Sheng Di Huang
| 9g | |
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Pinyin: Sheng Di Huang
Chinese: 生地黃
Pharmaceutical: Radix Rehmanniae
Taxonomy: Rehmannia glutinosa
English: Chinese Foxglove Root / Rehmannia Root
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Tastes: Sweet, bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Liver, Stomach and Kidney
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Actions & Indications:
- Clears Heat and cools the Blood
Ying Stage Heat with high fever, thirst and a scarlet tongue
Xue Stage Heat
Hemorrhage due to Blood Heat
- Nourishes Yin, generates fluids, increases saliva and treats wasting and thirsting
Yin Deficiency with Heat signs
Injury to fluids
Throat pain due to Yin Deficiency
Wasting and thirsting disorder (Xiao Ke - diabetes)
- Cools Heart Fire
Heart Fire
- Calms the Spirit agitated by Parasites damaging the Yin
Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
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Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of diarrhea, abdomen distention due to spleen deficiency. |
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Shu Di Huang
| 9g | |
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Pinyin: Shu Di Huang
Chinese: 熟地黄
Pharmaceutical: Radix Rehmanniae Preparata
Taxonomy: Rehmannia glutinosa
English: Prepared Chinese Foxglove Root
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Tastes: Sweet, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Kidney and Liver
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Actions & Indications:
- Nourishes the Blood
Blood Deficiency with facial pallor, dizziness, palpitations, insomnia, irregular menstruation, uterine bleeding and postpartum bleeding
- Nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin
Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiency with a weak low back and limbs, dizziness, tinnitus, tidal fevers, night sweats and nocturnal emissions
- Strongly enriches Yin and relieves wasting and thirsting disorder
Lower Jiao wasting (it can be used as a stand-alone herb for this)
- Nourishes Jing and Blood and fills the Marrow
Exhausted Jing and Blood problems such as delayed development during childhood, blunted affect, premature aging, diminished mental acuity, graying of hair, impotence and memory loss
- Arrests coughing and wheezing
Kidney Deficient coughing, wheezing and asthma, such as inability of the Kidneys to grasp Qi
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Standard Dosage: 10-30g in decoction.
Cautions: It should be used with cautions for spleen and stomach deficiency, loose stool due to fullness in abdomen and qi stagnation with excessive phlegm because it is greasy and will produce indigestion. |
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Shi Hu
| 9g | |
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Pinyin: Shi Hu
Chinese: 石斛
Pharmaceutical: Herba Dendrobii
Taxonomy: Dendrobium nobile seu loddigesis seu fimbriatum var. oculatum seu chrysanthum seu candidum
English: Stonebushel Stem
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Tastes: Sweet, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Stomach and Kidney
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Actions & Indications:
- Nourishes Yin, clears Heat and generates fluids
Parched mouth, severe thirst or intractable fever associated with Yin Deficiency, most commonly when the Fluids are injured during a warm pathogen disease
- Enriches Kidney Yin and reduces Heat from Deficiency
Yin Deficiency Heat and depleted Fluids with a recalcitrant low-grade fever, dry and painful throat and a red tongue with no coat
- Tonifies the Kidneys, augments Jing, brightens the eyes, strengthens the tendons and bones and strengthens the low back
Dull vision, dizziness and low back weakness and pain associated with Kidney and Liver Deficiency
- Nourishes Stomach and Lung Yin
Stomach and Lung Yin Deficiency with Empty Fire Rising
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Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction, double if fresh.
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Tian Men Dong
| 12g | |
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Pinyin: Tian Men Dong
Chinese: 天門冬
Pharmaceutical: Radix Asparagi
Taxonomy: Asparagus cochinchinensis
English: Asparagus Root
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Tastes: Sweet, bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Lung, Stomach and Kidney
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Actions & Indications:
- Clears Lung Heat, sedates Fire and Moistens the Lungs
Lung Yin Deficiency with Heat signs in the upper Jiao such as Dryness of the mouth, Dryness of the Lung with dry mouth and a dry, non-productive cough or a productive cough with scanty, viscous, Blood-streaked sputum
Consumption with low-grade afternoon fever
- Nourishes the Lung and Kidney Yin, resolves Phlegm and generates Fluids
Lung and Kidney Yin Deficiency, especially Wasting and Thirsting disorder (Xiao Ke) of upper, middle and lower Jiao
Jing Deficiency due to Kidney Yin Deficiency with leg atrophy
Constipation due to dry Intestines
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Standard Dosage: 6-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It should be used with cautions for cough due to wind-cold invasion and diarrhea due to deficiency cold because of its cold and smooth properties. |
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Mai Men Dong
| 12g | |
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Pinyin: Mai Men Dong
Chinese: 麥門冬
Pharmaceutical: Radix Ophiopogonis
English: Dwarf Lilyturf Root
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Tastes: Sweet, slightly bitter, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Stomach, Lung and Heart
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Actions & Indications:
- Moistens the Lungs, nourishes Yin and stops coughing
Lung Yin Deficiency with a hacking, dry cough or a cough with thick, difficult to expectorate sputum, or hemoptysis
Pathogenic Warm-Dryness Dryness that has transformed into Fire
- Nourishes Stomach Yin and generates Fluids
Stomach Yin Deficiency with dry mouth and tongue
- Moistens the Intestines
Constipation, dry mouth and irritability as a result of febrile disease or Yin Deficiency
- Clears the Heart and eliminates irritability
Ying Stage Heat with fever and irritability which is worse at night
Yin Deficiency with fever and irritability which is worse at night
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Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.
