Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang: A Chinese Herbal Medicine for Summer Heat and Qi Deficiency
- Health Lab
- Mar 6
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 1
Chinese Herbal Medicine Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang, a classic formula from traditional Chinese medicine, originates from Wenre Jingwei by Wang Shixiong, a Qing Dynasty physician. This text focuses on treating febrile diseases, and Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang is designed to address summer heat syndromes that deplete qi (vital energy) and body fluids.
By clearing heat, replenishing qi, and promoting fluid production, this formula relieves symptoms like fever, excessive sweating, thirst, and fatigue caused by summer heat. The formula includes ten herbs: American ginseng, dendrobium, ophiopogon, coptis root, bamboo leaf, lotus stem, rhizoma anemarrhenae, licorice, polished rice, and watermelon rind.
Understanding the Chinese Herbal Medicine Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang
Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang is structured according to the traditional Chinese medicine principles of monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy, ensuring the herbs work synergistically:
Main Herbs (Monarch)
American Ginseng: Clears heat, boosts qi, nourishes yin, and promotes body fluid production.
Dendrobium: Nourishes yin, clears heat, quenches thirst, and supports fluid restoration.
These herbs target the core issues of heat and fluid depletion caused by summer heat.
Assistant Herbs (Minister)
Ophiopogon: Nourishes yin, promotes fluid production, and soothes irritability.
Coptis Root: Clears heat, dries dampness, purges fire, and detoxifies, addressing the root cause of summer heat invasion.
These herbs relieve thirst, restlessness, and internal heat.
Supporting Herbs (Adjuvant)
Bamboo Leaf: Clears heat, relieves restlessness, and promotes urination to expel summer heat.
Lotus Stem: Clears heat, regulates qi, and soothes stomach discomfort caused by heat-induced qi stagnation.
Rhizoma Anemarrhenae: Clears heat, purges fire, nourishes yin, and moistens dryness to restore fluid balance.
These herbs enhance the formula’s cooling and qi-regulating effects.
Harmonizing Herbs (Envoy)
Licorice: Harmonizes the formula, boosts qi, and supports digestion.
Polished Rice: Strengthens the spleen and stomach, promotes fluid production, and aids digestion.
Watermelon Rind: Clears heat, relieves summer heat, and quenches thirst.
These herbs unify the formula and support overall digestive health.
Conditions Treated by Chinese Herbal Medicine Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang
Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang targets syndromes caused by summer heat, which consumes qi and depletes body fluids. Summer heat, considered a yang pathogen, affects the heart and lungs, leading to symptoms such as:
Fever and excessive sweating
Thirst and irritability
Dark, scanty urine
Fatigue and low energy
Weak, rapid pulse
These symptoms arise because summer heat opens the pores, causing excessive sweating, and burns body fluids, resulting in thirst and reduced urine output. The heat also saps qi, leading to tiredness and weakness.
How Chinese Herbal Medicine Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang Works
Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang addresses summer heat and its effects through a balanced approach:
Clearing Summer Heat and Replenishing Qi: American ginseng and dendrobium cool the body, restore qi, and nourish yin to counter heat-induced depletion.
Nourishing Yin and Producing Fluids: Ophiopogon and dendrobium hydrate the body, relieving thirst and irritability.
Regulating Qi Flow: Lotus stem and rhizoma anemarrhenae smooth qi movement, alleviating stagnation caused by heat.
Strengthening the Spleen and Stomach: Licorice, polished rice, and watermelon rind support digestion, ensuring the body can absorb nutrients and fluids effectively.
As Wang Shixiong noted in Wenre Jingwei, “Summer heat damages qi and yin, and clearing away summer heat while replenishing vital energy works immediately.” This formula combines cooling and nourishing actions to restore balance.
Modern Applications of Chinese Herbal Medicine Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang
In modern medicine, Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang is widely used to treat conditions associated with summer heat and qi/fluid depletion, including:
Heatstroke: Effectively relieves fever, sweating, and thirst caused by summer heat exposure.
Summer Fever in Children and the Elderly: Soothes heat-related symptoms like irritability and fatigue in vulnerable populations.
Summer Asthma Attacks: Reduces the frequency and severity of bronchial asthma triggered by summer heat by clearing heat and supporting qi.
Recovery from Acute Infections: Aids recovery from pneumonia and other infectious diseases by restoring qi and fluids during the convalescent phase.
Modern pharmacological studies suggest the formula has antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, analgesic, and diuretic properties, supporting its efficacy in managing heat-related conditions.
Precautions
When using Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang, consider the following:
Indications: Best suited for summer heat syndromes with symptoms like fatigue, thirst, sweating, and a weak, rapid pulse.
Contraindications: Use cautiously or avoid in cases of summer heat combined with dampness, as it may worsen the condition.
