Hi there, Have you tried "Formulas and Strategies" by Bensky & Barolet?, Its the one of the best and most accesible english language texts.
Some of those formulae are modifications of standard formulas. From memory, Gua Lou Xie Bai Ban Xia Tang and Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang are both Shang Han Lun formula. The former is for painful obstruction in the chest with yang deficiency. (Analyze the herbs in the name and you'll see why, both formulae only have the herbs in the name in them.) The latter is for pain and muscle spasm (Think Bai Shao soothing the liver, the liver and gallbladder controlling muscles and tendons.) I think the first one you mentioned and Dang Gui Bu Xue Chong Ji are just different names for the same formula, or modifications therein. And is used for consumptive fatigue, or qi and blood deficiency resulting in low grade fever due to yin, blood deficiency (think after childbirth.) Xiang Fu Li Zhong Wan is a modification of Li Zhong Wan, ( there are many) and it warms the middle jiao and strengthens the spleen and stomach, hence the name, just analyze why you would add Xiang Fu to it, my guess is to have a stronger action of regulating the liver qi and strengthen the pain relief effect, especially in the case of menstrual irregularities.
Umm, thats about all I can be bothered tackling now. Hope it helps. Just out of curiosity, is this a list of patent products? Because the name soundls like it, in which case they are modifications of standard formulae or proprietary medicines with brand names. Its hard to tell without seeing the characters, the pinyin could mean several different things.
Good luck. |