Gadfly … Classic Formulas
Meng Chong · Tabanus
Primary Actions
- Breaks blood and expels stasis - Meng Chong is a forceful insect medicinal used for severe fixed blood stasis rather than for mild routine pain.
- Disperses accumulations and masses - classical indications include abdominal masses, amenorrhea from blood stasis, and long-standing congealed blood patterns.
- Relieves traumatic stasis - later use extends to bruising and traumatic injury when hard stasis and swelling predominate.
Classic Formulas
- Di Dang Tang - the best-known blood-stasis formula using Meng Chong with Shui Zhi, Tao Ren, and Da Huang for severe lower-abdomen stasis patterns.
- Di Huang Tong Jing Wan - menstrual-stasis formula tradition using Meng Chong to break congealed blood in amenorrhea.
- Da Huang Zhe Chong Wan - later blood-stasis and mass-dispersing formula family in which insect medicinals represent the harsh end of stasis-breaking therapy.
Classical Text References
- Chinese materia medica references describe Meng Chong as bitter, slightly cold, and slightly toxic, entering the Liver to break blood, dispel stasis, and scatter concretions.
- Traditional cautions are especially strong in pregnancy and marked qi-blood deficiency because the herb's action is to drive out severe stasis.