Chai Hu
| 6-12g | |
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Pinyin: Chai Hu
Chinese: 柴胡
Pharmaceutical: Radix Bupleuri
Taxonomy: Bupleurum chinense seu scorzoneraefolium
English: Hare's Ear Root / Thorowax Root
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Tastes: Bitter, pungent, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Liver and Spleen
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Actions & Indications:
- Resolves Shaoyang disorders and reduces fever (harmonizes the Exterior and Interior)
Shaoyang Stage with alternating chills and fever, a bitter taste,dizziness, tinnitus, flank pain, irritability, vomiting and a stifling sensation in the chest
Deficiency Heat (auxiliary)
Gallbladder Fire
- Spreads Liver Qi and relieves Stagnation
Liver Qi Stagnation with dizziness, vertigo, chest and flank pain, emotional instability and menstrual problems
Disharmony between the Liver and Spleen with epigastric and flank pain, a stifling sensation in the chest, abdominal bloating, nausea and indigestion
Liver/Gallbladder Disharmony
- Raises Yang Qi (specifically the Clear Qi of the Stomach and Gallbladder)
Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency, Qi collapse (prolapse) with hemorrhoids, vaginal discharge, bleeding or exhaustion
- Disperses Wind-Heat and resolves Phlegm and congestion
Wind-Heat
- Guides herbs to the Shaoyang aspects of the head
Shaoyang headaches
- Relieves the symptoms of Gu Sydnrome while suppressing parasites (Fruehauf, 1998)
Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
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Standard Dosage: Up to 3g to raise sinking Qi, 6-9g to relieve Liver Qi stagnation, 12-24g to release the exterior.
Cautions: Anyone who has syndromes of yin deficiency with yang hyperactivity, stirring of liver wind, yin deficiency with effulgent fire and qi going upward adversely, this herb should be used with cautions. |
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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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Chen Pi
| 6-9g | |
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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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Tian Hua Fen
| 9-12g | |
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Pinyin: Tian Hua Fen
Chinese: 天花粉
Pharmaceutical: Radix Trichosanthis
English: Snakegourd Root
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Tastes: Sweet, slightly bitter and slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Lung and Stomach
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Actions & Indications:
- Drains Heat and generates Fluids
Lung Heat and Dryness with thirst and irritability
Yin Deficiency thirst
Wasting and thirsting disorder (Xiao Ke)
Thick sputum, blood streaked sputum
- Clears and drains Lung Heat, transforms Phlegm and moistens Lung Dryness
Phlegm Heat above the diaphragm, especially when the Heat has led to Dryness
- Relieves toxicity, expels pus and reduces swelling
Chuang Yung (especially breast abscesses - internal and topical)
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Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.
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Zhi Mu
| 9-12g | |
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Pinyin: Zhi Mu
Chinese: 知母
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Anemarrhenae
Taxonomy: Anemarrhena asphodeloides
English: Anemarrhena Rhizome
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Tastes: Bitter, sweet, cold
Meridians Entered: Lung, Stomach and Kidney
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Actions & Indications:
- Clears Heat and drains Fire (Clears Heat from the Qi Stage, from the Lungs and from the Stomach)
Heat in the Qi Stage with high fever, irritability, restlessness, thirst and a rapid, flooding pulse.
Lung Heat and Dryness with cough and expectoration of thick, yellow Phlegm
Yang Ming Heat
Stomach Heat
- Nourishes Yin and moistens Dryness
Lung and Kidney Yin Deficiency with night sweats, steaming bone disorder, irritability, afternoon or low grade fever, Five Sole Heat and bleeding gums
(Stomach Yin Deficiency)
Kidney Heat with spermatorrhea, nocturnal emissions and an abnormally elevated sex drive
- Generates Fluids, clears Deficiency Fire and quenches thirst
Oral ulcers and inflammation, steaming bones and Xiao Ke (diabetes) due to Yin Deficiency
- Ameliorates the Dryness of tonifying or warming herbs
For use with herbs such as Rx. Astragali Huang Qi, Ram. Cinnamomi Gui Zhi, Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Zhi Fu Zi when there is concern that these herbs may be too drying
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Standard Dosage: 5-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is not suitable for deficiency cold syndrome. Being cold and moist in property, it is prohibited to be used for those who have a spleen-deficiency diarrhea. |
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Zhi Gan Cao
| 3-6g | |
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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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Sheng Jiang
| 2-4sl | |
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Pinyin: Sheng Jiang
Chinese: 生姜
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens
Taxonomy: Zingiber officinale
English: Fresh Ginger
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Tastes: Pungent, warm
Meridians Entered: Lung, Spleen and Stomach
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Actions & Indications:
- Releases the Exterior, induces perspiration and disperses Cold
Wind-Cold
- Warms the Middle and stops vomiting
Cold in the Stomach especially with vomiting
- Warms the Lungs and stops coughing
Cough due to Wind-Cold Cough due to Lung Deficiency with Phlegm
- Reduces the toxicity of other herbs and seafood
Herb toxicity or seafood poisoning
- Adjusts the Ying and Wei - normalizes the flow of Qi at the center
Taiyang Zhong Feng - Wind-Cold with Deficiency
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Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It should be used with caution for yin deficiency with internal heat and heat exuberance because it helps promote fire and injure yin. |
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Da Zao
| 4-6pcs | | |
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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