1. Prescription Source and History

1. Origin of Baohe Pills

Baohe Pills originated from 'Danxi's Methods of Treatment'. It is a classic formula created by Zhu Danxi, a famous medical expert in the Jin and Yuan dynasties. Zhu Danxi advocated the view of 'yang being often excessive and yin being often insufficient' in medical theory, emphasizing nourishing yin and reducing fire. The emergence of Baohe Pills is precisely based on his in-depth research on spleen and stomach diseases and the summary of clinical practice experience. Under the social environment at that time, people's diet structure was relatively single but gradually changing, and combined with factors such as lifestyle, spleen and stomach diseases were relatively common. Through long-term observation and treatment of such diseases, Zhu Danxi created the effective formula of Baohe Pills to regulate the functions of the spleen and stomach and improve digestive problems.

2. Historical Inheritance and Development

After Zhu Danxi created Baohe Pills, it has been passed down for hundreds of years and further developed in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Many medical experts studied and applied it, continuously enriching and perfecting the theory and application scope of this formula. In the medical works of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the records of Baohe Pills were more detailed, and there were more in-depth expositions on its formula, efficacy and applicable diseases, etc., making it play a greater role in clinical application, becoming one of the commonly used formulas for treating spleen and stomach diseases and being passed down to this day.

2. Introduction of Ingredients (Ruler, Minister, Assistant, Guide)

1. Ruler Herb - Hawthorn

Hawthorn is sour, sweet in taste and slightly warm in nature. It belongs to the spleen, stomach and liver meridians. It has the effect of promoting digestion and resolving food stagnation, especially good at digesting greasy meat stagnation. Hawthorn can enhance the activity of pepsin and promote protein digestion, and has a significant effect on food stagnation caused by meat foods. In Baohe Pills, hawthorn is used as the monarch drug, leading the whole formula with the main purpose of promoting digestion and resolving food stagnation, and playing a core role in targeting the key pathogenesis of food stagnation.

2. Minister Herbs - Shenqu, Malt

Medicated leaven is sweet, pungent in taste and warm in nature. It belongs to the spleen and stomach meridians. It can promote digestion and harmonize the stomach, and is good at resolving the stagnation of stale alcohol and food. Medicated leaven contains various digestive enzymes, which helps to promote the digestion and absorption of food. Malt is sweet in taste and neutral in nature. It belongs to the spleen, stomach and liver meridians. It can promote digestion and strengthen the stomach, especially good at digesting the stagnation of rice, noodles, sweet potatoes and yams. Malt is rich in amylase, which can decompose starch into maltose, thus playing the role of promoting digestion. Medicated leaven and malt assist hawthorn to enhance the power of promoting digestion and resolving food stagnation, and jointly treat food stagnation. They are the ministerial drugs in Baohe Pills.

3. Assistant Herbs - Pinellia, Tangerine Peel

Pinellia ternata is pungent in taste and warm in nature. It belongs to the spleen, stomach and lung meridians. It can dry dampness and resolve phlegm, lower adverse qi and stop vomiting, and dissipate masses and nodules. In Baohe Pills, Pinellia ternata can dry dampness and resolve phlegm, prevent the generation of phlegm due to long-term food stagnation, and at the same time can harmonize the stomach and lower adverse qi, relieve symptoms such as nausea and vomiting caused by food stagnation. Tangerine peel is pungent, bitter in taste and warm in nature. It belongs to the spleen and lung meridians. It can regulate qi and strengthen the spleen, dry dampness and resolve phlegm. Tangerine peel can enhance the transportation and transformation function of the spleen and stomach, promote qi movement and relieve stagnation, and cooperate with Pinellia ternata to play the role of resolving phlegm and regulating qi, harmonizing the stomach and lowering adverse qi, and is the adjuvant drug.

4. Guide Herbs - Poria, Forsythia

Poria cocos is sweet, light in taste and neutral in nature. It belongs to the heart, lung, spleen and kidney meridians. It can promote diuresis and remove dampness, strengthen the spleen and calm the mind. Poria cocos can strengthen the spleen and promote diuresis to remove dampness, prevent the abnormal transportation and transformation of the spleen and stomach caused by food stagnation and the generation of dampness, play the role of strengthening the spleen and regulating the middle, and make the functions of the spleen and stomach return to normal. Forsythia suspensa is bitter in taste and slightly cold in nature. It belongs to the lung, heart and small intestine meridians. It can clear heat and detoxify, disperse swelling and dissipate nodules. Forsythia suspensa in Baohe Pills can clear away the heat transformed from food stagnation, prevent the transformation of food stagnation into fire, and play the role of clearing heat and dissipating nodules, and is the guiding drug.

