Nourishing the Heart and Calming the Spirit Ointment，*Li Ye*.，This formula treats heart deficiency with phlegm-fire that prevents the spirit from finding peace, and also addresses gallbladder deficiency. It is suitable for the elderly with timid hearts, those whose spirit has not returned to its proper abode after illness, as well as young people with excessive “phase fire,” disharmony between the heart and kidneys, palpitations, and nocturnal emissions—even in cases where insomnia is not caused by fright.
Nourishing the Heart and Calming the Spirit Ointment
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Formulas Name : Nourishing the Heart and Calming the Spirit Ointment
Chinese Name : 养心安神膏
Drug Formulation
1 beef heart, 1 beef gallbladder (soak in 3 jin of finely ground sesame oil and simmer until ready for use), 3 liang of Sichuan Coptis, 2 liang of Ophiopogon, 2 liang of Salvia miltiorrhiza, 2 liang of Scrophularia, 2 liang of Sophora flavescens, 2 liang of Curcuma, 2 liang of Gallbladder-processed Pinellia, 2 liang of Scutellaria baicalensis, 2 liang of Moutan bark, 2 liang of Asparagus root, 2 liang of Raw Rehmannia,1 liang of Lu Dangshen, 1 liang of Shu Di, 1 liang of raw Astragalus, 1 liang of Shangyu Atractylodes, 1 liang of wine-processed white peony root, 1 liang of Angelica sinensis, 1 liang of Fritillaria, 1 liang of Pinellia, 1 liang of bitter Platycodon, 1 liang of Guang Chenpi, 1 liang of Chuanxiong, 1 liang of Bi Zi Ren, 1 liang of Forsythia,1 liang of processed jujube seed, 1 liang of Dendrobium nobile, 1 liang of Polygala tenuifolia (roasted until black), 1 liang of Trichosanthes kirilowii root, 1 liang of Polygonum aviculare pollen, 1 liang of Schisandra chinensis, 1 liang of Lycium barbarum bark, 1 liang of Chinese yam, 1 liang of Schisandra chinensis, 1 liang of Fructus Aurantii, 1 liang of Phellodendron amurense bark, 1 liang of Anemarrhena asphodeloides,1 liang of black gardenia, 1 liang of raw licorice, 1 liang of akebia stem, 1 liang of alisma, 1 liang of plantain seed, 1 liang of safflower, 1 liang of cassia bark, 1 liang of trichosanthes seed, 1 liang of antelope horn, 1 liang of ground rhinoceros horn, 2 liang of raw turtle shell, 2 liang of raw dragon’s teeth, 2 liang of raw dragon bone, 2 liang of raw oyster shell,2 liang of fresh ginger, 2 liang of bamboo shavings, 2 liang of nine-jointed acorus, 8 liang of locust tree twigs, 8 liang of willow twigs, 8 liang of bamboo leaves, 8 liang of mulberry twigs, 4 liang of lily bulbs, 4 liang of fresh chrysanthemum flowers (with roots and leaves), and 1 plant of impatiens.
Source
*Li Ye*.
Processing
Combine the above herbs with 16 jin of oil, decoct in batches to remove the dregs, then combine with beef heart fat and decoct together until a paste forms. Add 4 liang each of cold water stone and gold toadstone, 2 liang each of sodium silicate, cinnabar, and indigo powder, 1 liang each of alum, red ochre, and calcined ochre, and 4 liang of beef gelatin (steamed with wine until dissolved, following the method for Qingyang Ointment), then reduce to a paste.
Benefits
This formula treats heart deficiency with phlegm-fire that prevents the spirit from finding peace, and also addresses gallbladder deficiency. It is suitable for the elderly with timid hearts, those whose spirit has not returned to its proper abode after illness, as well as young people with excessive “phase fire,” disharmony between the heart and kidneys, palpitations, and nocturnal emissions—even in cases where insomnia is not caused by fright.
Instructions for Use
Apply to the Shanzhong acupoint.
Copyright: Excerpt from *Li Ye*., Copyright belongs to the Original Author and all original sources, This article was shared by DeDe on August 31, 2026, Please credit the source and include a link to the original article when reposting.
Terminology Proofreading: [Cheng Bo] | August 31, 2026 Reviewed by: [Wang Zhongxiang, Associate Chief TCM Physician (China)] | August 31, 2026
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Nourishing the Heart and Calming the Spirit Ointment,This formula treats heart deficiency with phlegm-fire that prevents the spirit from finding peace, and also addresses gallbladder deficiency. It is suitable for the elderly with timid hearts, those whose spirit has not returned to its proper abode after illness, as well as young people with excessive “phase fire,” disharmony between the heart and kidneys, palpitations, and nocturnal emissions—even in cases where insomnia is not caused by fright.