Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang: A Gentle Remedy for Colds and Fever

Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang, or Bupleurum and Pueraria Muscle-Relieving Decoction, is a classic Chinese medicine recipe from the Six Books on Cold Damage. Designed to treat colds that turn into feverish conditions, it relieves muscle tension and clears internal heat.

With a blend of herbs like bupleurum, pueraria root, and licorice, it’s perfect for easing chills, headaches, and body aches. In this guide, we’ll explore its ingredients, benefits, modern uses, and precautions in a clear, easy-to-understand way.

Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang

What’s in Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang?

This decoction combines nine herbs to fight colds and heat:

• Bupleurum (6g): The star herb, it dispels cold, soothes the liver, and relieves surface symptoms like chills.

• Pueraria Root (9g): Cools fever, relaxes muscles, and hydrates to ease thirst.

• Scutellaria (6g): Clears internal heat and reduces inflammation.

• Notopterygium Root (3g): Warms and expels cold, relieving body aches.

• Angelica Root (3g): Eases headaches and nasal congestion.

• White Peony Root (6g): Nourishes blood and soothes muscle pain.

• Platycodon Root (3g): Clears the lungs, soothes sore throats, and reduces phlegm.

• Gypsum (3g): Cools intense heat and calms restlessness.

• Licorice (3g), Ginger, and Jujube: Harmonize the formula, boost digestion, and support immunity.

Roles of the Herbs

• Main Herbs: Bupleurum and pueraria tackle chills and fever.

• Helper Herbs: Scutellaria and notopterygium enhance heat-clearing and cold-relief.

• Support Herbs: Angelica, peony, platycodon, and gypsum soothe pain, throat, and heat.

• Guides: Licorice, ginger, and jujube blend the herbs and boost energy.

How to Use It

• Traditional Method: Boil the herbs in water to make a decoction, then sip warm multiple times daily.

• Modern Method: Follow a doctor’s dosage, typically decocting the herbs and drinking warm. Adjust based on symptoms.

What Does It Do?

Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang relieves muscle tension and clears heat, helping with:

• Easing Cold Symptoms: Dispels initial chills and body aches.

• Cooling Fever: Reduces body heat and restlessness.

• Relieving Pain: Soothes headaches, eye pain, and muscle soreness.

• Clearing Congestion: Opens nasal passages and eases sore throats.

Common symptoms it addresses:

• Chills fading into fever

• Headaches without sweating

• Eye pain or dry nose

• Restlessness or trouble sleeping

• Dry throat or slight deafness

• Pain around the eyes

• Thin, yellow tongue coating

• Floating, surging pulse

Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang /柴葛解肌湯, 5:1 Concentrated Granules

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Why Does It Work?

In Chinese medicine, this formula treats a cold (wind-cold) that lingers and turns into internal heat, affecting multiple energy pathways (meridians):

• Taiyang Meridian: Initial cold causes chills, headaches, and no sweating.

• Yangming Meridian: Heat builds, leading to eye pain and dry nose.

• Shaoyang Meridian: Heat spreads, causing ear discomfort or restlessness.

Bupleurum and pueraria release the cold and cool the fever, while scutellaria and gypsum clear deeper heat. Support herbs like peony and platycodon ease pain and open airways, restoring balance across these meridians.

Who Can Benefit?

Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang is ideal for:

• Colds: Especially with high fever or lingering chills.

• Influenza: Eases fever, body aches, and fatigue.

• Gum Inflammation: Reduces swelling and pain.

• Conjunctivitis: Soothes red, painful eyes.

• Insomnia: Calms restlessness from internal heat.

• Enterovirus: Relieves fever and discomfort in children or adults.

It’s best for those with a mix of cold and heat symptoms (mild chills, increasing fever, yellow tongue coating) rather than pure cold or constipation-heavy conditions.

Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang /柴葛解肌湯, 5:1 Concentrated Granules

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Modern Uses

Modern research highlights the formula’s benefits:

• Antipyretic: Bupleurum, pueraria, and gypsum lower fever.

• Anti-inflammatory: Scutellaria and platycodon reduce swelling and infection.

• Pain Relief: Angelica, peony, and notopterygium ease headaches and muscle pain.

• Expectorant: Platycodon and licorice clear phlegm and soothe throats.

• Digestive Support: Ginger and jujube aid stomach function.

It’s widely used for viral infections, inflammatory conditions, and fever-related discomfort, making it a versatile remedy.

Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang, Ge Gen Tang, Ma Huang Tang, Chai Hu Tang

Precautions

• Not for Early Colds: Avoid if the cold hasn’t turned into heat, as it may push the cold deeper.