III. Pathogenesis, Efficacy & Indications

1. Pathogenesis

Baohe Pills The pathogenesis targeted by it is mainly food stagnation. Due to overeating or improper diet, food stagnates in the stomach and cannot be digested, resulting in the abnormal transportation and transformation function of the spleen and stomach. The spleen and stomach are the foundation of acquired constitution, mainly responsible for transporting and transforming the essence of water and grains. Food stagnation blocks the spleen and stomach, causing its ascending and descending disorders, and then a series of symptoms of digestive function disorders appear.

2. Efficacy

Baohe Pills have the effects of promoting digestion, removing stagnation, and regulating the stomach. By promoting digestion and resolving food stagnation, it eliminates the accumulated food stagnation in the stomach; removing stagnation enables the stagnation to descend, restoring the normal transportation and transformation functions of the spleen and stomach; regulating the stomach can harmonize the stomach qi and relieve discomfort symptoms such as fullness and distension in the epigastrium, nausea, and vomiting caused by food accumulation.

3. Indications

Baohe Pills are mainly used to treat food accumulation stagnation, epigastric fullness and distension, belching with fetid odor, and loss of appetite. Food accumulation stagnates in the epigastric region, causing epigastric fullness and pain, which worsens upon palpation; the undigested food becomes putrid, resulting in the smell of belching with fetid odor; the spleen and stomach are affected by food accumulation, and the transportation and transformation functions weaken, thus presenting the symptom of loss of appetite.

IV. Analysis of Formula Principles

1. Promote Digestion as Main Line

Baohe Pills With hawthorn, medicated leaven, and malt as the main drugs, they jointly play the role of promoting digestion and resolving food stagnation. Hawthorn is good at eliminating greasy meat food stagnation, medicated leaven can eliminate the accumulated stale food and alcohol, malt can eliminate the stagnation of rice, noodles, sweet potatoes, and tubers. The three complement each other and comprehensively eliminate various dietary stagnations, which is the core link for the prescription to exert its effects.

2. Regulate Qi & Resolve Phlegm to Aid Digestion

Pinellia ternata and dried tangerine peel are used as adjuvant drugs to regulate qi and resolve phlegm. Food accumulation easily leads to abnormal transportation and transformation of the spleen and stomach, resulting in the production of phlegm. Pinellia ternata dries dampness and resolves phlegm, dried tangerine peel regulates qi and strengthens the spleen, dries dampness and resolves phlegm. The two work synergistically to eliminate phlegm turbidity, restore the normal ascending and descending of the qi mechanism of the spleen and stomach, contribute to the further achievement of promoting digestion and resolving food stagnation, and improve the transportation and transformation functions of the spleen and stomach.

3. Tonify Spleen, Drain Dampness & Clear Stagnant Heat

Poria cocos strengthens the spleen and promotes diuresis to eliminate dampness, preventing the production of dampness due to food accumulation and maintaining the normal environment for the transportation and transformation of the spleen and stomach. Forsythia suspensa clears away the heat transformed from food accumulation, preventing food accumulation from turning into fire. While eliminating food accumulation, the whole prescription takes into account the conditioning of the spleen and stomach functions and the possible emergence of stagnant heat, ensuring the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of the treatment.

V. Comparison with Other Similar Formulas

1. Comparison with Zhishi Daozhi Pills

Zhishi Daozhi Pills It also has the effect of promoting digestion and guiding stagnation. However, in addition to digestive drugs, Zhishi Daozhi Pills also contain purgative drugs such as Rhubarb and Immature Bitter Orange, and its medicinal power is relatively strong. It is suitable for those with severe food stagnation accompanied by internal obstruction of damp-heat stagnation, presenting symptoms such as constipation. While Baohe Pills have relatively mild medicinal power and mainly focus on promoting digestion to resolve food stagnation, regulating qi and harmonizing the stomach, and are more focused on simple food stagnation without obvious heat accumulation or internal obstruction of damp-heat.

