Cinnamon Twig and Ephedra Decoction，From *Tong Zhenzi’s Essentials of Shanghan*, cited in *Collected Medical Formulas*, Volume 54.，Yangming wind-stroke: headache, bitter taste in the mouth, abdominal distension, slight shortness of breath, fever with aversion to cold, and a floating yet taut pulse; in cases where purgation results in difficulty urinating;Yangming disease, from the 5th–6th day to the 7th–8th day, presenting like malaria—with more fever than chills, recurring twice a day—and a pulse that is faint and slow, indicates the condition is about to resolve; in Jueyin syndrome, a faint pulse accompanied by aversion to cold indicates a deficiency of both yin and yang, and emesis or purgation is contraindicated; in Jueyin syndrome, if sweating occurs with a red complexion and signs of heat, this indicates the condition is about to resolve.
Cinnamon Twig and Ephedra Decoction
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Formulas Name : Cinnamon Twig and Ephedra Decoction
Chinese Name : 桂枝麻黄汤
Drug Formulation
Cinnamon Twig 1 liang, Ephedra 1 liang (roots and nodes removed), Red Peony Root 1 liang, Apricot Kernels 1 liang (peeled and tips removed, stir-fried with bran until golden).
Source
From *Tong Zhenzi’s Essentials of Shanghan*, cited in *Collected Medical Formulas*, Volume 54.
Processing
Grind the ingredients into a coarse powder.
Benefits
Yangming wind-stroke: headache, bitter taste in the mouth, abdominal distension, slight shortness of breath, fever with aversion to cold, and a floating yet taut pulse; in cases where purgation results in difficulty urinating;Yangming disease, from the 5th–6th day to the 7th–8th day, presenting like malaria—with more fever than chills, recurring twice a day—and a pulse that is faint and slow, indicates the condition is about to resolve; in Jueyin syndrome, a faint pulse accompanied by aversion to cold indicates a deficiency of both yin and yang, and emesis or purgation is contraindicated; in Jueyin syndrome, if sweating occurs with a red complexion and signs of heat, this indicates the condition is about to resolve.
Instructions for Use
Take 4 qian per dose, boil with 1 zhan of water, add 5 slices of ginger and 2 jujubes, decoct until reduced to 6 fen, strain, and take while hot, regardless of the time of day.
Copyright: Excerpt from From *Tong Zhenzi’s Essentials of Shanghan*, cited in *Collected Medical Formulas*, Volume 54., Copyright belongs to the Original Author and all original sources, This article was shared by DeDe on August 25, 2026, Please credit the source and include a link to the original article when reposting.
Terminology Proofreading: [Cheng Bo] | August 25, 2026 Reviewed by: [Wang Zhongxiang, Associate Chief TCM Physician (China)] | August 25, 2026
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Cinnamon Twig and Ephedra Decoction,Yangming wind-stroke: headache, bitter taste in the mouth, abdominal distension, slight shortness of breath, fever with aversion to cold, and a floating yet taut pulse; in cases where purgation results in difficulty urinating;Yangming disease, from the 5th–6th day to the 7th–8th day, presenting like malaria—with more fever than chills, recurring twice a day—and a pulse that is faint and slow, indicates the condition is about to resolve; in Jueyin syndrome, a faint pulse accompanied by aversion to cold indicates a deficiency of both yin and yang, and emesis or purgation is contraindicated; in Jueyin syndrome, if sweating occurs with a red complexion and signs of heat, this indicates the condition is about to resolve.