青蒿鳖甲汤

Generalized and accompanying symptoms:

• Able to eat yet emaciated, fatigued with lack of vitality.
• Dry mouth and lips, fine rapid pulse.

3. Tongue and pulse

• Tongue: Red tongue body, little or no coating.
• Pulse: Fine, rapid.

4. Granule conversion and dose

Calculation of the total raw herb weight in the original formula:

Bie Jia (tortoise shell) 15 g + Qing Hao (sweet wormwood) 6 g + Sheng Di Huang (fresh rehmannia root) 12 g + Zhi Mu (anemarrhena rhizome) 6 g + Mu Dan Pi (moutan bark) 9 g = 48 g.

Converted to 5:1 granules:

48 g raw herbs ÷ 5 = 9.6 g of granules.

Recommended dose and method of administration:

• Standard adult daily dose: the classical decoction is generally taken as one dose per day, in two warm servings.
• Converted to ProCare Herbs granules:

o The total daily dose is 9.6 g of granules.

o Taken in two servings: approximately 5 g per serving, twice daily.

• It is recommended to take after meals. The original formula emphasizes that "a calm pulse and cool body" indicates the treatment has taken effect, so administration should stop once the condition resolves, or the formula should be adjusted according to the pattern.

5. Cautions and clinical notes

• [Contraindications]:
  1. This formula is used for patterns of yin deficiency with lingering heat. It is absolutely contraindicated when exterior symptoms from an external contraction remain unresolved, or in fever due to yang deficiency.
  2. In the early stage of warm-heat disease, when the pathogenic evil is in the qi aspect and there is high fever, profuse sweating, and marked thirst, this formula is not suitable.
• [Key points on decoction and administration]: The original formula specifies "boil five cups of water down to two cups, and take in two servings daily," implying prolonged decoction. However, modern research indicates that Qing Hao contains volatile oils, which are easily destroyed by prolonged boiling; traditional decoction methods therefore generally recommend adding it near the end of decoction ("added later"). ProCare Herbs granules are produced using modern extraction techniques that have already addressed this issue, but users should still be informed of the background of this classical decoction method.
• Modern applications: This formula is widely used for fevers of unknown origin, low-grade fever in the late stage of various infectious diseases, summer fever in children, chronic pyelonephritis, and tidal fever of pulmonary tuberculosis, where the pattern is one of depleted yin fluids with lingering, unresolved heat.
• Duration of use: This formula combines clearing and supplementing action; it may be taken for a certain duration as directed, and once yin has been restored and the fever has resolved, a purely yin-nourishing formula may be used to consolidate the effect.