2. Comparison with Jianpi Pills

The main功效 of Jianpi Pills is to strengthen the spleen and harmonize the stomach, promote digestion and stop diarrhea. It mainly uses spleen-strengthening drugs and is combined with digestive drugs, suitable for the situation of weak spleen and stomach, weak transportation and transformation ability, and internal retention of food stagnation. Baohe Pills focus on promoting digestion to resolve food stagnation and treat the stomach symptoms caused by simple food stagnation, and relatively less consider the degree of weak spleen and stomach. Jianpi Pills pay more attention to strengthening the spleen to address the root cause while promoting digestion, while Baohe Pills mainly address the symptoms and focus on eliminating the excess syndrome of food stagnation.

VI. Clinical Applications and Indications

1. Digestive System Diseases

Baohe Pills are widely used clinically in various digestive system diseases. For symptoms such as abdominal distension in the stomach, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting caused by indigestion, taking Baohe Pills can effectively relieve them. For example, after overeating greasy foods and experiencing discomfort in the stomach, acid regurgitation, taking Baohe Pills can promote digestion and relieve symptoms. For infantile food stagnation, manifested as abdominal distension, loss of appetite, bad breath, etc., Baohe Pills are also one of the commonly used prescriptions, which can adjust the spleen and stomach function of infants and eliminate food stagnation.

2. Other Related Conditions

In some other diseases caused by food stagnation, Baohe Pills are also applied. Such as cough caused by food stagnation, if accompanied by digestive symptoms such as abdominal distension in the stomach, acid regurgitation, etc., Baohe Pills can be added in the treatment of cough. By promoting digestion to resolve food stagnation, the overall symptoms can be improved. In some insomnia diseases, if food stagnation causes disharmony between the spleen and stomach, affecting the mind, presenting symptoms such as insomnia and多梦, Baohe Pills can also play a certain conditioning role. By harmonizing the stomach and promoting digestion, the spleen and stomach function can be restored to normal, indirectly improving sleep.

VII. Modifications

1. Severe Food Accumulation

If the food stagnation is severe and the abdominal distension and pain in the stomach are obvious, Magnolia Officinalis and Immature Bitter Orange can be added to enhance the power of promoting qi and eliminating food accumulation. Magnolia Officinalis is bitter, pungent, and warm in nature, belonging to the spleen, stomach, lung, and large intestine meridians, and can dry dampness and resolve phlegm, lower qi and relieve fullness; Immature Bitter Orange is bitter, pungent, sour, slightly cold in nature, belonging to the spleen, stomach, and large intestine meridians, and can break qi and eliminate food accumulation, resolve phlegm and relieve stuffiness. Their synergistic effect with the original drugs of Baohe Pills can more effectively relieve the abdominal distension symptoms caused by food stagnation.

2. With Spleen Deficiency

If there are concurrent symptoms of spleen deficiency, such as lassitude, sallow complexion, etc., Atractylodes macrocephala and Codonopsis pilosula can be added to invigorate the spleen and boost qi. Atractylodes macrocephala is bitter, sweet, warm, governing the spleen and stomach meridians, capable of invigorating the spleen and boosting qi, drying dampness and promoting diuresis; Codonopsis pilosula is sweet, neutral, governing the spleen and lung meridians, capable of tonifying the spleen and lung qi, nourishing blood and promoting fluid production. By adding these two herbs, while promoting digestion and resolving food stagnation, it can also take into account the situation of spleen and stomach weakness and enhance the transportation and transformation function of the spleen and stomach.

3. Food Accumulation Transforming Heat

If food stagnation transforms into heat, presenting symptoms such as bitter taste in the mouth, bad breath, yellow and greasy tongue coating, Coptis chinensis and Scutellaria baicalensis can be added to clear heat and purge fire. Coptis chinensis is bitter, cold, governing the heart, spleen, stomach, liver, gallbladder, and large intestine meridians, capable of clearing heat and drying dampness, purging fire and detoxifying; Scutellaria baicalensis is bitter, cold, governing the lung, gallbladder, spleen, large intestine, and small intestine meridians, capable of clearing heat and drying dampness, purging fire and detoxifying, stopping bleeding, and preventing miscarriage. The two can clear the heat transformed from food stagnation, making the treatment of the formula more comprehensive.

