Qing Hao
| 4.5-6g | |
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Pinyin: Qing Hao
Chinese: 青蒿
Pharmaceutical: Herba Artemisiae Annuae
Taxonomy: Artemisia Annua
English: Sweet Wormwood
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Tastes: Bitter, pungent, cold
Meridians Entered: Liver, Gallbladder and Kidney
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Actions & Indications:
- Clears Summerheat or Damp-Heat
Summerheat with low fever, headache, dizziness and a stifling sensation in the chest
- Clears Deficiency fevers
Blood Deficiency or Yin Deficiency fevers
Sequelae of a febrile disease
Especially good when steaming bone patterns are marked by anhidrosis
- Cools the Blood and stops bleeding
Purpuric rashes or epistaxis due to Blood Heat
- Stops malarial disorders and relieves Heat
Malarial disorders with alternating chills and fever
- Clears Liver Heat and brightens the eyes
Liver Yang Rising with red eyes, dizziness and photophobia
- Kills Parasites and expels Demons
Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
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Standard Dosage: 6-12g in decoction.
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Huang Qin
| 4.5-9g | |
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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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Zhu Ru
| 9g | |
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Pinyin: Zhu Ru
Chinese: 竹茹
Pharmaceutical: Caulis Bambusae in Taeniam
English: Bamboo Shavings
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Tastes: Sweet, lightly cold
Meridians Entered: Lung, Heart and Stomach
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Actions & Indications:
- Clears Heat and transforms Hot Phlegm
Lung Heat with viscous sputum a stifling sensation in the chest or hemoptysis (Phlegm-Heat in the Lungs)
Gallbladder Fire harboring Phlegm and Phlegm-Heat
- Clears Heat and stops vomiting
Stomach Heat with bad breath, vomiting bitter or sour fluid, aversion to Heat, a greasy, yellow tongue coat (due to either Excess or Deficiency)
- Cools the Blood and stops bleeding
Blood Heat bleeding
- Calms the fetus
Restless fetus
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Standard Dosage: 6-10g in decoction.
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Zhi Ke
| 4.5g | |
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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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Chen Pi
| 4.5g | |
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Pinyin: Chen Pi
Chinese: 陈皮
Pharmaceutical: Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae
English: Aged Tangerine Peel
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Tastes: Pungent, bitter, warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen and Lung
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Actions & Indications:
- Regulates Qi, adjusts the Middle and relieves the diaphragm
Spleen/Stomach Qi Stagnation with epigastric or abdominal distention, fullness, bloating, belching, nausea and vomiting
Relieves the symptoms of Gu Sydnrome while suppressing parasites (Fruehauf, 1998)
Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
- Dries Dampness and transforms Phlegm
Phlegm-Damp Obstructs the Lung with coughing, a stifling sensation in the chest and/or diaphragm and copious, viscous sputum
Turbid Damp Obstructs the Middle with a stifling sensation in the chest, abdominal distention, anorexia, fatigue, loose stools and a thick, greasy tongue coat
- Helps prevent Stagnation from tonic herbs
Tonic herbs causing Stagnation
- Descends Qi
Qi Rebellion
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Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
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Zhi Ban Xia
| 4.5g | |
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Pinyin: Ban Xia
Chinese: 半夏
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Pinelliae
Taxonomy: Pinellia ternata
English: Pinellia Rhizome
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Tastes: Pungent, warm, toxic
Meridians Entered: Lung, Spleen and Stomach
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Actions & Indications:
- Dries Dampness and transforms Phlegm
Cold-Phlegm in the Lungs (cough with copious sputum)
Especially effective for Damp-Phlegm of the Spleen (Cold-Damp Stagnation)
- Descends Rebellious Qi and stops vomiting (harmonizes the Stomach)
Vomiting due to Phlegm-Damp in the Stomach (Tan Yin), Cold thin mucus, Stomach Deficiency, Stomach Heat or pregnancy
- Dissipates nodules and reduces Stagnation (clumps)
Phlegm in the chest (nodules, pressure, distention, pain)
Phlegm nodules in the neck (goiter, scrofula)
Focal distension in the chest and epigastrium
Obstruction caused by Phlegm anywhere in the body
- Treats sores, skin ulcerations and carbuncles and reduces swelling (external)
Topically as a powder for sores, skin ulcerations and carbuncles
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Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: Contraindicated to Wu Tou. Use with cautions during gestation.
