Pinyin: Xi Jiao  Chinese: 犀角
Pharmaceutical: Cornu Rhinocerotis Asiatici
English: Rhinoceros Horn

Tastes: Sour, salty, cold
Meridians Entered: Liver and Heart

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat from the Ying and Xue stages, relieves Fire toxicity, cools the Blood, clears skin blotches and stops bleeding
   Ying or Xue Stage Heat or Blood Heat with a very high fever and chaotic movement of Blood (erythema, purpura, epistaxis, hematemesis, convulsions and delirium)
2. Clears the Heart and calms the Shen
   Shen disturbance
3. Clears Heat and extinguishes Liver Wind (arrests tremors)
   Warm-Heat pathogen diseases when the Heat enters the Ying or Xue levels with unremitting high fever, loss of consciousness, delirium, convulsions or manic behavior
4. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the middle class of animal parts 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: 2.5-10g in decoction, or as pills or powder.
Cautions: Due to its endangered status it is contraindicated from use. It is generally substituted with Shui Niu Jiao. Since animal 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, this is also prohibited. It is generally substituted with Huang Lian and Xuan Shen in 3:1 ratio.
Traditional contraindications include pregnancy. It is incompatible with Wu Tou and Lei Wan.

Pinyin: Dan Dou Chi  Chinese: 淡豆豉
Pharmaceutical: Semen Sojae Preparatum
Taxonomy: Glycine max
English: Fermented Soybean

Tastes: Pungent, bitter and cool
Meridians Entered: Lung and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Releases the Exterior
   Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat
   Yin Deficiency with superimposed Exterior disorders
2. Eliminates irritability, harmonizes the Middle Jiao and relieves stuffy sensations in the chest
   Irritability, restlessness, insomnia, stifling sensations in the chest and insomnia following a febrile disease

Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.

Pinyin: Mu Dan Pi  Chinese: 牡丹皮
Pharmaceutical: Cortex radicis Moutan
Taxonomy: Paeonia suffruticosa
English: Tree Peony Root Bark / Moutan Peony Root Bark

Tastes: Bitter, pungent, light cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Liver and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and cools (and harmonizes) the Blood
   Xue Stage Heat with epistaxis, hemoptysis, hematemesis or subcutaneous bleeding
   Menorrhagia due to Blood Heat
2. Clears Deficiency Fire
   Yin Deficiency Heat signs especially in the aftermath of Warm Febrile Disease with fever at night and coolness in the morning (most appropriate when the is no sweating)
3. Invigorates the Blood and dispels Blood Stasis
   Blood Stasis with amenorrhea, abdominal masses, lumps or bruises due to trauma
   Liver Blood Stagnation
4. Clears Liver Fire
   Liver Fire with headache, eye pain, flank pain, flushing and dysmenorrhea
5. Drains pus and reduces swelling
   Non-draining sores (topical)
   Intestinal abscesses (internal)

Standard Dosage: 6-12g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of profuse menstruation and pregnant women.

Pinyin: Lian Qiao  Chinese: 连翘
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Forsythiae
Taxonomy: Forsythia suspensa
English: Weeping Forsythia Capsule / Forsythia Fruit

Tastes: Bitter, slightly pungent, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Lung, Heart and Gall Bladder or Small Intestine

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat (especially in the Upper Jiao) and resolves Toxicity
   Wind-Heat with high fever, slight chills and sore throat
   Bound Heat
2. Reduces abscesses and dissipates clumps
   Toxic Heat sores and swellings (Chuang Yung), swollen welling abscesses, malign sores, scrofula, goiter and tumours of the neck
   Throat Bi
3. Clears Blood Heat
   Blood Heat
4. Promotes urination
   Lin syndrome (urinary stones), dysuria, haematuria
5. Releases the Exterior and Drives Out Snakes
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as an inferior herb that treats Gu Toxins
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 1998; 2015)

Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.

Pinyin: Zhi Zi  Chinese: 栀子
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Gardeniae
Taxonomy: Gardenia jasminoides
English: Gardenia Fruit

Tastes: Bitter and cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Liver, Stomach and Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat, reduces Fire and eliminates irritability in the San Jiao
   Excess Heat in the Heart, Stomach and Liver with high fever, irritability, restlessness, a stifling sensation in the chest, insomnia or delirious speech, eye problems, anger, jaundice
2. Clears Heat and resolves Dampness (Drains Damp-Heat)
   Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao with painful urinary dysfunction (Lin Syndrome)
   Damp-Heat in the Liver/Gallbladder with jaundice
   Damp-Heat in the San Jiao
   Damp-Heat in the Gallbladder and San Jiao channels of the face affecting the nose and eyes or causing sores in the mouth or facial region
3. Cools the Blood and relieves toxicity (stops bleeding by astringing)
   Heat in the Blood with epistaxis, hematemesis, hemafecia or hematuria (partially charred)
4. Reduces swelling and invigorates the Blood
   Blood Stagnation due to trauma (topical)

Standard Dosage: 5-15g in decoction.
Cautions: Being strongly bitter in flavor and cold in nature, it is not good for deficiency-cold syndrome because it can easily impair spleen and stomach. It is contraindicated in case of loose stool due to spleen deficiency.

Pinyin: Lu Gen  Chinese: 芦根
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Phragmitis
Taxonomy: Phragmites australis
English: Reed Rhizome

Tastes: Sweet and cold
Meridians Entered: Lung and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and irritability from the Lungs and Stomach and generates fluids
   Internal Heat patterns with high fever, irritability and thirst, dry mouth and throat.
   Lung Heat (especially when acute) , Lung carbuncle, Lung abscess
2. Clears Stomach Heat, regulates Stomach Qi, relieves thirst and stops vomiting
   Stomach Heat (especially when accompanied by rebellious Qi)
3. Clears Heat and promotes urination
   Dark, scanty urine and hematuria especially when accompanied by irritability and thirst
4. Vents rashes
   Wind-Heat rashes that are not completely expressed
5. Relieves food poisoning
   Relieves food poisoning due to ingestion of fish and crabs
   Alcohol poisoning

Standard Dosage: 15-30g in decoction.

Pinyin: Deng Xin Cao  Chinese: 灯心草
Pharmaceutical: Medulla Junci
Taxonomy: Juncus effusus
English: Bulrush Pith / Rush Pith

Tastes: Sweet, mild, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Lung and Small Intestine

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes urination, leaches out Dampness and unblocks painful urinary dysfunction
   Heat Excess Hot painful urinary dysfunction with dark, scanty urination
2. Clears Heat from the Heart channel by directing Fire downward and calms the Spirit
   Pediatric sleep disorders with dark, scanty urine and irritability (especially at night) (can be used alone)
   Lack of Communication between the Heart and Kidneys with insomnia and restless sleep
   Heart Fire with Kidney Yin Deficiency
   Heart and Kidney Yin Deficiency
   Small Intestine Shi Heat
3. Clears Lung Heat
   Sore throat (charred internally and topically relieves pain)
4. Cools the Blood and stops bleeding
   Use charred to stop bleeding

Standard Dosage: 1-3g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in case of urinary incontinence or deficiency-cold in lower energizer.