Dao Chi San (导赤散) — Guide Out the Red Powder

Dao Chi San (Guide Out the Red Powder) is the classical Chinese formula for Heart Fire descending to the Small Intestine — the pattern behind mouth ulcers with dark, scanty, hot urine, insomnia with irritability, and a red tongue tip. It works by guiding Heart Fire down and out through the urinary tract.

On this page

1. Overview
2. TCM pattern
3. Ingredients
4. Actions and indications
5. Dosing
6. Cautions and contraindications
7. Related formulas
8. Treatment at my clinic

1. Overview

Dao Chi San (导赤散) — Guide Out the Red Powder — is a classical Chinese herbal formula in the Clear Heat category. Source: Xiao Er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue (Craft of Medicinal Treatment for Childhood Disease Patterns), 1119 CE, by Qian Yi. I prescribe it as bespoke pharmaceutical-grade granules from Sun Ten in Taiwan at my clinic in Wokingham, Berkshire and via online herbal consultations.

2. TCM pattern

Heart Fire transferring to the Small Intestine, presenting with mouth and tongue ulcers, dark scanty painful urine (that may burn on passing), insomnia with a red tongue tip, thirst preferring cold drinks, irritability and restlessness.

3. Ingredients

1. Sheng Di Huang — Rehmannia glutinosa (fresh) (9g) — chief; clears Heart Fire and nourishes Kidney Yin, preventing Fire from consuming fluids
2. Mu Tong — Clematis armandii (Chuan Mu Tong — safe species) (6g) — guides Heart Fire down and out through the urinary tract via the Small Intestine channel
3. Zhu Ye — Phyllostachys nigra (bamboo leaf) (6g) — clears Heart Fire and calms irritability
4. Gan Cao — Glycyrrhiza uralensis (raw) (3–6g) — harmonises the formula, protects the Middle and clears mild Heat

4. Actions and indications

Principal actions

1. Clears Heart Fire
2. Nourishes Yin
3. Promotes urination to drain Heat

Indications

1. Mouth and tongue ulcers (aphthous stomatitis)
2. Dark, scanty, painful or burning urination
3. Insomnia with irritability and a red tongue tip
4. Recurrent UTIs with a Heart-Fire background
5. Restlessness and thirst in children (paediatric formula origin)

5. Dosing

As decoction, once daily. Granule form 4–6g/day for adults, adjusted for children.

6. Cautions and contraindications

1. Only Chuan Mu Tong (Clematis armandii) should be used — NEVER Guan Mu Tong (Aristolochia manshuriensis) which contains aristolochic acid and is banned in the UK.
2. Contraindicated in Yin-deficient patterns without Heat.
3. Not for cold-type urinary symptoms.
4. Reduce dose in children and adjust to body weight.

7. Related formulas

• Xiao Ji Yin Zi — for haematuria with Small Intestine Heat
• Ba Zheng San — for more severe damp-heat Lin syndrome
• Liu Yi San — for summer-heat with mild damp-heat

8. Treatment at my clinic

I prescribe Dao Chi San where the TCM pattern above matches the patient’s presentation, typically as part of a wider prescription tailored to the individual. Return to the Chinese herbal formulas directory or the Chinese herbal medicine main page.