Pepper Decoction，From *Shengji Zonglu*, Volume 84.，For beriberi with cramping and swelling, and stiffness in the lower back and hips.
Pepper Decoction
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Formulas Name : Pepper Decoction
Chinese Name : 椒汤
Drug Formulation
6 sheng of Sichuan pepper (if unsteamed, use two raw silk pouches, each 8–9 cun long; place the pepper into the pouches, pack them tightly, and sew the openings shut).
Source
From *Shengji Zonglu*, Volume 84.
Benefits
For beriberi with cramping and swelling, and stiffness in the lower back and hips.
Instructions for Use
Place the pepper bags in a cauldron, add 4 dou 5 sheng of sour whey and 2 sheng of salt, and boil for 5–7 boils. Take a clean earthenware jar with a capacity of 5 dou; pour the hot pepper decoction into the jar while still hot. Wait until the liquid has cooled to a temperature that allows for comfortable immersion of the feet, then place the feet in the jar, step on the pepper bags to soak them, and frequently pour the liquid over the tops of the feet.If the pepper bag in the jar feels cold, replace it with a hot one from the cauldron; if the liquid has cooled, replace it with hot liquid from the cauldron as well. After use, return both the liquid and the pepper bag to the cauldron and keep them warm over low heat, ensuring they remain hot at all times. This process must be conducted in a well-sealed room to prevent drafts. If both feet feel numb and tingling as if crawled over by insects, and sweat appears on the head, neck, and limbs, accompanied by rumbling in the abdomen, this indicates that the qi has descended; stop the treatment immediately.If, after sweating, you feel a sense of oppression in the chest, eat 3–5 mouthfuls of cold rice and follow it with dried venison to induce a bowel movement. If you experience mild diarrhea, this indicates that the condition is resolving through purgation. If the condition has not yet resolved, repeat the treatment every other day or every three days using the same decoction and bag as before, following the same method of soaking the feet, until sweating and abdominal rumbling occur again. When soaking the feet in the decoction, the liquid should reach only 3–4 cun above the instep and must not go beyond the ankle.
Note
It is advisable to consume ghee-honey ginger soup and venison.
Copyright: Excerpt from From *Shengji Zonglu*, Volume 84., Copyright belongs to the Original Author and all original sources, This article was shared by DeDe on August 26, 2026, Please credit the source and include a link to the original article when reposting.
Terminology Proofreading: [Cheng Bo] | August 26, 2026 Reviewed by: [Wang Zhongxiang, Associate Chief TCM Physician (China)] | August 26, 2026
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Pepper Decoction,For beriberi with cramping and swelling, and stiffness in the lower back and hips.