Classic formula · Clear heat
Dao Chi San
导赤散 Guide Out the Red Powder
Four gentle herbs that drain Heart fire out through the urine. For mouth and tongue ulcers that burn, irritability and thirst, and dark, scanty, burning urination, all at once. Written for children by the father of Chinese pediatrics, and still the mildest fire formula on the shelf.
The Heart drains into the Small Intestine and out through the bladder. When the Heart burns, the tongue blisters at one end and the urine scalds at the other. This formula opens the drain and lets the red out.
Also sold as: Dao Chi Wan · Rehmannia and Akebia Formula
Who Dao Chi San is for
This formula is chosen for one pattern. Match your own picture before you match the name.
Signs it is classically given for
- Mouth and tongue ulcers
- Irritability, restlessness, thirst
- Dark, scanty, painful, or burning urination
- A red face in a child with fever and fussiness
- Night crying in a hot, restless child
- Insomnia from Heart heat with a red tongue tip
- Tongue
- Red, especially the tip, with a thin yellow coat.
- Pulse
- Rapid.
What is in Dao Chi San
Amounts are the classic decoction range in grams. Patent pills use the same herbs in the same proportion, so read the box for these names.
| Herb | Amount | Role | Job in the formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheng Di Huang Fresh Rehmannia Root | 6 g | Chief | Raw rehmannia cools the Heart and the blood and nourishes yin. |
| Mu Tong Akebia, Clematis Stem High caution | 6 g | Deputy | Clematis stem drains Heart heat through the urine. See the caution on which mu tong. |
| Dan Zhu Ye Lophatherum Herb | 6 g | Assistant | Lophatherum clears Heart heat and irritability. |
| Gan Cao Raw Licorice Root Use caution | 6 g | Envoy | Licorice tip, classically, soothes the burning urine and harmonizes. |
How Dao Chi San works
Rehmannia cools and protects the yin so the formula does not dry a child out. Clematis stem and lophatherum open the drain. Licorice soothes. Four herbs in equal parts, mild enough for a toddler, which is the whole point of the formula.
Actions in classic terms
- Clears Heart fire and nourishes yin
- Promotes urination to drain the heat
Common changes to Dao Chi San
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
- Strong heat and sleeplessness add Huang Lian A pinch of coptis.
- Blood in the urine add Bai Mao Gen, Xiao Ji Cooling herbs that stop bleeding.
Cautions with Dao Chi San
- Mu tong: insist on a brand that uses Chuan Mu Tong (clematis) or Tong Cao, never Guan Mu Tong (aristolochia), which damages the kidneys and is banned.
- Cool. Not for a weak Spleen with loose stools, or a cold picture.
- Short courses; stop when the ulcers and urine settle.
Forms and typical dose
Sold as teapills, granules, decoction.
- Decoction
- One bag a day in two doses, with the amounts above; half for a child
- Course
- Three to seven days.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Dao Chi San
The box reads Dao Chi San or Wan with the characters 导赤. Four ingredients: raw Rehmannia, Clematis stem, Lophatherum, and Licorice. The label must state Chuan Mu Tong or Tong Cao.
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Dao Chi San
- Huang Lian Jie Du Tang 黄连解毒汤 Far stronger, for fire in every organ. Dao Chi San is the gentle Heart version.
- Ba Zheng San 八正散 Aims at the bladder alone with stronger drainers, for a real urinary infection.
Conditions where Dao Chi San comes up
Sources
- Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, indications, and cautions.
- Qian Yi, Xiao Er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue, 1119 Source text.
Important Note
Formula pages describe classic use so you can read a label, ask a better question, and find the right monographs. They are education, not a prescription. A formula that fits the wrong pattern can make things worse, so match the picture first.