Earth Pearls
Wuji San五積散
General Support:
Acute, Chronic, Digestive, Metabolic, Gu Syndrome, Immune, Mental-Emotional, Women’s Health
Formula Family:
Overall Warming; Warming and Moving with Cinnamon; Warming and Consolidating with Food Grade Herbs
Organ Systems:
Stomach, Spleen, Lung, Small Intestine
Six Stages:
Taiyin
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About
The unique design of Earth Pearls reflects the 12th century formula Wuji San (Five Accumulations Powder) from the official Song dynasty pharmacopoeia, Pharmaceutical Prescriptions of the Bureau of Public Welfare During the Taiping Era (Taiping huimin hejiju fang). It seeks to provide a comprehensive approach to all earth organ dysfunction, especially the typical situation of Spleen qi deficiency intertwined with dampness, as well as potential Blood deficiency issues. All Chinese herbal traditions tend to pivot around an earth centered approach to healing, attempting to restore the Spleen’s ability to ascend, move, and transform on one side, and to invigorate the Stomach’s ability to descend, contain, and excrete on the other. The lifting components of Earth Pearls (especially the minister ingredient, Platycodon) make it a prototypical taiyin remedy, strengthening the connection between the Spleen and Lung systems. Its drying components (primarily its imperial ingredient, Red Atractylodes) make it a prototypical remedy that transforms damp, prevents phlegm development, and expels wind. Due to its anti-wind properties, Wuji San was once regarded as the Song dynasty’s main remedy for the flu. It can also be considered for chronic wind disturbances accompanied by chronic digestion issues. Its blood tonic ingredients, furthermore, can treat potential Blood deficiency sequelae that tend to follow long-standing qi problems, such as menstrual issues in Spleen deficient women.
Therapeutic Principles
- Warm the center, build Spleen qi and transform cold damp with food-grade herbs (especially suitable for individuals with damp/phlegm constitutions who do not respond well to ginseng and other overly tonic herbs)
- Remove “Five Accumulations” (wuji) that easily build up in the earth layer of the body: qi, Blood, damp, phlegm, and food
- Dispel wind and guard against wind invasion, especially in elderly patients or individuals with cold/deficient constitutions (during the Song and Ming dynasties, Wuji San used to be the primary remedy for influenza)
- Restore the up/down dynamics of the middle burner, eliminate food stagnation, relieve digestive discomfort and abdominal gas/bloating (ancient precursor of popular digestive patents such as Huoxiang Zhengqi San or Pill Curing)
- Dry chronic dampness and transform cold phlegm; expel excess water weight in overweight individuals
- Expel all types of chronic wind damp afflicting the taiyin networks (Spleen and Lung), including bi syndrome in the arms, shoulders, and lower back
Formula Architecture
| CHINESE | PINYIN | COMMON NAME; PAOZHI (PROCESSING) | BASE FORMULA AND/OR ACTIONS |
| 蒼朮 (米泔水制) | Cangzhu | Atractylodes, red; rice soup cured | Original Song dynasty remedy |
| 肉桂 | Rougui | Cinnamon bark | |
| 茯苓 | Fuling | Poria | |
| 甘草 (棗花蜜炙) | Gancao | Licorice; jujube flower honey baked | |
| 半夏 (法制) | Banxia | Pinellia; lime cured | |
| 陳皮 (清炒) | Chenpi | Citrus peel; dry fried | |
| 厚朴 (姜汁炒) | Houpo | Magnolia bark; ginger fried | |
| 乾姜 | Ganjiang | Ginger; dried | |
| 桔梗 | Jiegeng | Platycodon | |
| 枳殼 (麸炒) | Zhike | Aurantium; bran fried | |
| 白芍 (清炒) | Baishao | Peony, white; dry fried | |
| 川芎 | Chuanxiong | Ligusticum | |
| 當歸 | Danggui | Tang-kuei | |
| 防風 (清炒) | Fangfeng | Siler; dry fried | |
| 白芷 | Baizhi | Angelica |