Classic formula · Tonify yin
Zuo Gui Wan
左归丸 Restore the Left Kidney Pill
A pure, rich Kidney yin and essence tonic with no draining herbs. For the deeper, older deficiency that Liu Wei is too light for: weak bones, loose teeth, dizziness, night sweats, dry mouth, and a worn-out feeling that is years old. Zhang Jie-bin wrote it for the person whose yin is truly spent.
Liu Wei Di Huang Wan refills the tank and keeps it clean. Zuo Gui Wan only refills, and refills hard. It is for the person who needs every drop and has a stomach strong enough to take it.
Also sold as: Left-Restoring Pill · Zuo Gui Yin (the decoction version)
Who Zuo Gui Wan is for
This formula is chosen for 2 patterns. Match your own picture before you match the name.
Signs it is classically given for
- Weak bones, a sore low back and knees that feel hollow
- Loose teeth
- Dizziness and vertigo
- Night sweats and nocturnal emissions
- Dry mouth and throat
- Thin build, tired in a deep way
- Low fertility in a dry, thin person
- Slow recovery after a long illness
- Tongue
- Red with a peeled or absent coat.
- Pulse
- Thin and rapid, or thin and weak.
What is in Zuo Gui Wan
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shu Di Huang Prepared Rehmannia Root Use caution | 24 g | Chief | Prepared rehmannia, in a large dose, refills Kidney yin and essence. |
| Shan Yao Chinese Yam Rhizome | 12 g | Deputy | Chinese yam steadies the Spleen and Kidney and holds essence. |
| Gou Qi Zi Chinese Wolfberry Fruit Use caution | 12 g | Deputy | Goji nourishes Liver and Kidney yin. |
| Shan Zhu Yu Asiatic Cornelian Cherry Fruit | 12 g | Deputy | Cornelian cherry holds the essence in. |
| Niu Xi Niu Xi Root Use caution | 9 g | Assistant | Achyranthes strengthens the low back and knees and guides the formula down. |
| Tu Si Zi Dodder Seed | 12 g | Assistant | Cuscuta seed warms the Kidney gently so yin can be made. |
| Lu Jiao Jiao Deer Horn Gelatin Use caution | 12 g | Assistant | Deer antler glue tonifies essence and blood and builds marrow. |
| Gui Ban Jiao Tortoise Plastron Use caution | 12 g | Assistant | Tortoise plastron glue builds deep yin and firms bones and teeth. |
How Zuo Gui Wan works
Rehmannia, goji, cornelian cherry, and yam fill the yin. Deer antler glue and tortoise shell glue fill the essence and marrow, the deep reserve that bones and teeth are built from. A little cuscuta warms the Kidney so it can turn the tonic into yin, on the principle that yin is best made with a touch of yang. There is no draining herb, which is why it is stronger than Liu Wei and also harder to digest.
Actions in classic terms
- Enriches Kidney yin and fills the essence
- Benefits the marrow and strengthens bones
Common changes to Zuo Gui Wan
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
- Loose teeth as the main complaint add Gu Sui Bu The bone mender firms the socket.
- Heat signs: night sweats, hot palms add Zhi Mu, Huang Bai The cooling pair. Zhang Jie-bin himself advised adding them when fire was present.
- Dry stools add Rou Cong Rong Cistanche moistens the gut and tonifies the Kidney.
Cautions with Zuo Gui Wan
- Very rich. It needs a working Spleen. Loose stools, bloating, or no appetite mean this formula is too heavy; start with Liu Wei Di Huang Wan.
- Contains animal products: deer antler glue and tortoise plastron glue.
- Not for a damp or phlegmy picture, or a thick tongue coat.
- Pause during an acute cold or flu.
- Pregnancy: use only under a qualified practitioner.
Forms and typical dose
Sold as teapills, granules, decoction.
- Teapills
- 8 pills, three times a day with warm water, the usual label dose
- Decoction
- One bag a day in two doses, with the amounts above. The glues are melted into the strained decoction.
- Course
- Three to six months. This is a long-course formula.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Zuo Gui Wan
The box reads Zuo Gui Wan with the characters 左归丸. Eight ingredients including deer antler glue and tortoise plastron glue. Some vegetarian versions drop the glues; they are then a lighter formula.
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Zuo Gui Wan
- Liu Wei Di Huang Wan 六味地黄丸 Lighter and self-draining. The right place to start when you are not sure the stomach can take a pure tonic.
- You Gui Wan 右归丸 The mirror formula for the yang side: the same deep tonics with cinnamon, aconite, and eucommia for a cold, weak, pale person.
- Da Bu Yin Wan 大补阴丸 A yin tonic with strong cooling herbs for heavy empty heat. Zuo Gui Wan fills; Da Bu Yin Wan fills and cools.
Conditions where Zuo Gui Wan comes up
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.