Panax Notoginseng, Jujube, and Crucian Carp Soup，From *Proven Tea, Decoction, and Soup Recipes for Common Ailments*,Promotes blood circulation and dispels blood stasis; nourishes the heart and lowers cholesterol. Suitable for those with angina pectoris or arrhythmia caused by coronary heart disease.
given the warm nature, caution is advised if the tongue is red with scant coating or there is tidal fever and night sweats; those who are robust with internal accumulated heat are not suited to this formula; with herbs that quicken the blood, caution is warranted in those with a tendency to bleed or bruise easily; the tonifying-warming action may aggravate internal heat; avoid during feverish or inflammatory episodes
Commentary
The sovereign is panax notoginseng, nature warm, flavor sweet, mildly bitter, channeled into the Liver, Stomach; it disperses stasis, stops bleeding, and reduces swelling and pain, anchoring the central strategy of the formula. These are joined ministerially by jujubes (of warm nature and sweet flavor, entering the Spleen, Stomach, Heart, tonifies qi, nourishes blood and calms the spirit, and harmonizes the formula), and dried tangerine peel (with warm nature and pungent, bitter flavor, having Spleen, Lung tropism, regulates qi, strengthens the spleen, dries dampness and dissolves phlegm), reinforcing the sovereign’s main effect. The formula is rounded out by crucian carp, rich in blood-and-flesh essence, nourishing the righteous qi, keeping the combination balanced and well-tempered. Together the herbs converge on this action, in accord with the qi deficiency with blood stasis pattern.