Prepared Aconite Slices

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

• Restores devastated Yang and rescues collapse - Fu Pian is a prepared aconite slice used when cold collapse presents with cold limbs, a faint pulse, somnolence, or severe Yang exhaustion and a rapid warming response is needed.
• Warms Heart, Spleen, and Kidney Yang - it treats deep cold with weak circulation, edema, watery diarrhea, abdominal cold pain, fatigue, and failure of transformation in deficient-cold patterns.
• Warms the channels and disperses cold-damp pain - the slice form is widely used for cold Bi, fixed joint pain, and cold low-back or knee pain that improves with heat.
• Assists fire and supports Mingmen function - it is added to formulas for impotence, cold womb, frequent urination, or chronic lower-body weakness when Yang deficiency predominates.

Secondary Actions

• Fu Pian usually refers to processed decoction slices such as black slices or white slices that have undergone paozhi to reduce diester-alkaloid toxicity before dispensing.
• Even as a processed slice, it is commonly pre-decocted before the rest of the formula because warming power is desired only after toxicity has been reduced as much as possible.

Classic Formulas

• Si Ni Tang - classic rescue formula pairing Fu Zi-type aconite with Gan Jiang and Zhi Gan Cao for Shaoyin collapse, icy extremities, and a faint pulse.
• Zhen Wu Tang - warms Spleen and Kidney Yang while mobilizing water for edema, dizziness, abdominal pain, and deep deficient cold.
• Gui Zhi Fu Zi Tang - channel-warming formula for wind-cold-damp painful obstruction with deep cold and joint pain.
• Fu Zi Tang - deficiency-cold painful-obstruction formula for chronic joint pain, heaviness, and weakness with internal cold and Qi-Blood insufficiency.

Classical References

• Chinese Pharmacopoeia descriptions of prepared aconite slices emphasize strong heat, toxicity, and use for reversal of devastated Yang, warming fire, and dispersing cold pain rather than casual tonic use.
• Classical Shang Han Lun and Jin Gui traditions consistently decoct Fu Zi-type preparations first and pair them with stabilizing herbs such as Gan Jiang, Gan Cao, Bai Zhu, or Fu Ling according to the pattern being treated.
• Paozhi traditions distinguish commercial slice forms such as Hei Shun Pian and Bai Fu Pian, reflecting the longstanding need to process the lateral root before clinical use.