When Dampness weighs down the Middle
A heavy, full belly, a flagging appetite, a sticky feeling in the mouth, a head as heavy as if under a helmet, a sluggish, listless body, especially in damp weather, after iced drinks or when the climate changes… Sometimes there is also a feeling of cold, as when you have been caught in the wind. In TCM, these signs may be associated with Dampness burdening the Spleen and Stomach, often accompanied by Wind-Cold gripping the exterior: the Spleen no longer raises the clear, and the Stomach no longer sends down the turbid.
Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San appeared under the Song dynasty in the Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang (《太平惠民和剂局方》), the formulary of the Imperial Pharmacy. Its name combines the herb that leads it, patchouli (Huo Xiang), and the idea of setting the Qi right (正气). Commentators see in it the core of Ping Wei San, completed with herbs that release the exterior. Under the Qing, Wu Tang (吴瑭) derived five variants from it, each suited to a form of Dampness, and it remains one of the most widely prepared formulas in China today. Our version contains no pinellia (Ban Xia).
A fragrance that works inside and out
Patchouli, the herb with the highest dose, is pungent, warm and aromatic: according to tradition, it releases the exterior without forcing sweating and, on the inside, transforms Dampness through its aroma and awakens the Spleen. Perilla and Dahurian angelica assist it at the exterior; magnolia, tangerine peel and platycodon get the Qi moving again; atractylodes and poria support the Spleen, where Dampness is born, and licorice harmonises the whole.
Helps transform Dampness: Patchouli transforms it through its aroma, magnolia and atractylodes dry it, and poria helps the Spleen stop it from settling in.
Harmonises the Stomach: Magnolia and tangerine peel move the Qi of the Middle and help the Stomach recover its natural downward movement.
Helps restore lightness and appetite: By awakening the Spleen and dispelling what clutters the Middle, the formula helps you regain a feeling of lightness and a taste for meals.
Dispels Wind and Cold: Perilla and Dahurian angelica, pungent and warm, disperse Wind-Cold at the exterior, while platycodon opens the Qi upwards.
