Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan

Emperor of Heaven’s Special Pill to Tonify the Heart

F H I
A J C

N
E

K
D G L
M

Actions: Enriches the yin, nourishes the xue, tonifies the Heart, and calms the Spirit.

Chief Sheng Di Huang (a) Nourishes the yin and clears heat.
Deputy Dan Shen (b) Tonify the xue to nourish the Hear without causing yu.
Dang Gui (c)
Calm the spirit.
Bai Zi Ren (d)
Yuan Zhi (e)
Assist the Heart Qi.
Ren Shen (f)
(Dang Shen)
Fu Ling (g)
Assistant Tian Men Dong (h) Enrich the yin and clear heat from xu.
Mai Men Dong (i)
Xuan Shen (j)

Wu Wei Zi (k) Prevent the leakage of the Heart qi.

Suan Zao Ren (l)
Envoy Jie Geng (m) Conducts the actions of the other herbs upward toward the
upper burner, abode the spirit.

Zhu Sha (n) Anchors and calms the wayward spirit.

Indications: Irritability, palpitations with anxiety, fatigue, insomnia with very restless sleep,
inability to think or concentrate for even short periods of time nocturnal emissions, forgetfulness,
dry stools, a red tongue with little coating, and a thin, rapid pulse. There may also be sores of the
mouth and tongue, low-grade fever, and night sweats.
 Suan Zao Ren Tang
Sour Jujube Decoction

D
A
C

B
E

Actions: Nourishes the xue, calms the spirit, clears heat, and eliminates irritability.

Chief Suan Zao Ren (a) Nourishes the Heart and Liver while calming the spirit.

Deputy Chuan Xiong (b) Regulates the Liver xue by encouraging it to flow freely.

Assistant Fu Ling (c) Calms the spirit and tonifies the Spleen and Stomach.

Enriches the yin, clears heat and moistens internal dryness.

Zhi Mu (d) (moderates the drying properties of the Chuan Xiong)

Envoy Gan Cao (e) Regulate the actions of the other herbs and harmonizes the
middle burner.

Indications: Irritability, inability to sleep, palpitations, night sweats, dizziness and vertigo, dry
throat and mouth, a dry, red tongue, and a wiry or thin, rapid pulse.
 Ding Zhi Wan
Settle the Emotions Pill

A
C B

Actions: Tonifies the Heart qi and calms the spirit.

Chief Ren Shen (a) Calm spirit by augmenting the qi.
(Dang Shen)
Fu Ling (b)

Deputy Chang Pu (c) Clear the senses in order to calm the spirit.
Yuan Zhi (d)

Indications: Apprehensiveness, easily frightened, or incessant laughter and glee, together with
palpitations with anxiety and forgetfulness.
 Huang Lian E Jiao Tang
Coptis and Ass-Hide Gelatin Decoction

A
B

C D

Actions: Enriches the yin, clears fire, causes fire to descend, eliminates irritability, and calm the
spirit.

Chief Huang Lian (a) Clear fire from the Heart and calm the spirit. (with
Huang Qin (b) E Jiao controls the Heart fire by nourishing the
Kidney yin)
E Jiao (c)
Deputy Ji Zi Huang Draining fire and generating xue, aids both the
(not shown) chief ingredients.

Assistant Bai Shao (d) Assists EJ in enriching and retaining the yin to
harmonize the functions of the Heart and Kidneys.

Indications: Irritability with a sensation of heat in the chest, insomnia, palpitations with anxiety,
a red tongue with a dry, yellow coating, and a thin, rapid pulse. There may also be sores of the
tongue or mouth.
 Gan Mai Da Zao Tang
Licorice, Wheat, and Jujube Decoction

B C

Actions: Nourishes the Heart, calms the spirit, and harmonizes the middle burner.

Chief Fu Xiao Mai (a) Regulates and nourishes the qi and yin of the
Heart.

Deputy Gan Cao (b) Nourishes the Heart and harmonizes the middle
burner.

Da Zao (c) Augments the qi and moistens internal dryness.

Indications: Disorientation, freq. attacks of melancholy and crying spells, inability to control
oneself, restless sleep (sometimes with night sweats), freq. bouts of yawning, a red tongue with a
sparse coating, and a thin, rapid pulse. In severe cases, the behavior and speech become
abnormal.
 Zhu Sha An Shen Wan
Cinnabar Pill to Calm the Spirit

B
A C

E
D

Actions: Sedates the Heart, calms the spirit, drains fire, and nourishes the yin.

