'Didang Wutou Guizhi Decoction'is from the chapter of Abdominal Fullness and Cold Hernia in the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber,as a classic prescription for the treatment of cold colic in abdomen and vulva that cold in both superficies and interior,there is always a lot of controversy over the interpretation of the word'Didang',and the dose of aconitum in the prescription is also missing.This paper comprehensively uses the literature research methods such as edition study and exegetics,and compares the five major extant versions of the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber and the records of the Didang Wutou Guizhi Decoction in the ancient medical literatures,and believes that the word'Didang'should be a unwanted words,and the Northern Song Dynasty Bureau for Revising Medical Books added the word'Didang'to the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber article according to the errors in the Waitai Miyao,but did not make a note;The dose of aconite in Didang Wutou Guizhi Decoction is five pieces;The drug dose and decoct method between Fufang Wutou Decoction and Wutou Guizhi Decoction is different.Because it is popular for people to boil the powder in Song dynasty,the decoction is changed to powder,the main drug needs to be cut into powder,the two drug composition is the same,so listed as one prescription.However,this large change made many doctors in the Song dynasty and later confuse the two prescriptions,and the two prescriptions gradually diluted their respective main characteristics.
Synopsis of the Golden ChamberDidang Wutou Guizhi DecoctionDidangAconiteFufang Wutou Decoction