Traditional Chinese Medicine Healing Herbs(TCMHH)

Prescriptions for Relieving Diarrhea with Astringents

Sishen Wan

四神丸
By the TCMHH editorial team Not medically reviewed How we work Updated 6 Oct 2026
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Name

The Prescription of Sishen Wan

Source

The book Zheng Zhi Zhun Sheng

Ingredients

Rou Dou Kou (Semen Myristicae) 60 g,Wu Wei Zi (Fructus Schisandrae) 60 g,Bu Gu Zhi (Fructus Psoraleae) 120 g,Wu Zhu Yu (Fructus Evodiae) 30 g,Sheng Jiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens) 24 g,Da Zao (Fructus Jujubae) 100 dates.

Explanation

Bu Gu Zhi: The principal drug, warming and tonifying the kidney-Yang.

Rou Dou Kou: Warming the spleen to arrest diarrhea, promoting the flow of Qi and removing stagnated food.

Wu Zhu Yu and Sheng Jiang: Warming the middle-Jiao to expel pathogenic cold.

Wu Wei Zi: Astringing the intestines to arrest diarrhea.

Da Zao: Tonifying the spleen and benefiting the stomach.

The Effect of Sishen Wan

Effect

Warming and tonifying the spleen and kidney, astringing the intestines to arrest diarrhea.

Indications

Syndrome due to cold-deficiency of the spleen and kidney, marked by diarrhea before dawn, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, soreness of the loins, cold limbs, listlessness, lassitude, pale tongue with thin whitish coating, and deep slow weak pulse; including such diseases with the above symptoms as chronic colitis, allergic colitis and intestinal tuberculosis.

Administrations

Da Zao without the cores is boiled up to being done, The other ingredients are ground into fine powder, which is mixed with the boiled Da Zao mo pills. 6-9 g of the pills is taken each time, twice daily. Or all the ingredients are decocted in water for oral dose after the amounts of the drugs are reduced according to the proportions in the original prescription.

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Sources and further reading

We cite classical materia medica and modern reference works. This article is health education, not medical advice.

  • Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), Han dynasty.
  • Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen, 1578.
  • Chinese Pharmacopoeia, current edition — identity, quality and safety monographs.
  • NCCIH and WHO reference material on traditional medicine safety.

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