Gui Pi Tang

Gui Pi Tang 

Alternative Name: Restore the Spleen Decoction

Drug Composition:

• Bai Zhu (白术): 30g (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome)

• Fu Shen (茯神): 30g (Poria with Hostwood, wood core removed)

• Huang Qi (黄芪): 30g (Astragalus Root, woody part removed and typically honey-fried)

• Long Yan Rou (龙眼肉): 30g (Longan Aril)

• Suan Zao Ren (酸枣仁): 30g (Sour Jujube Seed, fried and shell removed)

• Ren Shen (人参): 15g (Ginseng Root)

• Mu Xiang (木香): 15g (Aucklandia Root, not heated)

• Gan Cao (甘草): 8g (Licorice Root, honey-fried)

• Dang Gui (当归): 3g (Chinese Angelica Root)

• Yuan Zhi (远志): 3g (Polygala Root, honey-fried)

Method of Administration:

Add 6 grams of fresh ginger and 3 to 5 jujubes (Chinese dates) to the herbal ingredients, decoct in water, and consume the resulting liquid. Alternatively, the ingredients can be prepared in larger quantities while maintaining the same proportions and made into honey pills, with each pill weighing approximately 15 grams. One pill is to be taken on an empty stomach with boiled water, three times a day.

Functions:

The primary functions of Gui Pi Tang are to tonify Qi and blood, strengthen the Spleen, and nourish the Heart.

It is a classic formula for conditions arising from overthinking or mental strain that injures both the Heart and Spleen, leading to a deficiency of both Qi and blood. The name “Restore the Spleen” emphasizes its core strategy: by strengthening the Spleen’s digestive function, it helps the body generate sufficient Qi and blood. This, in turn, nourishes the Heart, which calms the spirit and improves mental function.

It is indicated for a pattern known as “Heart-Spleen Two Deficiency” (心脾两虚), which can manifest as:

• Palpitations, anxiety, forgetfulness, and insomnia.

• Fatigue, poor appetite, and a pale or sallow complexion.

• It is also used for bleeding disorders caused by the “Spleen failing to govern the blood,” such as certain types of uterine bleeding or easy bruising.

Source:

This formula is recorded in the classic medical text Zheng Ti Lei Yao (《正体类要》), “Categorized Essentials for Correcting the Body,” from the Ming Dynasty.