• Not for Constipation: Unsuitable for heat with constipation (Yangming Fu Shi syndrome).

• Constitution Check: Consult a doctor if you have a hot constitution (feverish, dry mouth) or chronic conditions.

• Medical Guidance: Essential for pregnant, breastfeeding, or medicated individuals to avoid interactions.

Final Thoughts

Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang is a powerful, time-tested remedy for colds that turn feverish, easing chills, headaches, and body aches. With herbs like bupleurum, pueraria, and scutellaria, it relieves muscle tension and clears heat to restore balance.

Whether you’re battling flu, gum pain, or restless nights, this formula offers gentle, effective relief. Always consult a doctor before starting to ensure it’s right for you, especially if symptoms persist. Embrace this classic decoction and feel refreshed as you recover!

Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang

Chinese Name	柴葛解肌湯
Phonetic	Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang
English Name	Bupleurum and Pueraria Muscle-Resolving Decoction
Classification	Exterior-releasing formulas
Source	《Six Texts on Cold Damage》Shang Han Liu Shu《傷寒六書》
Combination	Bupleuri Radix (Chai Hu) 6g, Puerariae Lobatae Radix (Gan Ge) 9g, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gan Cao) 3g, Scutellariae Radix (Huang Qin) 6g, Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix (Qiang Huo) 3g, Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (Bai Zhi) 3g, Paeoniae Radix Alba (Shao Yao) 6g, Platycodonis Radix (Jie Geng) 3g, Gypsum Fibrosum (Shi Gao) 3g
Method	Add three slices of sheng jiang and two whole pieces of da zao to the rest of the formula and prepare it as a decoction. It should be taken warm.
Action	Releases the flesh and clears heat.
Indication	Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang is indicated for externally contracted wind-cold that has become constrained and transforms into a heat pattern. The signs and symptoms include gradually reducing aversion to cold and increasing body heat, absence of sweat, headache, eye pain, dryness of the nose, vexation, insomnia, dry throat, impaired hearing, orbit pain, a thin yellow tongue coating, and a superficial, slightly surging pulse.
Pathogenesis	This pattern is the result of unresolved wind-cold constrained within taiyang that has transformed into heat. It then transmits to yangming, spreads further to shaoyang, and eventually affects all three yang channels. Aversion to cold, absence of sweat, and headache are due to unresolved wind-cold constrained in the taiyang. The pathogen, after penetrating into the interior, heats up and attacks the yangming and shaoyang. It causes eye pain, nose dryness, orbit pain, dry throat, and impaired hearing. These symptoms are related to how the two channels transverse: Yangming originates from both sides of the nose, goes up to the root of nose, passes through the orbits, and travels down. Shaoyang winds its way behind the ears, enters, comes out in front of them, passes through the cheeks and reaches the infra-orbital area. In addition, the superficial and slightly surging pulse is evidence of the exterior pathogen and excessive interior heat. The appropriate treatment is to release the flesh with acrid-cool medicinals and clear interior heat.
Application	1. Essential pattern differentiation Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang is commonly applied to treat the pattern of unresolved taiyang wind-cold that has entered the interior and transformed into heat attacking the yangming in its early stages or when all three yang channels are affected. This clinical pattern is marked by high fever, mild aversion to cold, headache and orbit pain 2. Modern applications This formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders when the patient shows signs of the constrained externally contracted wind-cold that has transformed into internal heat: common cold, flu, gingivitis, and acute conjunctivitis. 3. Cautions and contraindications This formula is inappropriate for patterns where an exterior taiyang pathogen has penetrated into the interior, because it may guide the pathogen deeper. It is also not appropriate for patterns of internal heat from yangming bowel excess, i.e., dry, constipated, and blocked stool.
Additonal formulae	Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang (Bupleurum and Pueraria Muscle-Resolving Decoction, 柴葛解肌湯) [Source]《Medical Revelations》Yi Xue Xin Wu《醫學心悟》 [Ingredients] chai hu 1.2 qian (6g), ge gen 1.5 qian (6g), huang qin 1.5 qian (6g), chi shao 1 qian (6g), gan cao 5 fen (3g), zhi mu 1 qian (5g), sheng di 2 qian (9g), mu dan pi 1.5 qian (3g), bei mu 1 qian (6g) [Preparation and Administration] Prepare it as a decoction. Vexation: add dan zhu ye 10 pieces (3g). Delirious speech: add shi gao 3 qian (12g) [Actions] Releases the exterior and clears heat. [Applicable Patterns] Exterior contraction of wind-heat with excess internal heat. Symptoms include: no aversion to cold, thirst, a yellow tongue coating, and a superficial, scattered pulse.