For treatment of liver qi stagnation, and preventing cirrhosis.

chai hu 3 qian,  huang qin 3 qian,  dang shen 3 qian, ban xia 3 qian,

zhi gan cao 2 qian, sheng jiang 3 qian,  da zao 3 pieces slit open

Boil with water. Take as tea.

Note: qian = 3.75 grams (old measurement)

This formula has been used in certain cancer therapy. especially in APL. When you prescribe this, make sure your patients are not using interferon therapy or are allergic to ban xia or chai hu.

Warning: this formula is relatively safe but it should not be used with the drug interferon because it may cause interstitial pneumonia.

In January 14, 2000, the health department of Japan announced that there were 50 patients who used xiao chai hu tang (sho saiko to) developed interstitial pneumonia and eight of them died. Although patients with interstitial pneumonia can get healed over time but those with cirrhosis or with liver cancer may died because of weak immune system.

shosaikoto is Japanese pronunciation of xiao chai hu tang (小 柴胡湯)

Interferons are a group of proteins called cytokines produced by white blood cells, fibroblasts, or T-cells as part of a first line immune response to a viral infection before the specific immune system has had time to respond. The name of the proteins comes from their ability to interfere with the production of new virus particles. (See: answers.com)

Manufactured interferons-alpha and interferons-beta have been used to treat various viral infections.

功用﹕小 柴胡湯有助預防肝硬化轉變成肝癌，並 提高存活率。

具有和解少陽﹐扶正祛邪的作用，主治外邪病入少陽，邪奇郁于半表半里 之的少陽病。

凡病邪在半表半裡出現寒熱往來，胸肋脹滿，心煩喜嘔、不欲飲食、口苦咽乾、目眩、脈弦、舌苔白黃等少陽証時都可用本方治療。

柴胡 三錢 ﹐黃芩 三錢﹐黨參 三錢﹐半 夏 三錢﹐炙甘草 二錢﹐生薑 12克﹐大棗三枚劈開。

加水三碗﹐煎八分。溫服。

註﹕一錢 = 3.75 克 (舊制)

小柴胡湯及藥群配方含藥血清對體外 CCl₄ 誘導的肝細胞損傷有保護作用.[1]

[1]孫明瑜, 謝鳴, 伊麗縈, 張娜, 王守勇, 牛福玲, 朱陵群, 王碩仁.小柴胡湯及藥群配方含藥血清對CCl4損傷肝細胞凋亡的影響. 世界華人消化雜志 2004年 8月;12(8):1889-1893.
100029, 北京市北三環東路11號, 北京中醫藥大學方劑學科.