Sijunzi decoction comes from Taiping Huimin Hejiju Prescription more than 1000 years ago, which is a prescription with tonic effect. The so-called tonic formulae, a Chinese medicine, is usually composed of tonic Chinese medicine, which has the function of nourishing qi, blood, yin and yang in the human body and regulating various deficiency diseases and syndromes. These can be called tonic formulae.
Nourishing, naturally, is to make up for the missing part in our body. Deficiency syndromes are caused by congenital deficiency of vital energy and acquired imbalance of nursed back to health. Our common deficiency syndromes, including qi deficiency, yin deficiency, blood deficiency, etc., will of course have symptoms of deficiency of both qi and yin and deficiency of both qi and blood. Therefore, in terms of treatment, qi deficiency is usually used to replenish qi, while blood deficiency is used to replenish blood. However, when the symptoms are mixed, the two will complement each other.
Sijunzi decoction, as a representative prescription of tonic formulae, is composed of ginseng, Poria, Atractylodes macrocephala and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. Its usage mainly regulates spleen and stomach weakness, and it has the functions of invigorating qi and strengthening spleen.
In Huangdi Neijing, it is mentioned that the Qi in our human body originates from Shui Gu, and Shui Gu enters the spleen and stomach, and then enters the heart. The internal organs of the whole body can feel the operation changes of Qi, so the kidney is the innate foundation, and then the spleen and stomach are the acquired foundation and the source of qi and blood metaplasia.
Spleen and stomach weakness will affect qi and blood metaplasia, and it will also lead to some diseases, such as shortness of breath and low voice. At the same time, the spleen and stomach are also important organs for receiving Shui Gu in the body, and the whole body nutrition is absorbed in our spleen and stomach at the beginning. Spleen and stomach weakness will affect the responsibility of transportation and reception, resulting in decreased intake and abnormal health. Weak pulse and pale complexion may be caused by weakness of spleen and stomach.
Therefore, in the treatment of symptoms such as weakness of the spleen and stomach, the qi of the spleen and stomach should be supplemented, and the spleen and stomach will be healthy and prosperous, and various diseases will be alleviated. As the saying goes, the spleen and stomach are weak and sick, and nourishing the spleen and regulating the stomach is healthy. Among the ancient and modern wonderful prescriptions, Sijunzi decoction is still the basic prescription to regulate spleen and stomach weakness, although there are many prescriptions to regulate spleen and stomach.
In Sijunzi decoction, tonic Chinese medicines are the main ones, such as well-known ginseng, which is a commonly used medicine for invigorating qi, warming and invigorating qi to achieve the effect of invigorating spleen and nourishing stomach; Spleen and stomach qi deficiency, transport and transformation dereliction of duty, so the use of Atractylodes macrocephala to enhance the effect of ginseng qi, spleen and stomach. If the spleen governs dampness and the spleen and stomach are weak, the transport will naturally be weak, which will cause dampness to stop the spleen and stomach. Therefore, Poria cocos, which has the function of invigorating the spleen and infiltrating dampness, is selected to avoid the phenomenon of over-supplementing and blocking while invigorating qi.
The four kinds of traditional Chinese medicines used in Sijunzi Decoction are all sweet and mild herbs, which have the same neutralization as a gentleman, so it is named "Sijunzi Decoction". It focuses on tonifying the weakness of the spleen and stomach, and at the same time has the effect of diuresis and dampness.
Sijunzi decoction is the basic prescription for invigorating qi. Naturally, some doctors will add some other medicinal materials on its original basis to expand its original efficacy. For example, Liujunzi decoction in The True Story of Medicine adds dried tangerine peel and Pinellia ternata on the basis of Sijunzi decoction, which has the effect of invigorating spleen and qi, eliminating dampness and resolving phlegm, and is also used to regulate spleen and stomach qi deficiency with phlegm-dampness symptoms. Of course, there are many additions and subtractions of Sijunzi Decoction, so I won't go into details here.