[An analysis of the frequency of formulations and crude drugs described in Shan-Han-Lun].

A systematic database was constructed to investigate the frequency of reporting formulations and crude drugs described in Shang-Han-Lun, a famous formulary in traditional Chinese medicine. It contains 112 kinds of genuine formulations, but because of overlapping or repetition, the number of formulations total as many as 430. The best two frequently mentioned in the formulary were Da-cheng-qi-tang and Guizhi-tang. Da-cheng-qi-tang, which is Dai-joki-to in Japanese, is a formulation composed mainly of Rhizoma Rhei and Cortex Magnoliae used for the treatment of interior heat- and excess-syndrome. Guizhi-tang, Keishi-to, contains Radix Glycyrrhizae, Ramulus Cinnamoni, and Radix Paeoniae as major crude drugs and is used for the treatment of exterior cold- and deficiency-syndrome. It was revealed that Shang-Han-Lun explained directions for using 112 formulations prescribed for acute febrile diseases and the associated syndromes by revealed clinical cases treated with Da-cheng-qi-tang and Guizhi-tang.