Yin Chen Hao Tang: A Simple Guide to a Classic Jaundice-Relieving Herbal Formula

Yin Chen Hao Tang, or "Capillaris Decoction," is a renowned Chinese herbal formula from *Treatise on Feb Snippets and Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet, foundational texts by the legendary physician Zhang Zhongjing from the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Treatise on Feb Snippets and Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet

These ancient works, which shaped Chinese medicine, highlight this formula’s importance in treating damp-heat jaundice—a condition causing yellowing of the skin and eyes. With its simple yet effective blend of herbs, Yin Chen Hao Tang remains a cornerstone for liver and gallbladder health.

Yin Chen Hao Tang

What’s in Yin Chen Hao Tang?

This formula combines three herbs, carefully balanced for optimal results:

• Lead Herb: Capillaris (Yin Chen Hao)Capillaris is the star, known for clearing heat, draining dampness, reducing jaundice, and detoxifying. It targets the spleen and liver, easing symptoms like yellow skin, dark urine, or bloating.

• Support Herb: Gardenia (Zhi Zi)Gardenia cools heat, promotes bile flow, reduces jaundice, and soothes irritability or thirst, amplifying capillaris’ effects.

• Assistant Herb: Rhubarb (Da Huang)Rhubarb acts as a laxative, clearing heat, detoxifying, and moving damp-heat out through the bowels while aiding bile elimination.

Yin Chen Hao Tang combines three herbs

These herbs are typically boiled into a tea, creating a potent remedy for damp-heat conditions.

How Yin Chen Hao Tang Works

Yin Chen Hao Tang targets damp-heat jaundice, where symptoms include:

• Yellow skin and eyes (bright, orange-like hue)

• Dark, scanty urine

• Bloating or mild abdominal fullness

• Fever, chills, or loss of appetite

• Dizziness, irritability, or chest discomfort

Yin Chen Hao Tang targets damp-heat jaundice

Its key actions are:

• Clears Heat and Dampness: Capillaris and gardenia drain damp-heat, preventing it from overwhelming the liver and gallbladder.

• Promotes Bile Flow: Gardenia boosts bile excretion, helping clear bilirubin (the pigment causing jaundice).

• Relieves Constipation: Rhubarb flushes damp-heat through the bowels, speeding up jaundice recovery.

By addressing these issues, the formula restores balance and fades yellowing.

Yin Chen Hao Tang /茵陳蒿湯, 5:1 Concentrated Granules

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What Causes Jaundice?

Damp-heat jaundice arises when excess dampness and heat disrupt the body’s balance:

• Spleen and Stomach Blockage: Damp-heat combines with spleen dampness, impairing digestion and causing bloating, nausea, or constipation.

• Liver and Gallbladder Dysfunction: Trapped damp-heat causes bile to spill into the skin, leading to yellowing.

• Systemic Effects: Symptoms like thirst, greasy yellow tongue coating, or a rapid pulse signal internal heat and fluid buildup.

Yin Chen Hao Tang clears this damp-heat, restores spleen and liver function, and eliminates jaundice through urine and stool.

Modern Uses and Research

Today, Yin Chen Hao Tang is widely used for:

• Liver and Gallbladder Issues: Treats acute jaundice hepatitis, cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation), and cholangitis (bile duct infection).

• Fatty Liver Disease: Helps manage non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by reducing fat buildup, inflammation, and improving liver function.

Research highlights its active compounds—flavonoids, tannins, anthraquinones (from rhubarb), and glycosides (from gardenia)—which support:

• Liver protection and bile secretion

• Anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering effects

• Improved sugar and fat metabolism

Studies show it relieves symptoms like fatigue, liver pain, and poor digestion in NAFLD, boosting treatment success rates.

Yin Chen Hao Tang /茵陳蒿湯, 5:1 Concentrated Granules

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Things to Keep in Mind

While effective, Yin Chen Hao Tang requires caution:

• Avoid in Cold Conditions: Its cooling nature may harm those with weak digestion or spleen deficiency.

• Not for Pregnant or Frail Individuals: Use only under medical supervision.

• Diet Matters: Stick to bland foods; avoid spicy or greasy dishes that worsen damp-heat.

• Watch for Side Effects: Stop and consult a doctor if diarrhea or abdominal pain occurs.

