Pinyin: Fang Feng  Chinese: 防风
Pharmaceutical: Radix Saposhnikoviae seu Ledebouriellae
English: Siler

Tastes: Pungent, sweet, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Lung, Liver and Spleen

Actions & Indications:

1. Releases the Exterior and expels External Wind
   Wind-Cold with headache, chills, aversion to Cold, and body aches
2. Expels Wind-Dampness and alleviates pain
   Wind-Damp Bi, especially with Wind predominant
3. Expels Internal Wind and stops spasms
   As an auxiliary for Liver Wind with trembling of hands and feet and tetany
   Intestinal-Wind due to imbalance between Spleen and Liver with recurrent tenesmus and painful diarrhoea with bright blood in the stool
   Migraine headaches
4. Relieves diarrhoea and stops bleeding
   Liver and Spleen Disharmony with recurrent painful diarrhoea, borborygmus and abdominal pain
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the middle class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, make the body light. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).

Standard Dosage: 5-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It should be used with caution for blood deficiency and internal wind induced by heat because of its warm property.

Pinyin: Jing Jie  Chinese: 荆芥
Pharmaceutical: Herba Schizonepetae
English: Japanese Catnip

Tastes: Pungent, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Lung and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Releases the Exterior and expels Wind
   Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat Carbuncles or boils (Chuang Yung) when they first erupt - especially with chills and fever
2. Vents rashes and relieves itching
   Initial-stage measles and pruritic skin eruptions
3. Stops bleeding
   Hemorrhage (auxiliary)
4. Dispels Wind and relieves muscle spasms
   Postpartum spasms, trismus, muscle cramps and spasms due to Wind

Standard Dosage: 5-10g in decoction.

Pinyin: Fan Bai Cao  Chinese: 翻白草
Pharmaceutical: Herba Potentillae Discoloris
Taxonomy: Potentilla Discoloris
English: Discolor Cinquefoil Herb

Tastes: Sweet, bitter, neutral

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and resolves Toxicity
   Scrofula, sores and boils
   Dysentery, malaria
   pulmonary abscess
2. Stops bleeding and resolves swelling
   Nosebleed, coughing blood
   Uterine bleeding

Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in case of yang-deficiency with cold or cold-deficiency in spleen and stomach.

Pinyin: Mu Tong  Chinese: 木通
Pharmaceutical: Caulis Akebiae seu Caulis Clematis
Taxonomy: Akebia trifoliata, A. quinata, A. trifoliata var. australis seu Clematis armandii
English: Akebia or Clematis Stem

Tastes: Bitter, cool
Meridians Entered: Heart, Small Intestine and Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes urination and unblocks painful urinary dysfunction
   Damp-Heat Painful Urinary Dysfunction (Lin Syndrome) with dribbling, painful and rough urination
   Oedema and ascites
2. Drains Heart Heat through the Small Intestine
   Small Intestine Shi Heat with irritability accompanied by mouth or tongue sores and scanty urination
3. Promotes lactation and unblocks Blood vessels
   Lactation Insufficiency
   Amenorrhea and pain and stiffness of the joints (Heat Bi)

Standard Dosage: 3-6g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for qi deficiency, spermatorrhea and pregnant women.

This herb is prohibited from use in the UK under the banned and restricted herbal ingredients list issued by the MHRA because it can also refer to Aristolochia manshuriensis (Guan Mu Tong) which contains toxic aristolochic acid. In some European countries with statutory testing of imports the species can be identified but the UK has chosen to ban all species to avoid regulation. It is generally substituted with Qu Mai or Tong Cao.

Pinyin: Sheng Di Huang  Chinese: 生地黃
Pharmaceutical: Radix Rehmanniae
Taxonomy: Rehmannia glutinosa
English: Chinese Foxglove Root / Rehmannia Root

Tastes: Sweet, bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Liver, Stomach and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. 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
2. 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 (消渴 Xiao Ke - diabetes)
3. Cools Heart Fire
   Heart Fire
4. Calms the Spirit agitated by Parasites damaging the Yin
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
5. Breaks up Blood Stasis, expels Cold and Hot Bi, replenishes Bone Marrow and promotes the growth of Muscles and Flesh
   Broken bones or severed sinews from falls and a damaged center (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing)
6. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, make the body light, and prevent forgetfulness. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).

Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of diarrhea, abdomen distention due to spleen deficiency.

