Wen Dan Tang (Gallbladder-Warming Decoction) wēn dǎn tāng · 温胆汤

Safety. The name misleads English readers: this is not a warming formula. It is built for a pattern described traditionally as phlegm-heat harassing the gallbladder and stomach, and its herbs are mostly neutral-to-cooling; the name comes from the gallbladder's classical association with decision and with the timidity attributed to phlegm, not from temperature. An earlier formula of the same name appears in Beiji Qianjin Yaofang; the version in general use today is the one from Sanyin Jiyi Bingzheng Fanglun. Pinellia (半夏) is the main hazard: raw pinellia is toxic and irritant to the mouth and throat and is not to be taken by mouth in that form, so only a properly processed product (法半夏 or 姜半夏) belongs in a dispensed formula. Pinellia is also traditionally avoided in pregnancy, and animal studies have raised reproductive-toxicity questions that have not been settled in humans. Immature bitter orange (枳实) contains synephrine-like amines and has documented cardiovascular stimulant reports, which matters for anyone with heart disease or taking stimulant or blood-pressure medicines. Honey-fried licorice adds a further caution in hypertension and with potassium-losing diuretics. Which herb amounts apply is decided by a licensed practitioner after pattern differentiation and is deliberately not stated here.