Introduction
"Formulary of the Bureau of Medicine"
This page is cultural documentation, not medical advice.
A government-sponsored formulary compiled by the Imperial Bureau of Pharmacy of the Northern Song dynasty, finalized in 1078 and revised in 1107. Often cited as the first state-promoted standard formulary in Chinese medicine.
Compiled by the Imperial Bureau of Medicine (和剂局) under the Northern Song, this text is the source of many common formulas still in daily household use — including Xiao Yao Wan, Si Jun Zi Tang, and several Liu-Jun-Zi variants. Its 1078 first edition and 1107 revision together standardized the dose, form, and processing of these formulas across Song China, an unusual level of state involvement in pharmacopoeia for the period.
Historical background
Compiled by the Imperial Bureau of Medicine (太医局) of the Northern Song dynasty, the He Ji Ju Fang was China's first state-promulgated standard formulary. The first edition appeared in 1078 under bureau chief Chen Shiwen (陈师文) and colleagues, who standardized about 297 formulas. A revised edition in 1107 under Emperor Huizong expanded it to roughly 788 formulas in 14 categories. The work marked unprecedented state involvement in Chinese pharmacology: the central authority for the first time prescribed the official dosage, preparation, and authentication of formulas. Government pharmaceutical factories (惠民局) dispensed them to the public. Formulas such as Xiao Yao San, Si Jun Zi Tang, and Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San became fixtures of the modern Chinese patent-medicine market.
Formulas recorded in this text· 17
Formula · Bā Zhèng Piàn
Eight-Rectifying Tablet
八正片
A tablet form of the classical "qing-re xie-huo, li-niao tong-lin" (clear heat and drain fire, promote urine and unblock painful urination) formula from the Song-dynasty "Formulary of the Bureau of Medicine", the most prescribed classical OTC formula for "damp-heat" urinary discomfort.
Formula · Chuān Xiōng Chá Tiáo Wán
Chuanxiong Tea-Adjusting
川芎茶调丸
A "shu-feng zhi-tong" (spread wind and stop pain) formula from the Song-dynasty "Formulary of the Bureau of Medicine", the most prescribed classical OTC formula for "wind-cold" headache, traditionally taken with green tea.
Formula · Èr Chén Wán
Two-Cured Decoction
二陈丸
A foundational "dry dampness, transform phlegm, regulate qi, harmonize the center" formula from the Song dynasty, the ancestor of nearly every later phlegm-damp formula in the tradition.
Formula · Fù Zǐ Lǐ Zhōng Wán
Aconite Center-Regulating
附子理中丸
A "strongly warm the center" variation of the classical Lizhong Wan, the same base formula with aconite added to address pronounced "spleen-kidney yang deficiency" patterns.
Formula · Guì Fù Dì Huáng Wán
Cinnamon and Aconite Rehmanni
桂附地黄丸
The "warm yang" companion to Liuwei Dihuang Wan, the same six-ingredient base with cinnamon and aconite added, generally understood as a milder warming option than the more potent Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan.
Formula · Huò Xiāng Zhèng Qì
Agastache Qi-Correcting
藿香正气水
A traditional "summer-damp" formula, widely carried in Chinese households for travel and the hot, sticky season, typically reached for at the first sign of digestive unease or "summer cold".
Formula · Liù Jūn Zǐ Wán
Six Gentlemen
六君子丸
A "tonify qi, strengthen the spleen, dry dampness, transform phlegm" formula from the Song dynasty, one of the most frequently prescribed "digestive tonic" formulas in TCM practice, especially for the post-illness or chronically weak patient.
Formula · Lóng Dǎn Xiè Gān Wán
Gentian Liver-Draining
龙胆泻肝丸
A strong "drain fire from the liver and gallbladder" formula, bitter, cold, and one of the most frequently discussed prescriptions for pronounced "liver fire" patterns in the head, eyes, and lower body.
Formula · Niú Huáng Qīng Xīn Wán
Calculus Bovis Heart-Clearing
牛黄清心丸(局方)
A high-end "clear the heart, open the orifices, calm the spirit" formula from the Song dynasty, one of the most expensive OTC preparations in Chinese pharmacies, traditionally given as a household "rescue" remedy.
Formula · Rén Shēn Yǎng Róng Wán
Ginseng Nutrition
人参养荣丸
A "tonify qi and blood, nourish the heart, calm the spirit" formula from the Song dynasty, the formula of choice for the post-illness, post-partum, or chronically depleted patient.
Formula · Shēn Líng Bái Zhú Sǎn
Ginseng and Atractylodes Powder
参苓白术散
A "tonify spleen qi, leach dampness, stop diarrhea" formula from the Song dynasty, the gentlest of the major spleen-tonifying formulas, often chosen for chronic digestive weakness in thin, tired patients.
Formula · Shēn Sū Wán
Ginseng and Perilla
参苏丸
A "tonify qi, release the exterior, transform phlegm" formula from the Song dynasty, the formula of choice for the common cold in a weak or qi-deficient patient who normally catches every cold that goes around.
Formula · Sū Hé Xiāng Wán
Liquidambar Opening
苏合香丸
A "wen-tong kai-qiao, pi-hui hua-zhuo" (warm and open the orifices, dispel turbidity) formula from the Song-dynasty "Formulary of the Bureau of Medicine", the most representative "warm-opening" prescription in the TCM canon, as opposed to the "cool-opening" An Gong Niu Huang Wan.
Formula · Tiān Wáng Bǔ Xīn Dān
Celestial Emperor Heart-Tonifying
天王补心丹
A "nourish yin, tonify blood, calm the spirit" formula from the Song dynasty, the most frequently discussed "heart-kidney tonic for insomnia" in TCM practice.
Formula · Xiǎo Huó Luò Wán
Minor Channel-Activating
小活络丸
A compact "qu-feng san-han hua-shi huo-xue" (expel wind, scatter cold, transform dampness, invigorate blood) formula from the Song-dynasty "Formulary of the Bureau of Medicine", the simpler, smaller-scale counterpart of Da Huo Luo Wan.
Formula · Xiāo Yáo Piàn
Free Wanderer Tablets
逍遥片
A flagship "tiao-he gan-pi" (harmonize liver and spleen) formula from the Song-dynasty "Formulary of the Bureau of Medicine" (1078), the most widely sold "liver-qi stagnation" formula in TCM.
Formula · Xiāo Yáo Wán
Free and Easy Wanderer
逍遥丸
A "liver-spleen harmonizing" formula whose Chinese name literally means "carefree and at ease", and which is one of the most discussed remedies for low mood and irritability in Chinese households.
Concerns covered in this text· 5
Patterns covered in this text· 4
- Damp-heat (shī rè)· A heavy, sticky, internally hot feeling — "muggy weather inside the body"↗
- Liver qi stagnation (gān qì yù jié)· Frustration and physical tightness — "liver" here is a TCM concept, not the anatomical organ↗
- Spleen deficiency (pí xū)· Weak digestion and chronic fatigue — "spleen" here is a TCM concept, not the anatomical organ
- Yang deficiency (yáng xū)· Coldness and low metabolic warmth — the "furnace won't stay lit" pattern↗