of the empty-heat. 

Shu Di Huang, as deputy, treats the coexisting syndromes. This herb is sweet and warm, and enters the Kidney meridian. It can tonify the blood and Kidney-essence, which are weakened in chronic conditions or in constitutional conditions of Lung-Qi deficiency. 

Shu Di Huang is sweet and slightly warm, and enters the Kidney and Liver meridians. As it is able to tonify the Kidney-essence and the Liver-blood directly, the function of tonifying the blood is quite strong. It is often used as chief in the formula for serious conditions of blood and essence deficiency, such as in those with a poor constitution, retardation of children and degeneration in elderly people. In the formula, this herb should be used with some herbs that regulate the Qi in the Middle- and Lower-Jiao to reduce its rich and heavy nature. 

These two herbs enter the Kidney and Liver meridians. They are able to tonify the Kidney-essence and Liver-blood. Unlike Shu Di Huang (Rehmanniae radix praeparata) they are not heavy and cloying in nature, thus they may not bring about the problem of digestion. For this reason, they are often used in formulas to enhance the ability of the chief herb to tonify the fiver-blood. 

Dang Gui (Angelicae sinensis radix) 10 g Chuan Xiong (Chuanxiong rhizoma) 8 g Bai Shao Yao (Paeoniae radix lactiflora) 12 g Shu Di Huang (Rehmanniae radix praeparata) 12 g... 

The other group focuses on tonifying the substantial aspect of the blood, and the herbs have a nourishing and stabilizing nature. The herbs in this group are Bai Shao Yao and Shu Di Huang. 

Shu Di Huang enters the Kidney meridian. As it is able to tonify the Kidney-essence, it can therefore tonify the Liver-blood. It demonstrates a way to indirectly tonify and is considered to be a deputy herb. 

Shu Di Huang and Gou Qi Zi tonify the Liver-blood and Kidney-essence, thereby broadening the source of the blood. They are considered the chief herbs in the formula. 

The chief herbs are Bai He, Sheng Di Huang and Shu Di Huang. They can directly nourish the Yin and reduce heat. They treat the main causes and symptoms of disorders of the Lung and Kidney. 

Bleeding gums and loose teeth add Shu Di Huang (Rehmanniae radix praeparata], Zhi Mu [Anemarrhenae rhizoma] and Huai Niu Xi... 

Shu Di Huang is sweet and slightly warm, and enters the Kidney and Liver meridians. It is a strong herb for tonifying the essence and blood, and can therefore nourish the Yin vigorously. It is often used in conditions of Liver-Yin deficiency where blood deficiency arises at the same time. As this herb is rich and cloying in nature and may bring an extra burden to the Stomach, herbs that promote Qi movement in the Middle-Jiao are required. 

He Shou Wu works in a similar fashion to Shu Di Huang in enhancing the function of nourishing the Liver-Yin. The strong point of this herb is that it does not have a cloying nature like Shu Di Huang,... 

Dan Gui, Bai Shao Yao, Chuan Xiong and Shu Di Huang are used as chief. These herbs comprise the principal formula of tonifying the blood, Si Wu Tang (Four-Substance Decoction). They enter the Liver and Kidney meridians, tonify the blood and Kidney-essence, and form the main part of the formula. 

The first pair is Shu Di Huang and Ze Xie. Shu Di Huang tonifies the Kidney-Yin and Ze Xie reduces the turbid dampness from the Kidney to assist the function of Shu Di Huang. 

Shu Di Huang, which is warm and mainly tonifies the essence, is replaced by Sheng Di Huang, which can reduce empty-heat, cool the blood and nourish the Kidney-Yin. Therefore the assistants Ze Xie and Mu Dan Pi are used in low dosage. 

He Shou Wu and Gou Qi Zi are weaker in their tonifying actions than Shu Di Huang, but they are not as cloying. They can be used for a longer period of time without bringing any extra burden to the digestion. They are commonly selected in a formula to treat chronic and moderate cases of Yin deficiency. 

Sha Ren is pungent and warm, and enters the Spleen and Kidney meridians. It specifically removes the turbid dampness in the Lower- and Middle-Jiao. At the same time, it can promote the Qi movement, reduce distension and improve appetite. It is often used for reducing the cloying nature of tonifying herbs, such as Shu Di Huang (Rehmanniae radix praeparata). 

Shu Di Huang, as chief, tonifies the essence and blood and directly treats the principal complaints. 

Alcohol is considered as an assistant. It moves quickly, and is used to process Shu Di Huang and pig marrow in order to reduce their cloying nature. It is also used to process Zhi Mu so as to reduce its cold nature, which may injure the Kidney-Yang. 

Ze Xie eliminates the turbid water from the Kidney as Shu Di Huang has a cloying nature that may retain water in the process of tonifying the Yin. 

Shu Di Huang, Shan Zhu Yu, Tu Si Zi, Gou Qi Zi, Dang Gui and Shan Yao also serve as deputies. They tonify the essence and the blood and provide the material basis for Yang development. 

In the group of chief herbs, Shu Di Huang tonifies the Kidney-Yin and essence, Shan Zhu Yu tonifies and stabilizes the Liver-Yin and Shan Yao tonifies and stabilizes the Nutritive-essence of the Spleen. 

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