A "qing-xie gan-dan shi-huo" (clear and drain excess fire from liver and gallbladder) formula from Liu Wansu's "Elucidations of Formulas" (1172), one of the most strongly purgative classical "liver-fire" formulas.
Cultural reference - how this formula has been discussed in Chinese medical tradition. Not medical advice.
Background & origin
Compiled by the Jin-Yuan dynasty physician Liu Wansu (刘完素) in "Elucidations of Formulas" (《宣明论方》, 1172), it is one of the most strongly purgative "clear-liver-fire" formulas in the entire classical canon. In Japan, it is sold as 当帰竜薈丸 (とうきりゅうえいがん / Tōkiryūeigan) by Kracie (クラシエ) and is one of the most strongly purgative classical formulas in the Japanese OTC line. In Korean hanbang, similar "당귀용회환" preparations appear in specialty hanbang product lines, often from smaller dedicated makers. The formula is a textbook example of Liu Wansu's "fire-heat" thinking, in its most aggressive form.
From the source text
This page is cultural documentation, not medical advice.
From the source text · 《宣明论方》卷四·热门·当归龙胆丸条
Classical text
据《宣明论方》热门门载当归龙胆丸：治肾水阴虚，风热蕴积，时发惊悸，筋惕搐搦，神志不宁，潮热烦闷，目赤睛疼，胁肋胀痛，脘腹痞满，大便燥结。当归、龙胆草、芦荟、青黛、栀子、黄连、黄芩、黄柏、大黄、木香、麝香。
Modern Chinese rendering
本方用于"肝胆实火、风热蕴积"系列证候：火热内盛、燥屎内结所致的惊悸抽搐、潮热烦闷、目赤睛痛、胁肋胀痛、脘腹痞满、便秘尿赤等。方以龙胆草、芦荟、大黄为君，清泻肝胆实火、攻下热结；黄连、黄芩、黄柏、栀子（四黄加栀子）清热燥湿、泻火解毒为臣；当归养血和血、缓和苦寒峻烈为佐；木香理气、麝香开窍、青黛清肝为使。整体上，是刘完素"火热论"思路下"攻补兼施、峻下热结"的最强组合之一，专治实火壅盛、腑气不通的"重武器"。
Editorial translation
This formula is used for "liver-gallbladder excess fire with wind-heat accumulation" patterns: severe internal fire-heat with dry, hard stools retained in the bowels, presenting as convulsive startle, twitching of the sinews, restless disorientation, tidal fever with vexation, red painful eyes, hypochondriac distension and pain, epigastric and abdominal fullness, constipation, and dark urine. The formula uses Lóng Dǎn Cǎo, Lú Huì, and Dà Huáng as sovereign, to clear and drain liver-gallbladder excess fire and aggressively attack heat-binding in the bowels; Huáng Lián, Huáng Qín, Huáng Bǎi, and Zhī Zǐ (the "four-yellows plus gardenia") as minister, to clear heat, dry dampness, and drain fire-resolving toxin; Dāng Guī as assistant, to nourish and harmonize blood and moderate the harshness of the bitter-cold purgative ingredients; Mù Xiāng to regulate qi, Shè Xiāng to open the orifices, and Qīng Dài to clear the liver as envoy. It is, in short, one of the strongest "attack-plus-tonify + aggressive heat-binding purgation" combinations of Liu Wansu's "fire-heat theory" thinking, dedicated to the heavy-duty "excess-fire congestion with bowel-qi obstruction" register.
In tradition
In TCM framing, traditionally used in the context of "excess fire" in the liver and gallbladder channels, pronounced irritability, marked headache, red eyes, bitter taste in the mouth, tinnitus, constipation, and a strongly red tongue with a yellow coating. The formula is "Long Dan Xie Gan Tang" turned up to 11, it adds aloe and other strong herbs on top of the gentian-draining base. In Japan, it is sold as 当帰竜薈丸 (とうきりゅうえいがん / Tōkiryūeigan) by Kracie (クラシエ) and is one of the most strongly purgative classical formulas in the Japanese OTC line.
