Shen was 43 years old with a deficient and choppy pulse. The emotions had become unsmooth and the Liver and Spleen qi and blood were excessively constrained. This had persisted without relief for half a year. Giving a drastic formula was difficult [not appropriate]. Therefore giving the official prescription, Rambling Powder (xiäo yáo sân) with Tonify the Middle to Augment the Qi Decoction (bû zhöng yì qì täng) was decided upon.

Original Chinese: 沈（四三） 脉虚涩。情怀失畅。肝脾气血多郁。半载不愈。难任峻剂。议以局方逍遥散。兼服补中益气。

** Other Rambling Powder (xiäo yáo sân) Ye Tian-Shi constraint case studies .

Original Chinese: 某 气郁不舒。木不条达。嗳则少宽。逍遥散去白术加香附。

Rambling Powder (xiao yao san) originally includes: Bupleuri Radix (chái hú), dry-fried Angelicae sinensis Radix (châo däng guï), Paeoniae Radix alba (bái sháo) , Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma (bái zhú), Poria (fú líng), Glycyrrhizae Radix preparata (zhì gän câo) , Zingiberis Rhizoma recens (wëi jiäng), Menthae haplocalycis Herba (bò hé).

—-

Constraint Case #3: A certain patient presented with Liver constraint engendering heat. Augmented Rambling Powder (jia wei xiao yao san) minus Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma (bái zhú) plus Curcumae Radix (yù jïn) was given.

Original Chinese: 某 肝郁成热。加味逍遥去白术加郁金。

Augmented Rambling Powder (jia wei xiao yao san) originally includes: Angelicae sinensis Radix (däng guï), Paeoniae Radix (sháo yào) Poria (fú líng), dry-fried Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma (châo bái zhú), Bupleuri Radix (chái hú), Moutan Cortex (mû dän pí), dry-fried Gardeniae Fructus (châo zhï zî), Glycyrrhizae Radix preparata (zhì gän câo)

Jason’s Commentary: Even from these simple cases we can start to figure out how Ye Tian-Shi thinks about herbs, and this really is the goal. For example, in the first case the only symptom is belching. This must be significant. xiang fu is added, which most likely demonstrates his belief that it harmonizes the Liver and Stomach. In both cases bai zhu is eliminated most likely because a) there is no real deficiency as well as it being warm and drying, which definitely would be problematic for the second case. The addition of yu jin seems fairly straightforward. It is cooling and also moves the Liver qi. However, does Ye merely think of this medicinal as a qi level medicinal or is he also thinking about it also moving blood? As we see more cases this hopefully will become more clear.

Do  others have disagreements or other opinions?