重方

chóng fāng

The doubled formula · chong fang

Also rendered: The doubled formula (this site; 重 read chóng, the odd and the even laid one on the other, not a heavier dose) · The repeated formula (also correct, and 重方 names the pair rather than the repetition)

Core vocabulary

Reviewed · 2026-10-14

At a glance

Pinyin: chóng fāng
Simplified: 重方
Literal: 重 here is read chóng, again, a second time — not zhòng, heavy; 方 — a formula. 重方 is what the chapter calls the odd formula and the even one used one after the other, a formula laid on a formula.
Shuowen: **《說文》：重，厚也**，讀平聲者為再也。**「重方」本篇1見**；**在「奇之不去則偶之」之下**；**「奇之不去」本篇亦1見，即此句**；**此語下又接「偶之不去，則反佐以取之」，是奇、偶、重、反佐四者為一序**

In brief

What the chapter prescribes when the first formula fails: 奇之不去則偶之，是謂重方. The failure is not of the drugs but of the count — an odd formula has not cleared the disease, so the even one is laid beside it, and the two together are a doubled formula. It is the third of four terms in one sequence, and the sequence is the chapter’s answer to a physician who has tried the plain rule: 近者奇之，遠者偶之 gives the ordinary choice, 重方 gives what to do when it does not work, and 反佐 gives what to do when 重方 does not work either. 重 is read chóng: the formula is not heavier, it is repeated.

Senses in the classical corpus

The words 重方

重讀平聲，再也，奇偶並用

是謂重方 — Suwen 74

When 奇之不去

奇方不效則兼用偶方

奇之不去則偶之 — Suwen 74

What it is 奇偶並用

二制相重而成一方

是謂重方 — Suwen 74

What follows 反佐以取之

重方不已則反佐

偶之不去，則反佐以取之 — Suwen 74

The ordinary step before it 近者奇之，遠者偶之

重方之前另有常法

近者奇之 — Suwen 74

Its reading 重讀 chóng

非輕重之重，乃重疊之重

是謂重方 — Suwen 74

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display

1 passages

Suwen 74 Suwen 74 · 至真要大論 Read in context →

故曰：近者奇之，遠者偶之，汗者不以奇，下者不以偶。補上治上制以緩，補下治下制以急。急則氣味厚，緩則氣味薄，適其至所，此之謂也。病所遠而中道氣味之者，食而過之，無越其制度也。是故平氣之道，近而奇偶，制小其服也；遠而奇偶，制大其服也。大則數少，小則數多。多則九之，少則二之。奇之不去則偶之，是謂重方。故曰：近者奇之，远者偶之，汗者不以奇，下者不以偶。补上治上制以缓，补下治下制以急。急则气味厚，缓则气味薄，适其至所，此之谓也。病所远而中道气味之者，食而过之，无越其制度也。是故平气之道，近而奇偶，制小其服也；远而奇偶，制大其服也。大则数少，小则数多。多则九之，少则二之。奇之不去则偶之，是谓重方。

Gù yuē: jìn zhě jī zhī, yuǎn zhě ǒu zhī, hàn zhě bù yǐ jī, xià zhě bù yǐ ǒu. Bǔ shàng zhì shàng zhì yǐ huǎn, bǔ xià zhì xià zhì yǐ jí. Jí zé qì wèi hòu, huǎn zé qì wèi bó, shì qí zhì suǒ, cǐ zhī wèi yě. Bìng suǒ yuǎn ér zhōng dào qì wèi zhī zhě, shí ér guò zhī, wú yuè qí zhì dù yě. Shì gù píng qì zhī dào, jìn ér jī ǒu, zhì xiǎo qí fú yě; yuǎn ér jī ǒu, zhì dà qí fú yě. Dà zé shù shǎo, xiǎo zé shù duō. Duō zé jiǔ zhī, shǎo zé èr zhī. Jī zhī bù qù zé ǒu zhī, shì wèi chóng fāng.

Hence it is said: what is near, use the odd; what is far, use the even; what is to sweat, do not use the odd; what is to carry down, do not use the even. To supplement above and treat above, make the rule slow; to supplement below and treat below, make the rule urgent. When urgent the qi and flavour are thick, when slow they are thin; suiting where it arrives — this is what is meant. When the seat of illness is far and the qi and flavour is consumed on the way, take it after eating and pass it through, and do not overstep the measure. Therefore in the way of levelling the qi: near and odd or even, make the dose small; far and odd or even, make the dose great. The great takes few in number, the small many. When many, nine of them; when few, two of them. If the odd does not remove it, then the even — this is called a doubled formula.

**「重方」本篇一見，即此句**；**「重」讀平聲，義為再也，故入校勘而不改字**；**此句上接「多則九之，少則二之」，下接「偶之不去，則反佐以取之」，次序分明**；**奇、偶、重方、反佐四者，為本篇方制之全序**

Compounds built on this term

奇之制

qí zhī zhì

the odd rule

本篇2見；重方之前所用

偶之制

ǒu zhī zhì

the even rule

本篇2見；重方之兼用者

反佐

fǎn zuǒ

contrary assistance

本篇一見；重方不已而後用之

方制君臣

fāng zhì jūn chén

the lord and his ministers in a formula

本篇一見；重方之君臣仍依其制

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This site	the doubled formula	what is laid beside a formula that has failed, before contrary assistance is brought in
Literal	the doubled formula	exact about 重, and it says nothing about what is doubled
Descriptive	the odd and the even formula used together	clear, and long for a two-graph name

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-14

Search the glossary

Reading path

Guided routes through the corpus, each built on a handful of chapters and their key terms.

See all reading paths