This formula (circa 150 ‐ 219 CE) was originally described for the major presenting symptom of a sensation in the throat as if a piece of roasted meat was stuck there. In contemporary TCM this symptom is referred to as plum-pit Qi (mei he qi). One cause of this condition may be Qi-Phlegm (a pathogenic complex of stagnant Qi and Phlegm); other causes may include Fire from Liver Qi constraint and Qi-Blood dual deficiency. The pathogenesis of the conditions treated by this formula is Liver Qi constraint, which leads to Qi stagnation both in the Liver channel as well as the Triple Jiao.

• Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to regulate Qi
• Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to descend Qi
• Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to move stagnant qi
• Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to resolve Phlegm