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Acupuncture Today – April, 2006, Vol. 07, Issue 04

Ancient Cha Herbal Formulas: Enhancing the 24 Effects, Part One

By Brenton Harvey, LAc, CH and Hong Ji

The effects of cha herbal formulas are well-known and varied. In this three-part article, we will discuss 24 of the most well-known effects of cha herbal formulas including ingredients, dosage, how the formulas should be prepared, and functions.

Effects of Cha Herbal Formulas

1. Fight Fatigue (Xiao Shui) Effect

A. Cha Chuan Xiong Cong Bai

Herb Pinyin
Camellia sinensis Cha
Radix ligusticii W. Chuan Xiong
White stalk of green onion Cong Bai
Function: treats coma (according to TCM dictionaries).

2. Calm Spirit (An Shen) Effect

A. Gan Jiang San

Herb Pinyin Dosage
Dry ginger Gan Jian 2.7 qian (8.1g)
Camellia sinensis Cha (high grade) 1.7 qian (5.1g)
Function: Post-cholera symptoms of agitation, restlessness and fidgetiness according to the ancient Song dynasty text Sheng Ji Zong Lu.

B. Family Treasure Formula (Zhou Yisheng Jia Bao Fang)

Herb Pinyin Dosage
Camellia sinensis Cha (winter pick, old growth, picked after first frost) 30g, powdered
Rice Sheng Ming Fan 15g, powdered

Preparation: Make into pills; roll in zhu sha powder.

Dosage: 15g, decocted

Function: Treats depressive psychosis and epilepsy caused by anxiety, melancholy, impairing heart and spleen with stasis of phlegm/qi. Manifestations of depression, lack of expression, quietness, self-muttering, fantasizing, hallucinations, paraphasia.

C. Zai Xuan Fang

Herb Pinyin Dosage
Camellia sinensis Cha (spring pick) 30g
Fructus gardenaiae Zhi Zi 30g

Preparation: Cook with water, concentrated in one cup. Try to vomit or cough after ingesting formula.

Function: Treats wind phlegm-caused diseases as above formula.

D. Ru Zi Fang formula from Tea Classic text (Cha Jing)

  • bitter cha
  • roots of green onion

Preparation: Decocted to treat infantile convulsion caused by unknown reasons (not fright, depression, etc.).

3. Clear Vision (Ming Mu) Effect

A subject well-written about in Chinese departments of ophthalmology. Four books alone discuss over 95 different formulas for this purpose. A few are listed.

A. Bu Gan San (drink with wax tea)

  • wax tea (data is limited)

Function: Liver deficiency, sensitivity to light, excessive tearing.

B. Huan Jing Wan (return eyeball pill)

Preparation: Drink with green cha.

Function: Treats lu feng nei zhang condition, equating with acute angle-closure glaucoma.

C. Hu Jing Wan

Function: Treats congenital cataracts caused by kidney/spleen deficiency or excessive rest by pregnant women with wind toxin.

D. Jiu Jing Wan

Preparation: Take with green tea.

Function: Treats optic atrophy caused by kidney hives/yin deficiency.

E. Shi Jue Ming San (abalone shell powder)

Preparation: Take with green tea.

Function: Treats cataracts.

F. Zi Yin Di Huang Wan

Preparation: Take with green tea.

Function: Treats blood deficiency, visual fatigue.

G. La Cha Yin (wax tea drink)

Herb Pinyin Dosage
Small bud green tea Ya Cha 3g
Radix angelicae D. Bai Zhi 3g
Radix aconite Fu Zi 3g
Herba asari Xi Xin 1.5g
Radix ledebouriellae Fang Feng 1.5g
Herba agestaches Qiang Huo 1.5g
Herba schizonepetae Jing Jie 1.5g
Radix ligusticii W. Chuan Xiong 1.5g

Preparation: Add a little salt to decoction.

Function: Treats broken blood vessels in eyes.

H. Gan Shi

Herb Pinyin
Smithsonitum Gan Shi
Rhizoma coptidis Huang Lien
Camellia sinensis (early spring pick) Yue Chen Cha

Preparation: Grind into super-fine powder. Use externally. (Do not use internally.)

Function: Treats infection of eyeball.

4. Clear Head (Qing Tuo Mu) Effect

A. Yi Fang Di Lun

Herb Pinyin Dosage
Rhizoma cimicifungae Sheng Ma 18g
Radix rehmanniae G. Sheng Di 15g
Camellia sinensis Cha (green, early spring pick) 12g
Radix scutellariae Huang Qin 3g
Rhizoma coptidis Huang Hien 3g

Preparation: Decoct with water.

Function: Wind headaches on side and front of head.

B. Qian Jin Yao Fang

Preparation: Decoct one-half gallon cha.

Dose: two-thirds of half-gallon. Causes patient to vomit. Drink more, vomit, repeat until gallbladder bile (green) vomits up.

Function: Migraine headache caused by phlegm rising with San Jiao qi counter flow.

5. Stop Thirst (Zhi Ke Sheng Jin) Effect

A. Long Jing Jue Hua Cha

Herb Pinyin Dosage
Westlake Dragonwell green tea Cha (green) 3g
Chrysanthemum Jue Hua 3g
Rock candy sugar   No amount listed

Preparation: Steep as a tea, add sugar.

Function: Green tea promotes saliva, clears exopathic wind, heat and nourishes dryness. Endopathic heat.

6. Clear Heat (Qing Re) Effect

A. Shang Han Yuang Re Cong Shi Cha Fan

B. Fan Re Shi Gao Cha Fang

C. Fan Zao Bo He Cha Fang

Above formulas contain the following herbs:

Herb Pinyin
Green onion Cong Bai
Soya (prepared) Dou Chi
Platycodon Jing Ji
Camellia sinensis Cha
Ginger root Sheng Jiang
Herba ephedra Ma Huang
Fructus gardenia Zhi Zi

7. Clear Summer Heat (Xiao Shu) Effect

All green teas are cooling, especially the Westlake Dragonwell variety of green tea, used as a single herb. Add flos chrysanthemum (jua hua) for enhancement.

8. Detox Poison (Jie Du) Effect

A. Jian Bian Fan (Simple and convenient form)

  • Green tea (young pick), 6g
  • White rice (bai fan), 6g

Preparation: Grind to powder. Drink in room-temperature water.

Function: Treats toxic heat carbuncles.


Click here for previous articles by Brenton Harvey, LAc, CH.

Click here for more information about Hong Ji.


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