Chief Zhu Sha (a) Calms the spirit and clears fire from the Heart.

Deputy Huang Lian (b) Drains fire from the Heart and reinforces the chief
herbs.

Assistant Dang Gui (c) Nourish the xue and replenish the yin.
Sheng Di Huang (d)

Envoy Zhi Gan Cao (e) Harmonizes the actions of the other ingredients
while protecting the Stomach from the harsh
effects of the chief and deputy herbs.

Indications: Insomnia, continuous palpitations, a sensation of irritability and heat in the chest, a
desire to vomit without result, dream-disturbed sleep, a red tongue, and a thin, rapid pulse. In
some cases the patient also develops a rancorous disposition.
 Ci Zhu Wan
Magnetite and Cinnabar Pill

A B
C

Actions: Heavily sedates and calms the spirit, weighs down the yang, and improves the vision
and hearing.

Chief Ci Shi (a) Sedates and calms the spirit, weighs down the yang while
nourishing the yin, and improves the acuity of hearing
and vision.

Deputy Zhu Sha (b) Sedates and calms the spirit, and clears heat from the
Heart.

Assistant Shen Qu (c) Strengthens the Spleen and Stomach and aids digestion.

Serves as the filler for the pills and also tonifies the
Honey middle burner.

Indications: Palpitations, insomnia, tinnitus, and diminished acuity of hearing and vision. Also
used for seizures.
 Sheng Tie Luo Yin
Iron Filings Decoction

C I M
B
Sheng Tie
Luo (not
pictured)

L
J

F
N H G

K
A
E
D

Actions: Sedates the Heart, eliminates phlegm, and calms the spirit.

Chief Sheng Tie Luo Anchor and weigh down the spirit.
Zhu Sha (a)
Deputy Dan Nan Xing (b) Clear heat and scour-out phlegm.
Bei Mu (c)

Chang Pu (d) Eliminate phlegm, open the sensory orifices, and calm
Yuan Zhi (e) the spirit.
Fu Shen (f)

Lian Qiao (n) Clear the Heart and relieve irritability.

Dan Shen (g)
Gou Teng (h)
Xuan Shen (i)
Assistant Fu Ling (j) Treats phlegm at its source by improving the function
Chen Pi (k) of Spleen and qi.

Mai Men Dong (l) Nourishes the yin to prevent injury to the fluids.
Tian Men Dong (m)

Indications: Restless agitation, bad temper, severe and throbbing h/a, insomnia, extreme
emotional instability, manic behavious, shouting, yelling at people for no apparent reason, a
scarlet tongue with a yellow, greasy coating, and a wiry, rapid pulse.
 Chai Hu Jia Long Gu Mu Li Tang
Bupleurum plus Dragon Bone and Oyster Shell Decoction

H
C J K

I
F
A

D
Qian Dan
(not pictured)
L

Actions: Unblocks the three yang stages, and sedates and calms the spirit.

Chief Gui Zhi (a) Resolve the problems in the superficial levels, and to
promote the flow of yang qi in order to relieve the
sensation of heaviness in the body.

Chai Hu (b) Resolve lesser yang disorders, collecting or bottling up of

Huang Qin (c) the pathogenic influence.

Da Huang (d) For delirious speech and the yang brightness-stage

symptoms.

Assistant Long Gu (e) Weigh down and calm the floating spirit.
Mu Li (f)
Qian Dan (g)

Ren Shen (h) Strengthen the Spleen qi and ensure that it is not further
Fu Ling (i) injured by the treatment. (FL = urination)

Ban Xian (j) Causes the qi to descend works with FL to transform

disturbances of the fluids, and to open up the diaphragm.

Envoys Sheng Jiang (k) Work together to regulate the relationship between the
Da Zao (l) protective qi in the exterior, and the nutritive qi in the
interior.

Indications: Fullness in the chest, irritability with occasional attacks of palpitations, urinary
difficulty, constipation, delirious speech, inability to rotate the trunk, a sensation of extreme
heaviness throughout the body, a red tongue with a slippery coating, and a wiry, rapid pulse.