Natural Herb Library

Classic formula · Clear heat

Yu Nu Jian

玉女煎 Jade Woman Decoction

For toothache, loose teeth, and bleeding gums when Stomach heat sits on top of a dry, yin-deficient body. The person is thirsty and hot in the mouth but also tired and dry, with a red tongue that has lost its coat. It cools the Stomach and refills the yin in one formula.

Qing Wei San is a bucket of water on a fire. Yu Nu Jian is a bucket of water on a fire in a house that is already parched: it puts out the flame and soaks the floor so it does not catch again.

5 herbs Source: Jing Yue Quan Shu (Complete Works of Jing Yue), Ming dynasty, 1624 Updated 2026-10-12 View API data

Also sold as: Yu Nü Jian · Jade Lady Decoction · Gypsum and Rehmannia Combination

Who Yu Nu Jian is for

This formula is chosen for 3 patterns. Match your own picture before you match the name.

With yin deficiency pattern Stomach Fire Red, swollen gums that bleed when brushed, Bad breath, sour or foul, Toothache that throbs, worse with heat, better with cold, Big thirst, wanting cold drinks When the heat sits in the Stomach and gums pattern Kidney Yin Deficiency with Empty Heat Night sweats, Hot palms, hot soles, a warm chest in the evening, Dry mouth at night that wakes you for water, Loose teeth, with gums that are a little red or bleed With heat pattern Stomach Yin Deficiency Dry mouth and lips, with no wish to drink much, No appetite, or hungry but unable to eat, Dull burning or discomfort in the stomach after eating, Dry stools, constipation

Signs it is classically given for

  • Toothache with loose teeth
  • Bleeding gums with a dry mouth
  • Thirst and irritability
  • Headache from heat rising
  • Wasting thirst: hungry, thirsty, and still losing weight
  • A hot mouth in a tired, dry person
Tongue
Red with a yellow coat that is dry, or a red tongue with little coat.
Pulse
Floating, slippery, and large, but weak when pressed.

What is in Yu Nu Jian

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.

HerbAmountRoleJob in the formula
Shi Gao Gypsum 15 g Chief Gypsum clears strong Stomach heat and the thirst that comes with it.
Shu Di Huang Prepared Rehmannia Root Use caution 15 g Chief Prepared rehmannia refills the Kidney yin the heat has burned.
Zhi Mu Rhizome of Common Anamarrhena 5 g Deputy Anemarrhena clears heat while moistening.
Mai Dong Mai Dong Ophiopogon Root Tuber 6 g Deputy Ophiopogon moistens the Stomach and the mouth.
Niu Xi Niu Xi Root Use caution 5 g Envoy Achyranthes pulls the heat down and away from the teeth and carries the formula to the Kidney.

How Yu Nu Jian works

Gypsum and anemarrhena cool the Stomach. Rehmannia and ophiopogon refill the fluids so the heat has somewhere to go. Achyranthes, the one envoy, sends the whole thing downward, which is why the teeth and gums at the top settle. The balance of cooling and filling is what makes it right for a hot mouth in a dry person.

Actions in classic terms

  • Clears Stomach heat
  • Enriches Kidney yin
  • Guides rising heat downward

Common changes to Yu Nu Jian

A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.

  • Heavy gum bleeding add Sheng Di Huang, Mu Dan Pi Raw rehmannia and peony bark cool the blood.
  • Loose teeth that are the main complaint add Gu Sui Bu The bone mender firms the socket.
  • Constipation add Huo Ma Ren Hemp seed moistens the gut.

Cautions with Yu Nu Jian

  • Gypsum is very cold. Not for loose stools, a cold constitution, or a pale wet tongue.
  • Use for a short course while the heat clears, then move to a yin tonic such as Liu Wei or Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan for the long run.
  • Not for toothache from wind-cold or from an abscess.
  • Pregnancy: use only under a qualified practitioner.

Forms and typical dose

Sold as granules, decoction, teapills.

Decoction
One bag a day in two doses, with the amounts above. Gypsum is decocted first.
Granules
As the label directs, usually twice a day
Course
Two to four weeks, then reassess the tongue.

Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.

Buying Yu Nu Jian

The box reads Yu Nu Jian with the characters 玉女煎. Five herbs: Gypsum, prepared Rehmannia, Anemarrhena, Ophiopogon, and Achyranthes. More often sold as granules than teapills.

Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.

Formulas often confused with Yu Nu Jian

  • Qing Wei San 清胃散 Pure fire-clearing for full Stomach fire with swollen bleeding gums, bad breath, and a thick yellow coat. No yin tonic inside.
  • Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan 知柏地黄丸 A Kidney formula with a touch of cooling. Yu Nu Jian is a Stomach formula with a touch of filling. Choose by where the heat sits: mouth and thirst point to Yu Nu Jian, night sweats and low back point to Zhi Bai.
  • Liu Wei Di Huang Wan 六味地黄丸 The gentle long-term yin tonic to continue after Yu Nu Jian has cleared the heat.

Conditions where Yu Nu Jian comes up

Receding Gums and Loose Teeth Toothache Mouth Sores Headache

Sources

  • Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, indications, and cautions.
  • Zhang Jie-bin, Jing Yue Quan Shu, 1624 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.