Must be processed before use as raw Ban Xia is toxic. Ingesting the raw form can cause severe irritation of the mouth, pharynx, and gastrointestinal tracts, and has toxic effects on the nervous system. Symptoms of toxicity include a dry mouth, numbness of the tongue, gastric discomfort, burning sensations and swelling of the mouth, tongue, throat and salivation. In serious cases ingesting Ban Xia can result in hoarseness, spasms, dyspnoea and asphyxia. |
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Chi Fu Ling
| 9g | |
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Pinyin: Fu Ling Pi
Chinese: 茯苓皮
Pharmaceutical: Sclerotum Poriae excorio
Taxonomy: Poria cocos syn. Wolfiporia extensa
English: China-Root Peel
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Tastes: Sweet, bland and neutral
Meridians Entered: Kidney and Bladder
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Actions & Indications:
- Promotes urination and leaches out Dampness
Urinary difficulty, diarrhoea or oedema due to Stagnation of Fluids or Dampness
Fluid Stagnation
Damp-Heat
- Strengthens the Spleen and harmonizes the Middle Jiao
Spleen Deficiency Dampness with anorexia, diarrhoea and epigastric distention
- Strengthens the Spleen
Phlegm Dampness due to Spleen Deficiency with thin mucus in which Phlegm moves upward manifesting as palpitations, headache, dizziness and a thick, greasy tongue coat
- Quiets the Heart, calms the Spirit and soothes the nerves
Palpitations, insomnia or forgetfulness due to either Spleen and Heart Insufficiency or Internal Obstruction of Turbid Phlegm
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Standard Dosage: 15-30g in decoction.
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Qing Dai
| 3g | |
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Pinyin: Qing Dai
Chinese: 青黛
Pharmaceutical: Indigo Naturalis
English: Natural Indigo
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Tastes: Bitter, salty, cold
Meridians Entered: Liver, Heart, Lung and Stomach
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Actions & Indications:
- Clears Heat, resolves Fire toxicity, cools the Blood and reduces maculae
Maculae due to Blood Heat (Xue Stage Heat) Can be used alone for bleeding due to Blood Heat, especially epistaxis
- Clears Heat, resolves Fire toxicity, cools the Blood, disperses Stagnation and reduces swelling
Throat inflammation, dysphagia, sores of the mouth or mumps due to blazing Heat (internal or topical)
- Drains Liver Fire, dispels Summerheat and extinguishes Wind to stop tremors
Convulsions, red eyes, sore throat and other manifestations of Heat, especially Summerheat, affecting the Liver
- Clears Liver Fire, drains Lung Heat and cools the Blood
Cough due to Lung Heat Cough and chest pain due to Liver Fire attacking the Lungs
- Expels Gu Parasites
Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
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Standard Dosage: 1.5-3g as pills or powder internally. Should not be decocted because it is insoluble in water.
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Hua Shi
| 3g | |
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Pinyin: Hua Shi
Chinese: 滑石
Pharmaceutical: Talcum / Magnesium Silicate
Taxonomy: Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
English: Talcum Powder
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Tastes: Sweet, bland and cold
Meridians Entered: Bladder, Lung and Stomach
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Actions & Indications:
- Promotes urination and drains Heat from the Urinary Bladder (aids the movement of gravel and stones), (expels Damp-Heat)
Hot Painful Urinary Dysfunction (Lin Syndrome) with hot, painful urination, dark, painful, burning, scanty urine
Damp-Heat diarrhoea
Qi Level Heat with Dampness with unremitting fever, heavy feeling in the body, thirst, yellow tongue coat
- Releases Summeheat and resolves Dampness
Summerheat (fever, urinary difficulty, thirst)
- Absorbs Dampness and clears Heat (topically)
Damp skin lesions (eczema, damp sores, prickly heat) (topical)
- Stops bleeding due to Heat
Heat type bleeding
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Standard Dosage: 10-20g in decoction.
Cautions: Mineral products are prohibited from use in the UK under the Medicines Act 1968 ch. 67 which restricts herbalists to the use of plant products only. It is generally substituted with Chi Fu Ling and Ze Xie. |
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Gan Cao
| 3g | | (powdered) |
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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