We encountered a 24-year-old female patient with anorexia nervosa and a 25-year-old male patient with depressive neurosis, both of whom failed to respond to an antidepressant or an antianxiety drug but improved significantly with Rikkunshi-to (Tsumura's extract granules) given three times a day between meals in a daily dose of 7.5g.
In order to determine the effect of this Kampo formulation, we evaluated their mental condition weekly using the HDRS, BDI, and MAS scales. Although the MAS, which assesses anxiety, did not change very much, the HDRS and BDI, which assess depression, improved significantly. The evaluation was indicative of problems in personality formation originating from the patients' complicated life history. We had the impression that while in both cases Rikkunshi-to was ineffective in relieving anxiety related to personality factors, it was effective with depressive symptoms (anorexia, fatigue, malaise, insomnia etc.) occurring secondarily to anxiety.

We encountered three patients with schizophrenia diagnosed by DSM-III-R and/or ICD-9, all of whom improved significantly with Daisaiko-to. Psychiatric presentations evident were irritability, face-to-face tension and agitation, and constipation was present a somatic disturbance.
The psychiatric symptoms were associated with anger, the specific emotion corresponding to the orbis hepaticus, based on the Five Evolutive Phases (wu-hsing). Therefore, these symptoms were thought to be caused by dysfunction of Liver Ki (Qi) (energetic configuration). Daisaiko-to was prescribed in order to improve the function of Liver Ki based on the concept that the disorder was related to Kankao (a flaming up of Liver Fire). The effectiveness of this formula suggested that both Bupleuri Radix and Raeoniae Radix, which are components of Daisaiko-to, were important herbal drugs to alleviate “flaming up of the Liver Fire, ” in the treatment of schizophrenia.