Dan Dou Chi - 淡豆豉 - Semen Sojae Preparatum

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Semen Sojae Preparatum
Common English:	Fermented Soybean Glycine Max Prepared Soybean Soja

Category

Herbs that Release the Exterior: Cool, Acrid Herbs that Release the Exterior (Wind-Heat Diaphoretics)

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sweet Slightly Bitter Acrid	Cold Or Warm Depending on the preparation	Lung Stomach	6-18g Maximum dosage: 50g Tincture: 2-4ml 6-12g (Secondary source)

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Releases the Exterior	Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat Yin Deficiency with superimposed Exterior disorders
Eliminates irritability, harmonizes the Middle Jiao and relieves stuffy sensations in the chest	Irritability, restlessness, , insomnia, stifling sensations in the chest and insomnia following a febrile disease

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Bul. Allii Fistulosi Cong Bai	Hb. Menthae Haplocalycis Bo He Hb. Schizonepetae Jing Jie Fr. Arctii Niu Bang Zi	Fr. Arctii Niu Bang Zi Fr. Forsythiae Lian Qiao
Fevers with anhidrosis and epigastric pain, and distension due to early stage Wind-Cold invasion. Colds associated with Yin Deficiency.	Early stage Wind-Heat disorders with fever and headache.	Wind-Heat.
Fr. Gardeniae Zhi Zi	Fr. Liquidamberis Lu Lu Tong Cx. Lycii Di Gu Pi	Bul. Allii Fistulosi Cong Bai Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang
Insomnia and irritability due to Wind-Heat. Exterior Heat as it first enters the interior. Late-stage residual Heat trapped in the chest and diaphragm with irritability, restlessness, headache, stifling sensation in the chest, vexation, insomnia, expression of rashes and nausea. (if vomiting occurs, stop)	Hematuria.	Early-stage Wind-Cold.
Hb Ephedrae Ma Huang Rx. Puerariae Ge Gen	Hb. Menthae Haplocalycis Bo He Flos Lonicerae Jin Yin Hua Fr. Forsythiae Lian Qiao	Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian Bul. Allii Macrostemi Xie Bai
Wind-Cold with anhidrosis and a tight pulse.	Wind-Heat.	Diarrhea from Damp-Heat in the Middle Jiao.

Notes

1. According to some sources, it purges Fire, settles Qi and clears Damp-Heat.
2. Processed soybean helps with digestive upsets caused by Stomach Fire or Food Poisoning.
3. It is used particularly for chest distress, swelling of the mouth & restlessness or irritability.
4. Its surface-releasing action is confined to treating alternating chills and fever in febrile disease.
5. Soy beans are eaten as food, yet they contain substances that can disturb digestion in many people.
6. Once processed, they become an aid to digestion.
7. In the early stage of febrile disease it is used to induce diaphoresis, and in the late stage to treat restlessness and insomnia.
8. It disperses Heat constrained above the diaphragm.
9. According to one source, it calms the Kidneys.
10. Its diaphoretic action is mild, producing sweat without harming the Yin.
11. Processing makes it aromatic, with lifting and dispersing properties. With Bul. Allii Fistulosi Cong Bai it can induce sweating; with salt, vomiting; with wine it can treat Wind; with Sm. Allii Tuberosi Jiu Cai Zi it can treat dysenteric disorders; with garlic it can stop bleeding; and dry-fried and cooked, it can stop sweating.
12. It helps deep-lying pathogens in the Shao Yin to be expressed outward.
13. Dry-fried Prepared Soybeans Chao Dou Chi relieve Food Stagnation and harmonize the Middle.
14. Also known as Dou Chi.
15. Qing Dou Chi is the form prepared with Sang Ye and Qing Hao.
16. Wen Dou Chi is the form prepared with Ma Huang and Zi Su Ye.