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Huang Qin
| 9g | |
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Pinyin: Huang Qin
Chinese: 黄芩
Pharmaceutical: Radix Scutellariae baicalensis
Taxonomy: Scutellaria baicalensis
English: Baical Skullcap Root
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Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Lung, Stomach, Gallbladder, Large Intestine and Bladder
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Actions & Indications:
- Clears Heat and dries Dampness
Damp-Heat in the Stomach or Intestines with diarrhoea or dysenteric disorder
Damp-Warmth with fever, a stifling sensation in the chest and thirst with no desire to drink
Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao with painful urinary dysfunction
Damp-Heat jaundice (auxiliary), infectious hepatitis
- Drains Fire and detoxifies
Heat and Fire especially in the Upper Jiao (Lung) with high fever, irritability, thirst, cough and expectoration of thick, yellow sputum
Upper respiratory tract infection
Hot sores and swellings (topical or internal)
- Cools the Blood and stops bleeding
Xue Stage Heat or Blood Heat causing bleeding with epistaxis, hemoptysis, hematemesis and hemafecia
- Clears Heat and calms the fetus
Fetal restlessness due to Heat
- Calms ascending Liver Yang
Liver Yang Rising with headache, irritability, red eyes, flushed face and bitter taste
High Blood pressure
Gallbladder Heat
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Standard Dosage: 5-15g in decoction.
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Yin Chen Hao
| 9g | |
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Pinyin: Yin Chen Hao
Chinese: 茵陈蒿
Pharmaceutical: Herba Artemisiae Scopariae
English: Virgate Wormwood Herb
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Tastes: Bitter, pungent and slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach, Liver and Gallbladder
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Actions & Indications:
- Clears Damp-Heat from the Liver and Gallbladder and relieves jaundice
Jaundice due to Damp-Cold or Damp-Heat
- Clears Heat and facilitates the resolution of Dampness
Damp sores, wind rashes, other skin diseases, in the Lower parts of the body (can be used alone as a wash)
- Clears and releases Dampness in the the Exterior
Damp-Warm Febrile disease
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Standard Dosage: 6-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for jaundice with yellowish skin due to accumulation of blood or sallow yellow due to blood deficiency. |
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Zhi Ke
| 9g | |
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Pinyin: Zhi Ke
Chinese: 枳壳
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Aurantii
Taxonomy: Citrus aurantium
English: Seville Orange / Bitter Orange / Sour Orange
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Tastes: Bitter, pungent, sore and slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Spleen and Stomach
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Actions & Indications:
- Promotes the movement of Qi, reduces distention and pressure and resolves hardenings
Qi Stagnation and accumulation (especially in weak or deficient patients)
- Removes stagnated food
Food Stagnation
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Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: Used with caution for pregnant women. |
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Pi Pa Ye
| 24g | |
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Pinyin: Pi Pa Ye
Chinese: 枇杷叶
Pharmaceutical: Folium Eriobotryae
English: Loquat Leaf
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Tastes: Bitter, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Lung and Stomach
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Actions & Indications:
- Transforms Phlegm, clears Lung Heat and descends Lung Qi
Lung Heat or Lung Dryness with cough and wheezing Phlegm-Heat Rebellious Lung Qi
- Harmonizes the Stomach, clears Stomach Heat and descends Stomach Qi
Stomach Heat with nausea, vomiting, hiccup and belching Rebellious Stomach Qi
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Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
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Gan Cao
| 6g | | |
Pinyin: Gan Cao
Chinese: 甘草
Pharmaceutical: Radix Glycyrrhizae
Taxonomy: Glycyrrhiza uralensis seu glabra seu inflata
English: Liquorice Root
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Tastes: Sweet, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Lung and Spleen (and all 12 meridians)
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Actions & Indications:
- Tonifies the Spleen and augments Qi
Spleen Qi Deficiency with shortness of breath, lassitude and loose stools
Qi and Blood Deficiency with an irregular pulse and/or palpitations
Heart Qi Deficiency or Heart Yang Deficiency
- Moistens the Lungs, resolves Phlegm and stops coughing
Lung Heat or Cold
Productive or non-productive coughing
- Moderates spasms and alleviates pain
Painful muscle spasms of the abdomen and legs
- Clears Heat and relieves Fire toxicity
Raw for Toxic Heat with sore throat or carbuncles and sores (Chuang Yung)
- Antidote for many toxic substances (internal and topical)
Poisoning
- Moderates and harmonizes the harsh properties of other herbs and guides the herbs to all twelve channels
Often added in small doses to harmonise formulas
- Tonifies the Qi while suppressing Parasites
Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
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Standard Dosage: Typically 1.5-9g in decoction. Large doses can be up 30g.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for combining with Hai Zao, Da Ji, Gan Sui and Yuan Hua because of "eighteen antagonisms". It is also contraindicated in cases of dampness obstruction in middle energizer and edema because it can help dampness obstruct qi, and it is prohibited from long-term usage in large dosage (more than 20g/day) and should be avoided or used with extreme caution in patients with high blood pressure because it may raise aldosterone levels in the blood causing retention of sodium. |
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