Formula composition
Monarch3
- Gentian root (Lóng Dǎn Cǎo / 龙胆草)
- Aloe (Lú Huì / 芦荟)
- Rhubarb root (Dà Huáng / 大黄)
Minister4
- Gardenia fruit (Zhī Zǐ / 栀子)
- Coptis rhizome (Huáng Lián / 黄连)
- Phellodendron bark (Huáng Bǎi / 黄柏)
- Scutellaria root (Huáng Qín / 黄芩)
Assistant1
- Chinese angelica root (Dāng Guī / 当归)
Envoy3
- Indigo naturalis (Qīng Dài / 青黛)
- Aucklandia root (Mù Xiāng / 木香)
- Musk (Shè Xiāng / 麝香)
International availability
Taiwan & Hong Kong
- 順天堂OTC當歸龍薈丸Dang Gui Long Hui Wan
Cautions & context
- Strongly purgative, not appropriate during pregnancy, and people with chronic loose stools or weak digestion should use with great caution.
- Contains rhubarb (Dà Huáng) and aloe, long-term daily use is generally discouraged in TCM framing.
- People taking Western laxatives or other purgative medications should consult a clinician before use, the formula has documented strong purgative effects.
- Severe headache, marked irritability with fever, or sudden changes in vision should be evaluated by a clinician, TCM self-care is not a substitute for evaluation of acute neurological or hypertensive conditions.
Related formulas
Other formulas from this text· "Elucidations of Formulas"
Other formulas by this contributor· Liu Wansu
Related concerns
Concern · stress
Stress & Mood
Everyday tension, low mood, irritability, the sense of being "wound up but tired". The cluster of complaints that brings many Chinese adults to the family 中成药 drawer before they ever see a doctor.
Concern · digestion
Digestion
Upper-abdominal heaviness, bloating, sour reflux, loose stools, traveler's stomach, and the aftermath of a meal that was richer, spicier, or larger than usual.
Editorial note
Compiled from "Elucidations of Formulas" (1172).
Last reviewed: July 18, 2026
Three layers of evidence
Classical source
≈ 900 years · "Elucidations of Formulas" (1172)
Pharmacopoeia indication
"Drain fire and unblock the bowels. Used for liver-gallbladder excess fire: dizziness, tinnitus, bitter taste, hypochondriac pain, redness and swelling of the eyes, irritability, and constipation."
Modern research status
As of 2026-07-18, a PubMed search using the formula name and the Latin / Korean / Japanese transliterations together with "systematic review" and "meta-analysis" did not identify a dedicated systematic review for this formula. Any clinical evidence that does exist is fragmented across small individual trials or covered in broad herbal-medicine umbrella reviews, which do not allow a per-formula evidence assessment; the absence of a dedicated SR is itself the relevant editorial fact here.
References
References reviewed on July 18, 2026 · PubMed search on 2026-07-18
- 01ClassicalLiú Wánsù (刘完素), 《宣明论方》 (Xuān Míng Lùn Fāng / Elucidations of Formulas), late Jin dynasty, compiled ca. 1172, the "heat-diseases" (热门) section, the entry for Dāng Guī Lóng Dǎn Wán (当归龙胆丸) on which the modern Dāng Guī Lóng Huì Wán is based, the strongest "liver-gallbladder excess fire" purgative formula in the classical canon; editorial adaptation, pending scholarly verification against the 1172 woodblock edition.
- 02TextbookDuān Fùjīn (段富津) et al. (eds.), 《方剂学》 (Fāngjìxué / Science of Formulas), 2nd edition, Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers, 2011, the standard modern university-level formula textbook in mainland China, with Dāng Guī Lóng Huì Wán analysed in the "heat-clearing formulas" (清热剂) chapter as the most strongly purgative "liver-fire excess" formula, the canonical entry for the "excess fire with bowel-qi obstruction" register.
- 03TextbookKracie (クラシエ) and Tsumura (ツムラ), 当帰竜薈丸 (とうきりゅうえいがん / Tōkiryūeigan) product documentation, Japan's leading Kampo manufacturers, the standard Japanese Kampo "liver-fire with constipation" formula derived from the late-Jin 《宣明论方》 line, sold in Japanese drugstores for "liver-fire excess" presentations; mirrored in Korean hanbang "당귀용회환" preparations in smaller dedicated hanbang makers.
- 04PharmacopoeiaPharmacopoeia Commission of the PRC, 《中华人民共和国药典》 2020 edition, vol. 1 (Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Yàodiǎn, Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, 2020 ed., vol. 1), China Medical Science Press, 2020, the official national monograph for Dāng Guī Lóng Huì Wán (丸 / 水丸), "functional indication" reads "drain fire and unblock the bowels, used for liver-gallbladder excess fire: dizziness, tinnitus, bitter taste, hypochondriac pain, redness and swelling of the eyes, irritability, and constipation".