Pinyin: Bai Shao  Chinese: 白芍
Pharmaceutical: Radix Paeoniae Alba
Taxonomy: Paeonia lactiflora
English: White Peony Root

Tastes: Bitter, sour, sweet, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Spleen and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Nourishes the Blood and regulates menstruation
   Liver Blood Deficiency with menstrual dysfunction, vaginal discharge and uterine bleeding accompanied by a pale face, a lusterless complexion and dull, lusterless nails
   Anemia
   Breast distention and premenstrual syndrome
2. Astringes Yin and adjusts the Ying and Wei
   Yin Deficiency sweating Sweating due to Yin Collapse
   Disharmony between the Liver and Spleen
   Disharmony between the Ying and Wei with non-productive sweating
3. Calms Liver Yang and Liver Wind and alleviates pain
   Liver Qi Stagnation with Liver Yang Rising
   Liver Wind with Yin and Blood Deficiency
   Bi syndrome due to Blood Deficiency with pain and spasms
4. Softens the Liver and relieves pain
   Diarrhoea, borborygmus and abdominal pain
   Dysenteric disorders with tenesmus
5. Eliminates Evil Qi, breaks up Blood Stasis, disperses accumulations and fortifies Qi
   The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing places this in the middle class of herbs and says that "It mainly treats Evil Qi and abdominal pain, eliminates blood impediment, breaks hard gatherings and cold and heat mounting conglomeration, relieves pain, disinhibits urination, and boosts the qi.
6. Tonifies the Blood while suppressing Parasites
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 10-30g in decoction.
Cautions: Caution with anticoagulants as it may slow clotting time. May also slow the absorption of phenytoin.

Pinyin: Dan Zhu Ye  Chinese: 淡竹叶
Pharmaceutical: Herba Lophatheri
English: Bamboo Leaves and Stem

Tastes: Cold, bitter, sweet and bland
Meridians Entered: Small Intestine, Lung and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and eliminates irritability
   Internal Heat patterns with irritability, restlessness, dry mouth and thirst
   Mouth and lip ulcers ulcers due to Heat in the Heart or Stomach channels
2. Promotes urination and clears Damp-Heat
   Rough, scanty, painful urination
   Especially useful for Heat in the Small Intestine channel with rough, scanty, painful urination, irritability and a dark, red tip of the tongue

Standard Dosage: 5-15g in decoction.

Pinyin: Bai Xian Pi  Chinese: 白鲜皮
Pharmaceutical: Cortex Dictamni
Taxonomy: Dictamnus albus
English: Chinese Dittany Root Bark

Tastes: Bitter, slightly pungent, cold
Meridians Entered: Liver, Gallbladder, Spleen, Stomach, Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat, resolves Fire-toxicity, expels Wind and dries Dampness
   Wind-Heat or Damp-Heat Chuang Yang (sores, carbuncles, and rashes) with copious pus, leaking of yellow fluid, moist skin and pruritis
   Damp-Heat Bi
   Damp-Heat jaundice
2. Clears Damp-Heat and stops itching
   Vaginal pruritis with itching

Standard Dosage: 6-10g in decoction.
Cautions: Not suitable for deficiency cold syndrome.

Pinyin: Ji Li / Bai Ji Li / Ci Ji Li  Chinese: 蒺藜 / 白蒺藜 / 刺蒺藜
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Tribuli
Taxonomy: Tribulus terrestris
English: Caltrop Fruit / Puncture-Vine Fruit

Tastes: Bitter, pungent, slightly salty
Meridians Entered: Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Calms the Liver and anchors Yang
   Liver Yang Rising with headache, vertigo or dizziness
2. Dredges Liver Qi and disperses Stagnation and clumping
   Liver Qi Stagnation with pain and distention in the flanks, irregular menstruation or insufficient lactation
3. Dispels Wind-Heat and brightens the eyes
   Red, swollen and painful eyes
   Excess tearing
4. Dispels Wind and stops itching
   Any kind of skin lesion with significant itching, such as hives
   Vitiligo (can be used as a stand-alone herb)
5. Extinguishes Liver Wind
   Liver Wind

Standard Dosage: 6-10g in decoction.
Cautions: Caution in pregnancy.

Pinyin: Gan Cao  Chinese: 甘草
Pharmaceutical: Radix Glycyrrhizae
Taxonomy: Glycyrrhiza uralensis seu glabra seu inflata
English: Liquorice Root

Tastes: Sweet, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Lung and Spleen (and all 12 meridians)

Actions & Indications:

1. 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
2. Moistens the Lungs, resolves Phlegm and stops coughing
   Lung Heat or Cold
   Productive or non-productive coughing
3. Moderates spasms and alleviates pain
   Painful muscle spasms of the abdomen and legs
4. Clears Heat and relieves Fire Toxicity
   Raw for Toxic Heat with sore throat or carbuncles and sores (Chuang Yung)
5. Antidote for many toxic substances (internal and topical)
   Poisoning
   Bites (after washing the wound, chew Gan Cao and apply a thick layer on the bite wound, changing whenever it dries out; Bao Xiang-Ao, 1846, New Compilation of Proven Formulas)
6. 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
7. Tonifies the Qi while suppressing Parasites
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
8. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, make the body light and prolong life. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).

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.

The NHS recommends avoiding during pregnancy.