Why Yin Chen Hao Tang Matters

Yin Chen Hao Tang is a timeless remedy, blending capillaris, gardenia, and rhubarb to clear damp-heat, promote bile flow, and banish jaundice. Its elegance lies in its simplicity—three herbs, profound results.

From ancient clinics to modern hospitals, it treats hepatitis, fatty liver, and more, backed by science and tradition. With proper guidance, this formula can restore liver health and vitality, proving the enduring power of Chinese medicine.

Chinese Name	茵陳蒿湯
Phonetic	Yin Chen Hao Tang
English Name	Virgate Wormwood Decoction
Classification	Dampclearing formulas
Source	《Treatise on Cold Damage》Shang Han Lun《傷寒論》
Combination	Artemisiae Scopariae Herba (Yin Chen) 6 liang (18g), Gardeniae Fructus (Zhi Zi) 14 pieces (12g), Rhei Radix et Rhizoma (Da Huang) 2 liang (6g)
Method	Prepare as a decoction.
Action	Clears heat, drains dampness, and relieves jaundice.
Indication	Yin Chen Hao Tang is indicated for damp-heat jaundice. The symptoms are bright yellow discoloration of the skin, fever, absence of sweating or only sweating on the head, thirst with a desire to drink, nausea, vomiting, slight abdominal distension, scanty and dark urine, diarrhea, or constipation. The tongue is red with a greasy and yellow coating. The pulse is either deep, rapid or slippery, rapid and powerful.
Pathogenesis	This formula is a common formula used to treat damp-heat jaundice.《Treatise on Cold Damage》explains that it is used for yellow skin discoloration due to the interaction of blood stasis and heat.《Essentials from the Golden Cabinet》explains that it is used for dietary jaundice. Both are caused by heat invasion that mixes with spleen-dampness to cause damp-heat accumulation in the middle jiao. Damp-heat always obstructs qi movement. The manifestations include abdominal distension, nausea, vomiting, incomplete defecation, and constipation. Heat is trapped inside due to an absence of sweating and dampness cannot pour downward due to dysuria. Consequently, damp-heat enters the liver and gallbladder causing an overflow of bile that results in bright yellow skin. Fluid transformation disturbed by damp-heat leads to thirst. A greasy and yellow tongue coating and a deep, rapid pulse indicate an accumulation of damp-heat. The therapeutic principles used to remedy this pattern are to clear heat, drain dampness, and relieve jaundice.
Application	1. Essential pattern differentiation Yin Chen Hao Tang is a commonly used formula applicable for jaundice due to damp-heat with equal dampness and heat. This clinical pattern is marked by yellow discoloration of the skin, face, and eyes; the yellow is bright, deep and rapid pulse, or slippery, rapid, and powerful pulse. 2. Modern applications This formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders when the patient shows signs of interior damp-heat accumulation: infectious hepatitis with acute jaundice, cholecystitis, gallstone, and jaundice caused by leptospirosis.
Additonal formulae	1. Zhi Zi Bai Pi Tang (Gardenia and Phellodendron Bark Decoction 梔子柏皮湯) [Source]《Treatise on Cold Damage》Shang Han Lun《傷寒論》 [Ingredients] Zhi zi 15 pieces (10g), zhi gan cao 1 liang (3g), huang bai 2 liang (6g) [Preparation and Administration] Prepare it as a decoction. [Actions] Clears heat and drains dampness. [Applicable Patterns] Jaundice with more heat than dampness. Symptoms include: feverish sensation, yellow skin discoloration, vexation, thirst, and a yellow coating. 2. Yen Chen Si Ni Tang (Virgate Wormwood Frigid Extremities Decoction 茵陳四逆湯) [Source]《Subtle Meaning of Treatise on Cold Damage》Shang Han Wei Zhi Lun《傷寒微旨論》 [Ingredients] Gan cao 2 liang (6g), yin chen 2 liang (6g), gan jiang 1.5 liang (4.5g), fu zi one piece (6g) [Preparation and Administration] Prepare it as a decoction. [Actions] Warms the interior and assists yang, drains dampness and removes jaundice. [Applicable Patterns] Yin jaundice. Symptoms include: dark and gloomy skin, aversion to cold on the back, cold extremities, heaviness of the body, mental fatigue, poor appetite, no thirst or preferring hot drinks, loose stool, a pale tongue with a white coating, and a tight, thready pulse or deep, thready, and weak pulse.