Danggui San

About

Like the better-known Danggui Shaoyao San, this formula first appeared 1,850 years ago as part of the pregnancy chapter in Zhang Zhongjing’s classic formula compendium on complex disorders, Essentials from the Golden Cabinet (Jingui yaolüe). It is one of several remedies in Zhang’s textbook that combines the three Blood tonic herbs tang-kuei, peony, and ligusticum, making it another classical precursor to the universal Blood tonic Siwu Tang (Four Substance Decoction). On the other hand, it is the source for the following statement by the influential 14th century scholar-physician Zhu Danxi, which distinguishes the unique design of Danggui San clearly from other Blood tonics: “Huangqin and Baizhu are truly miraculous herbs for the health of a growing fetus, Huangqin is generally considered a cold substance unsuitable for pregnancy, when it is actually especially important at this time to clear heat and cool the Blood—only when Blood does not move erratically and thereby cause bleeding can it properly nourish the fetus.” Different from the more pathology-oriented Danggui Shaoyao San, therefore, Danggui San was recommended by Zhang Zhongjing as a daily preventative dietetic “that should be routinely imbibed during pregnancy.” While overshadowed by other remedies in the modern era, this formula continues to be the best preventative measure Chinese medicine has to offer during the first trimester of pregnancy. In addition, its simple and alchemically stable design makes Danggui San suitable for a host of other imbalances involving the Spleen, the Stomach and the Liver.