Mai Men Dong
| 15-64g | |
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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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Ren Shen
| 9g | |
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Pinyin: Ren Shen
Chinese: 人參
Pharmaceutical: Radix Panax ginseng
Taxonomy: Panax ginseng
English: Ginseng Root
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Tastes: Sweet, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Lung and Heart
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Actions & Indications:
- Powerfully tonifies Yuan Qi
Extreme collapse of Qi or abandoned conditions that manifest in shallow breathing, shortness of breath, cold limbs, profuse sweating and an almost imperceptible pulse (after blood loss, overly profuse sweating or other problems related to severe fluid loss - it can be used alone in these emergencies)
Collapse of Yang
Collapse of Yin
- Tonifies Spleen and Stomach Qi
Lethargy, anorexia, chest and abdominal distention, chronic diarrhoea and, in severe cases, prolapse of the Stomach, uterus or rectum
- Tonifies Lung Qi
Lung Qi Deficiency with wheezing, shortness of breath and labored breathing on exertion
- Generates Body Fluids and stops thirst
Wasting and thirsting disorder (Xiao Ke) and high fevers with profuse sweating which injures Qi and fluids
- Tonifies Heart Qi and calms the Spirit
Heart Qi and Blood Deficiency with palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, forgetfulness and restlessness
- Treats impotence
With Kidney Yang tonics for impotence
- Tonifies Qi in Deficiency patients with Exterior conditions
Exterior disorder with Interior Deficiency
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Standard Dosage: 5-10g in decoction, 10-30g for exhaustion syndrome due to Qi deficiency.
Cautions: Antagonizing to Li Lu; the warm nature of sun-dried raw Ren Shen is weaker than that of Hong Shen. |
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Zhi Ban Xia
| 6-9g | |
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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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Jing Mi
| 6-15g | |
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Pinyin: Jing Mi
Chinese: 粳米
Pharmaceutical: Semen Oryzae
English: Non-Glutinous Rice Seed
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Tastes: Sweet, neutral
Meridians Entered: Lung and Spleen
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Actions & Indications:
- Tonifies Yang
Diarrhoea due to Yang Deficiency
- Tonifies the Qi of the Lungs, Spleen and Intestines and stops restlessness
Qi Deficiency with spontaneous perspiration and weakness
- Stops thirst and generates fluids
Body Fluid Deficiency
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Standard Dosage: 9-30g in decoction.
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Gan Cao
| 6g | |
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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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Da Zao
| 4pc | | |
Pinyin: Da Zao
Chinese: 大枣
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Jujubae
English: Jujube Berry / Black Date / Chinese Date
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Tastes: Sweet, warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach and Heart
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Actions & Indications:
- Tonifies the Spleen and Stomach and augments Qi
Spleen and Stomach Deficiency with weakness, shortness of breath, lassitude, anorexia and loose stools
- Nourishes the Blood and calms the Spirit
Blood Deficiency
Restless Organ Syndrome with wan complexion, irritability and severe emotional debility
- Moderates and harmonizes the harsh properties of other herbs
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Standard Dosage: 10-30g in decoction.
Cautions: It is used with cautions in cases of damp-phlegm or food stagnation because it can help dampness produce heat, and induce distention in middle energizer. |
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Reference Notes: (click to display)
Most formulas are found in Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet (2009): Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies and Chen & Chen (2015) Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications. Others are from translations of primary sources. It is recommended that the original material is cross-referenced for mistakes and additional information.
Substitutions have been taken from Ken Lloyd & Prof. Leung (2004): Mayway UK Substitution List or the above publications and are intended as suggestions to help navigate the tight restrictions in the UK quickly. More applicable substitutions may be appropriate in specific situations.
Individual herb information has initially been sourced from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted.