The composition of the formula is not a mere accumulation of drugs, but has certain principles and laws. It is a principle and a rule. It is summarized in four parts, namely, the king, the minister, the supporter, and the envoy, to illustrate the relationship between the master and the subordinate in the preparation of the drugs. An effective formula must be targeted, rigorously organized, clear, focused, few and concise. Now the meaning of the "king, minister, supporting, making" is described as follows:

1. The king of the drug is for the cause of the disease or the main evidence of the main therapeutic effect of the drug, generally more effective, the amount of medicine is larger.

2. The subject drug is the drug in the formula that can assist and strengthen the effect of the main drug.

3. The adjuvant is another kind of auxiliary drug in the formula. It is also divided into:

(1) positive adjuvant: assisting the main drug in treating parthenogenesis.

(2) counter-adjuvant: inhibit the main drug, reduce or eliminate the side effects of the main drug.

4. There are two meanings of making medicines

(1) the medicines that can lead the medicines in the formula to the place of disease.

(2) harmonizing drugs, both have the effect of harmonizing the drugs in the formula.

For example, a patient has a fever with cold, no sweat, a headache, and a floating tight pulse. The defense is wind-cold surface solid evidence. Choose to use ephedra soup treatment, the formula of ephedra, pungent and warm, sweating and relief of the surface, in order to remove the cause of the disease (wind-cold) and treatment of the main evidence of the main drug; Gui Zhi, pungent, sweet and warm, warm menstruation to relieve the muscle, to assist ephedra to enhance sweating and relief of the surface of the work of the auxiliary drugs; almonds, sweet, bitter, warm, and help ephedra lungs to calm down the asthma, in order to treat the cough and asthma of the concomitant evidence of the adjuvant drugs; licorice, sweet and warm, and the harmonization of all the medicines for the medicinal drugs.

Simple formula, in addition to the main drug, other ingredients are not necessarily all have. For example, in Paeonia lactiflora and Glycyrrhiza glabra soup, there are only the main and auxiliary medicines; in Zuojinwan, there are only the main medicine Huanglian and the adjuvant Wu Zhuzhu; in Dushen Tang, there is only the main medicine ginseng; in complex formulas, the main medicine can be two or more, and the auxiliary, adjuvant, and enabler medicines can also be two or more.

Sincerely and professionally answer your question, I hope my answer can make you satisfied