DIANTHUS FORMULA
Ba Zheng San

 

 ‘Eight Herb Powder for Rectification’
Source: Imperial Grace Formulary of the Tai Ping Era (Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang, 1080)

Keywords
acute urinary tract infection.

Ingredients
Plantago asiatica (Che Qian Zi, plantago)
Polygonum aviculare (Bian Xu, knotweed)
Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Gan Cao, liquorice)
Dianthus superbus (Qu Mai, dianthus)
Juncus effusus (Deng Xin Cao, juncus)
Gardenia jasminoides (Shan Zhi Zi, gardenia)
Talcum (Hua Shi)
akebia trifoliata (Mu Tong, akebia)

Major therapeutic action
Promotes urination, clears infection from the Urinary Bladder.

 Biomedical action
antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic.

Indications
*  acute pain, burning or discomfort associated with urination.
*  With the appropriate key symptoms, this formula may be used to treat such biomedical conditions as acute cystitis, urethritis, prostatitis, urinary calculi, pyelonephritis, stomatitis, and glomerulonephritis.

Key symptoms for use
*  acute, burning pain during urination, suprapubic distension and pain
*  dark or concentrated urine, difficult urination
*  dry mouth and throat
*  greasy yellow coat on the root of the tongue

Combinations
*  With alternating fever and chills, combine with Xiao Chai Hu Tang.
*  With urinary calculi, combine with Jin Qian Cao/Ji Nei Jin/Hai Jin Sha.
*  In severe cases or with blood in the urine, combine with Huang Lian Jie Du Tang. 		Dosage
The typical dose is three grams 3-5 times daily, before meals. The dose should be spread out evenly, and in very acute cases may be taken every two hours. Generally not recommended for use longer than a week.

Cautions and contraindications
None noted.
Contraindicated during pregnancy and in cases of feeling cold, or patterns combining low back and/or knee pain, clear and frequent urination, lethargy, and a pale tongue with chronic urinary pain.

Differentiation
Long Dan Xie Gan Tang:  Infection in the Liver and Gallbladder. Best when there are clear systemic signs of Liver involvement.
Huang Lian Jie Du Tang: Heart involvement including restlessness, palpitations, trouble sleeping, facial flushing, and Stomach or Intestinal flu.
Qing Re Ling:  Heat in the upper body.
Wu Ling San:  a simple diuretic that treats feelings of lethargy, heavy limbs, muddled thinking, with possible digestive discomfort without signs of fever or infection. Not used for painful urination patterns.