The original design of the famous remedy Yin Qiao San goes back to the Ming dynasty physician Ye Tianshi. It took until the year 1798, however, for this formula to be standardized and presented as an emblematic prescription of the Fever School in Wu Jutong’s epidemiology handbook, Systematic Differentiation of Warm Diseases (Wenbing tiaobian). In the form of various patent medicines such as Yin-Chiao Tablets or Airborne, Yin Qiao San has become a standard home remedy for acute upper respiratory infections in China, South-East Asia and certain regions of the United States. Since the advent of antibiotics the formula’s status has sharply declined in China. However, due to the ineffectiveness of antibiotics in cases of viral infection and a general trend toward natural healing methods, Yin Qiao San is still one of the most frequently prescribed remedies in TCM clinics around the world.

Three vital points should be noted for the appropriate use of Yin Qiao San: 1) There should be obvious signs of wind heat. If a patient exhibits primary symptoms of wind cold (i.e., fever with strong aversion to cold temperatures), this formula should not be prescribed. 2) Yin Qiao San should not be prescribed (at least not without modification) for patients with a thick tongue coating or other obvious signs of dampness. 3) The volatile aromatic components of the herbs need to be captured in the extraction for the remedy to be effective.

Therapeutic Principles

• Release the exterior with acrid and cooling herbs
• Clear heat and eliminate toxicity

Other ingredients: living green clay excipient, vegetable capsule