Liver-Clearing Ointment，From *Li Ye*.，Indicated for blood deficiency in the Liver Meridian accompanied by irritability and internal heat, or symptoms such as dizziness, headache, blurred vision, red eyes, tinnitus, deafness, pain in and around the ears, a sallow complexion, sour taste in the mouth, alternating chills and fever, frequent startles and insomnia, irritability, hemoptysis, chest fullness and distension, pain in the flanks, sides of the ribs, and around the breasts, pain in the upper abdomen, pain in the lower abdomen, swelling and pain in the genital area, convulsions in children, and liver-related malnutrition. For external symptoms, it treats swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
Liver-Clearing Ointment
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Formulas Name : Liver-Clearing Ointment
Chinese Name : 清肝膏
Drug Formulation
1 softshell turtle shell (soak and simmer in 3 jin of finely ground sesame oil until ready for use), 4 liang of Bupleurum root, 3 liang of Coptis root, 3 liang of Gentiana root, 2 liang of Scrophularia root, 2 liang of raw Rehmannia root, 2 liang of Chuanxiong, 2 liang of Angelica sinensis, 2 liang of white peony root, 2 liang of Curcuma, 2 liang of Moutan bark, 2 liang of Lycium bark,Qianghuo 2 liang, Fangfeng 2 liang, Dan Nansheng 2 liang, Bohe 1 liang, Huangqin 1 liang, Maidong 1 liang, Zhimu 1 liang, Beimu 1 liang, Huangbai 1 liang, Jingjie Sui 1 liang, Tianma 1 liang, Qin Jiao 1 liang, Puhuang 1 liang, Zhike 1 liang, Lianqiao 1 liang, Banxia 1 liang, Hua Fen 1 liang,Black Gardenia 1 liang, Cyperus Rhizome 1 liang, Red Peony Root 1 liang, Xuanhu 1 liang, Dried Tangerine Peel 1 liang, Green Tangerine Peel 1 liang, Trichosanthes Seed 1 liang, Peach Kernel 1 liang, Coptis Rhizome 1 liang, Corydalis Rhizome 1 liang, Lingzhi 1 liang (roasted), Curcuma Rhizome 1 liang (steamed), Acorus Rhizome 1 liang (steamed), Euphorbia Resin 1 liang,Euphorbia 1 liang, Safflower 1 liang, Rubia 1 liang (also known as “Five-Clawed Dragon”), Achyranthes 1 liang, Dipsacus 1 liang, Plantain Seed 1 liang, Akebia 1 liang, Soapberry 1 liang, Asarum 1 liang, Castor Bean 1 liang, Areca Nut 1 liang, Rhubarb 1 liang, Sodium Silicate 1 liang, Antelope Horn 1 liang,Rhinoceros Horn 1 liang, Pangolin Scale 1 liang, Whole Scorpion 1 liang, Oyster Shell 1 liang, Honeysuckle Vine 1 liang, Licorice 1 liang, Oyster Shell (Shijueming) 1 liang, Evodia Fruit 5 qian, Cinnamon Bark 5 qian, Cicada Shedding 5 qian, Fresh Ginger 2 liang, White Scallion 2 liang, Garlic Cloves 2 liang, White Chives 4 liang, Locust Tree Twigs 8 liang, Willow Twigs 8 liang,mulberry twigs 8 liang, holly twigs 8 liang, goji root 8 liang, impatiens 4 liang (whole plant), motherwort 4 liang, white chrysanthemum flowers 4 liang, dried mulberry leaves 4 liang, hibiscus leaves 4 liang, side cypress leaves 2 liang, acorus 1 liang, wood apple 1 liang, Sichuan pepper 5 qian, white mustard seeds 5 qian, black plum 5 qian.
Source
From *Li Ye*.
Processing
Combine the above two batches and simmer them together in 24 jin of oil until the elixir is concentrated. Then add 4 liang of calcined Qinglong Stone, 2 liang each of bright realgar and bleached indigo, 1 liang each of aloe and blue wood incense, and 4 liang of ox glue (steamed with wine until dissolved). After the elixir has concentrated, stir until lukewarm; test with a single drop—if it does not explode, remove from heat.Stir over a thousand times to ensure uniformity; the more stirring, the better. Do not stir until the mixture forms beads.
Benefits
Indicated for blood deficiency in the Liver Meridian accompanied by irritability and internal heat, or symptoms such as dizziness, headache, blurred vision, red eyes, tinnitus, deafness, pain in and around the ears, a sallow complexion, sour taste in the mouth, alternating chills and fever, frequent startles and insomnia, irritability, hemoptysis, chest fullness and distension, pain in the flanks, sides of the ribs, and around the breasts, pain in the upper abdomen, pain in the lower abdomen, swelling and pain in the genital area, convulsions in children, and liver-related malnutrition. For external symptoms, it treats swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
Instructions for Use
Apply the patch according to the size of the affected area. For head and eye conditions, apply two patches to the temples; for ear conditions, apply a patch on either side of the ear canal. For internal disorders, apply patches to the chest, both flanks, the back (Liver Shu points), above the navel, and below the navel; apply the remaining patches to the affected area. Add a pill and grind it with vinegar before applying as a poultice.
Copyright: Excerpt from From *Li Ye*., Copyright belongs to the Original Author and all original sources, This article was shared by DeDe on August 30, 2026, Please credit the source and include a link to the original article when reposting.
Terminology Proofreading: [Cheng Bo] | August 30, 2026 Reviewed by: [Wang Zhongxiang, Associate Chief TCM Physician (China)] | August 30, 2026
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Liver-Clearing Ointment,Indicated for blood deficiency in the Liver Meridian accompanied by irritability and internal heat, or symptoms such as dizziness, headache, blurred vision, red eyes, tinnitus, deafness, pain in and around the ears, a sallow complexion, sour taste in the mouth, alternating chills and fever, frequent startles and insomnia, irritability, hemoptysis, chest fullness and distension, pain in the flanks, sides of the ribs, and around the breasts, pain in the upper abdomen, pain in the lower abdomen, swelling and pain in the genital area, convulsions in children, and liver-related malnutrition. For external symptoms, it treats swollen lymph nodes in the neck.