Side Effects: Generally safe, but individual responses vary. Pregnant women and those with weak constitutions should consult a practitioner.
Dietary Notes: Avoid spicy or heavy foods during treatment to support the formula’s effects.
Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang exemplifies the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine, offering a cooling, restorative solution for summer heat syndromes and promoting overall vitality.
Chinese Name | 清暑益氣湯 |
Phonetic | Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang |
English Name | Summerheat-Clearing Qi-Boosting Decoction |
Classification | Summer-heat clearing formulas |
Source | 《Warp and Woof of Warm-Heat Diseases》Wen Re Jing Wei《溫熱經緯》 |
Combination | Panacis Quinquefolii Radix (Xi Yang Shen) 5g, Dendrobii Caulis (Shi Hu) 15g, Ophiopogonis Radix (Mai Dong) 9g, Coptidis Rhizoma (Huang Lian) 3g, Lophatheri Herba (Zhu Ye) 6g, Petiolus Nelmbinis (He Geng) 15g, Anemarrhenae Rhizoma (Zhi Mu) 6g, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gan Cao) 3g, Semen Oryza Sativa (Jing Mi) 15g, Exocarpium Citrulli (Xi Gua Pi) 30g |
Method | Use water to decoct the medicinals. |
Action | Clears summerheat, boosts qi, nourishes yin, and generates fluids. |
Indication | This formula is indicated for patterns of summerheat with damage to both qi and fluids. The symptoms are fever with profuse sweating, thirst and vexation, scanty dark urine, fatigue and weak breathing, listlessness, and a deficient, rapid pulse. |
Pathogenesis | This is a commonly used formula for summerheat damaging both qi and fluids. The cause of the pattern is inward invasion of summerheat-heat, causing the consumption of qi and fluids. Since summerheat is a yang pathogen, and communicates with the heart, when summerheat-heat attacks the human body it causes a fever. Pathogenic summerheat-heat harasses the heart and causes vexation. Scattering and ascending summerheat loosens and opens the striae and interstices, which leads to profuse sweating. Heat damages the fluids and leads to thirst and scanty dark urine. Summerheat easily consumes qi, which causes fatigue, weak breathing, listlessness, and a deficient pulse. Wang Shi-xiong said, “since summerheat damages the qi and fluids, the method of clearing summerheat-heat and boosting the original qi has a good remedial effect to this pattern”《Warp and Woof of Warm-Heat Diseases》. Therefore, the therapeutic method for this pattern is to combine the summerheat-dispelling and heat -clearing method with the qi-boosting and fluids-generating method. |
Application | 1. Essential pattern differentiation Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang is a commonly used formula used to treat summerheat damage during the summer with damage to both qi and yin. This clinical pattern is marked by fatigue and weak breathing, thirst and profuse sweating, deficient, rapid pulse. 2. Modern applications This formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders when the patient shows signs of summerheat-strike and heat damage to both qi and fluids: summerheat damage during the summer, summer fever in children, flare up of bronchial asthma during summer, pneumonia, and the convalescence stage of other acute infectious diseases. 3. Cautions and contraindications As there are nourishing and greasy medicinals in the formula, do not use the formula for summerheat disease with dampness. |
Additonal formulae | Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang (Cock’s Waking Powder 清暑益氣湯) [Source]《Treatise on the Spleen and Stomach》Pi Wei Lun《脾胃論》 [Ingredients] Huang qi 1.5 qian (4.5g), cang zhu 1.5 qian (4.5g), sheng ma 1 qian (3g), ren shen 5 fen (2g), ze xie 5 fen (2g), shen qu (fry) 5 fen (2g), chen pi 5 fen (2g), bai zhu 5 fen (2g), mai dong 3 fen (2g), zhi gan cao 3 fen (2g), qing pi 2.5 fen (1.5g), huang bai (rinse by wine) 2-3 fen (2g), ge gen 2 fen (1.5g), wu wei zi 9 pieces (2g) [Preparation and Administration] Prepare it as a decoction. [Actions] Clears summerheat, boosts qi, eliminate dampness and fortify the spleen. [Applicable Patterns] Qi deficiency patient suffered from summerheat-dampness. Syptoms include: fever, heasache, thirst, spontaneous sweating, fatigue of the limbs, no desire to eat or drink, chest fullness, a heavy body, thin, unformed stool, dark urine, greasy coating, and deficient pulse. |
Remark | 1. Dendrobium nobile is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II. Their trade is allowed but subject to licensing controls. 2. Dendrobium officinale is listed as "Critically endangered" in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Also, it is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II. Their trade is allowed but subject to licensing controls. 3. Dendrobium fimbriatum is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II. Their trade is allowed but subject to licensing controls. 4. American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II. Its trade is allowed but subject to licensing controls. |
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