VIII. Dosage (Traditional and Modern Concentrated Granules)

1. Traditional Method

The traditional usage is in pill form, taken orally. For water pills, take 6 - 9g each time, for large honey pills, take 1 - 2 pills each time, twice a day. Take it with warm boiled water. The traditional pill-making process is relatively complex, but it can better preserve the active ingredients of the medicine, and achieve a continuous treatment effect by slowly releasing the medicinal power.

2. Modern Concentrated Granules

Modern concentrated granules are more convenient to take. Generally, take them according to the dosage specified in the instructions, usually one dose per day, taken in two divided doses. Concentrated granules are made from traditional Chinese medicine through processes such as extraction and concentration, retaining the main components of the medicine, with relatively stable medicinal effects, and relatively small dosages for taking, being convenient to carry and take, suitable for the modern fast-paced lifestyle.

IX. Precautions and Taboos

1. Dietary Taboos

During the period of taking Baohe Pills, it is necessary to avoid eating raw, cold, greasy, and indigestible foods. Raw and cold foods are likely to damage the yang qi of the spleen and stomach, affecting the transportation and transformation function of the spleen and stomach, and are not conducive to the elimination of food stagnation; greasy foods are inherently indigestible, which will increase the burden on the spleen and stomach, contrary to the treatment purpose of Baohe Pills; indigestible foods will further aggravate the situation of food stagnation, so they should all be avoided.

2. Special Populations

Pregnant women should use Baohe Pills with caution. Although the medicinal power of Baohe Pills is relatively mild, the drug components may have a certain impact on the fetus. Those with spleen and stomach yang deficiency should also use it with caution, because Baohe Pills are mainly aimed at food stagnation excess syndrome. For symptoms of indigestion caused by spleen and stomach yang deficiency, using Baohe Pills may damage the yang qi of the spleen and stomach and aggravate the condition.

3. Medication Course

Generally speaking, the treatment course of Baohe Pills should not be too long. After the symptoms are relieved, the medication should be adjusted in a timely manner according to the condition. If there is no obvious improvement in symptoms after taking the pills for a period of time, medical treatment should be sought promptly to re-evaluate the condition and adjust the treatment plan to avoid adverse effects on the body caused by long-term medication.

X. Modern Research & Application

1. Pharmacological Study

Modern research shows that Baohe Pills have the effects of promoting gastrointestinal peristalsis, increasing digestive juice secretion, and regulating gastrointestinal hormones. The drugs contained in it, such as hawthorn, medicated leaven, and malt, can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis, enhance digestive function, and contribute to the digestion and absorption of food. At the same time, the drug components in the formula can also regulate the levels of gastrointestinal hormones, such as gastrin and motilin, to further improve gastrointestinal function.

2. Clinical Efficacy Verification

In clinical studies, Baohe Pills have achieved good therapeutic effects in the treatment of indigestion, infantile food stagnation and other diseases. Multiple studies have shown that Baohe Pills can significantly improve symptoms such as fullness in the epigastric region, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, improve the digestive function of patients, and have relatively high safety. For infantile food stagnation, Baohe Pills can effectively relieve symptoms such as abdominal distension and loss of appetite, and promote the growth and development of infants.

3. Dosage Form Improvement

With the development of modern technology, the dosage form improvement of Baohe Pills is also continuously carried out. In addition to the traditional pill form, new dosage forms such as capsules and granules have been developed. While maintaining the efficacy, these new dosage forms have the advantages of convenient administration and rapid onset of action, which are more in line with modern clinical needs and patients' medication habits, providing more choices for the clinical application of Baohe Pills.

总结

Baohe Pills is a representative prescription for promoting digestion and removing food stagnation, with the functions of promoting digestion, removing food stagnation, regulating the stomach, dissipating binds and clearing heat, and promoting digestion. It is applicable to epigastric fullness, belching with acid regurgitation, loss of appetite, indigestion caused by food stagnation, with a slippery pulse. In the prescription, hawthorn, medicated leaven, pinellia, poria, tangerine peel, forsythia, radish seed and other herbs are combined and widely used in modern clinical practice, especially having good therapeutic effects on infantile anorexia.