DRAGON BONE & TWO SHELLS
Zhen Gan Xi Feng Tang

 

 ‘Liver-Settling Wind-Extinguishing Decoction’
Source: Records on Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine (Yi Xue Zhong Zhong Can Xi Lu, 1918)

Keywords
Transient ischaemic attacks, pre-stroke conditions

Ingredients
Achyranthes bidentata (Niu Xi, achyranthes)
Haematite (Dai Zhe Shi)
Os Draconis (Long Gu, dragon bone)
Ostrea gigas (Mu Li, oyster shell)
Chinemys reevesii (Gui Ban, turtle shell)
Paeonia alba (Bai Shao, white peony)
Scrophularia ningpoensis (Xuan Shen, scrophularia)
Asparagus cochinchinensis (Tian Dong, asparagus)
Melia toosendan (Chuan Lian Zi, melia)
Hordeum vulgare (Mai Ya, sprouted barley)
Artemesia capillaris (Yin Chen, capillaris)
Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Gan Cao, liquorice)

Major therapeutic action
Calms strong emotions, clears Heat, relieves hypertension, nourishes fluids.

 Biomedical action
Lowers blood pressure, inhibits cardiac muscles, anti-convulsive and sedative actions.

Indications
o An important formula for all chronic Liver yang rising and Liver Wind patterns (headaches, spasms, convulsions when accompanied by red eyes or face, anger or restlessness). Much used to prevent the
development of  stroke.
o With the appropriate key symptoms, this formula can be used to treat  biomedical conditions such as essential hypertension, renal hypertension, transient ischaemic attacks, cerebral arteriosclerosis, hypertensive encephalopathy pre-stroke conditions and acute and chronic headaches of a Liver yang rising type, cerebrovascular accident,  premenstrual tension.

Key symptoms for use
o vertigo, dizziness, tinnitus
o headaches, migraine
o visual disturbances, distending feeling in the eyes
o sensations of heat rushing upwards towards the head
o heat and vexation in the Heart
o hypertension
o sleep disturbances
o irritability, irascibility
o tongue: body red or with red edges
o patients are usually over 50 years old

Combinations
o With depression add Ye Jiao Teng/He Huan Pi.
o With profuse sputum add Chen Pi/Ban Xia. 
o With headaches add Gou Qi Zi/Ju Hua.
o For arteriosclerosis add Dan Shen. 		Dosage
The typical dose is three grams twice daily, before meals. In severe cases or the early stages of treatment (the first two weeks), a 50-100% increase in dose may be used, then reduced as the treatment takes effect.

Cautions and contraindications
Patients with digestive weakness.
None noted.