Pinyin: Mu Ju  Chinese: 木橘
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Aeglis immaturus
Taxonomy: Aegle marmelos
English: Bengal Quince

Tastes: Sour, cool

Actions & Indications:

1. Stops dysentery, diarrhoea and vomiting
   Chronic diarrhoea, abdominal pain, dysentery
   Vomiting
2. Unblocks the throat and dissipates swelling
   Swelling pain in the throat

Standard Dosage: 15-30g in decoction.

Pinyin: Mu Xiang  Chinese: 木香
Pharmaceutical: Radix Aucklandiae
English: Costus Root

Tastes: Pungent, bitter, warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine and Gall Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes the movement of Qi and alleviates pain
   Spleen/Stomach Qi Stagnation with anorexia, a feeling of food sitting in the Stomach, epigastric or abdominal pain or distention, nausea and vomiting
   Liver or Gallbladder Qi Stagnation with flank pain, distention or soreness
2. Adjusts and regulates stagnant Qi in the Intestines
   Intestinal Qi Stagnation with diarrhoea or dysenteric disorders, abdominal pain and tenesmus
3. Strengthens the Spleen and prevents Stagnation
   Stagnation from tonic herbs, especially when the transportive and transformative functions of the Spleen are weak
4. Dispels Damp-Heat and harmonizes the Liver and Spleen
   Disharmony of the Liver and Spleen with hypochondriac pain and distention, a bitter taste in the mouth, a yellow tongue coat and possibly jaundice
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, prevent oppressive Ghost Dreams whether sleeping during the day or the night. 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).
6. Suppresses Gu Parasites
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.

Pinyin: Mai Men Dong  Chinese: 麥門冬
Pharmaceutical: Radix Ophiopogonis
English: Dwarf Lilyturf Root

Tastes: Sweet, slightly bitter, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Stomach, Lung and Heart

Actions & Indications:

1. 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
2. Nourishes Stomach Yin and generates Fluids
   Stomach Yin Deficiency with dry mouth and tongue
3. Moistens the Intestines
   Constipation, dry mouth and irritability as a result of febrile disease or Yin Deficiency
4. 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
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, prevent senility and make one free from hunger. 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.

Pinyin: Di Long  Chinese: 地龙
Pharmaceutical: Pheretima seu Lumbricus
Taxonomy: Pheretima seu Lumbricus
English: Earthworm

Tastes: Salty, cold
Meridians Entered: Liver, Spleen and Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Drains Heat, settles convulsions, extinguishes Wind and stops spasms
   Extreme Heat generating Wind with loss of consciousness, incoherent speech, convulsions and seizures It can be used alone It has recently been used to treat schizophrenia of the hot-manic type
2. Clears Heat and unblocks and promotes movement in the channels and collaterals
   Hot or Cold Bi (with appropriate herbs) with swollen, painful joints with a reduced range of motion Hemiplegia due to lack of flow in the channels such as the sequelae of Wind-Stroke
3. Clears Heat and calms wheezing
   Wheezing due to Lung Heat (can be taken alone as a powder, in capsules or decocted with sugar as a syrup)
4. Clears Heat and promotes urination
   Hot, painful urinary dysfunction, oedema (severe cases), ascites and jaundice Especially useful for Heat clumping in the Bladder with urinary difficulty or inability to urinate (can be used alone)
5. Anchors Liver Yang and lowers Blood pressure
   Hypertension due to Liver Yang Rising
6. Promotes healing topically
   Acute parotitis, chronic ulcers of the lower limbs, burns, boils or carbuncles (powder, mix with sugar and apply topically)
7. Removes the Three Worms and Hidden Corpses, Ghost Possession and Gu Toxins
   White necked earthworms (白頸蚯蚓 Bai Jing Qiu Yin) are said in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing to remove the Three Worms (三蟲) and Hidden Corpses (伏尸), Ghost Possession (鬼注) and Gu Toxins (蠱毒) and kills Long Worms (殺長蟲), suggesting their use to treat a number of invisible, supernatural diseases, presumably because of their own worm-like nature and non-toxic nature.

Standard Dosage: 5-10g in decoction.
Cautions: 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. It is generally substituted with Xi Xian Cao and Gou Teng, although vines like Ji Xue Teng or Ye Jiao Teng could be appropriate too if the principle of worms and vines entering the channels and collaterals wants to be preserved.

Pinyin: Jing Mi  Chinese: 粳米
Pharmaceutical: Semen Oryzae
English: Non-Glutinous Rice Seed

Tastes: Sweet, neutral
Meridians Entered: Lung and Spleen

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies Yang
   Diarrhoea due to Yang Deficiency
2. Tonifies the Qi of the Lungs, Spleen and Intestines and stops restlessness
   Qi Deficiency with spontaneous perspiration and weakness
3. Stops thirst and generates fluids
   Body Fluid Deficiency

Standard Dosage: 9-30g in decoction.

Pinyin: Dang Gui  Chinese: 當歸
Pharmaceutical: Radix Angelicae sinensis
Taxonomy: Angelica sinensis
English: Chinese Angelica Root / Tang-Kuei / Dong Quai Root

Tastes: Sweet, Pungent, Warm
Meridians Entered: Heart and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies the Blood and regulates the menses
   Blood Deficiency, especially when affecting the Heart and Liver with pale, ashen complexion, lusterless nails, tinnitus, blurred vision and palpitations
   Blood Deficiency associated irregular menstruation, amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea
2. Invigorates and harmonizes the Blood and disperses Cold (stops pain due to Blood Stasis)
   Blood Stasis causing abdominal pain and carbuncles and pain due to Blood Stasis from traumatic injury, especially when accompanied by Deficiency Cold
   Postpartum menstruation
   Pregnancy (use with caution)
   Blood Deficiency with chronic Wind-Damp-Bi
3. Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels
   Dry Intestines due to Blood Deficiency
4. Reduces swelling, expels pus, generates flesh and alleviates pain
   Sores and abscess (Chuang Yung), internally and topically
5. Stops coughing and treats dyspnea
   Used adjunctively for coughing
6. Tonifies the Blood while suppressing Parasites
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 6-12g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of Damp-Heat stagnating in the Middle, Lung Heat with Phlegm Fire, and Yin deficiency with effulgent Yang because it is warm and sweet in properties. In addition, it should be used with caution in cases of loose stool because it can moisten intestines to smooth stool.

Many sources recommend using caution, avoiding or only taking under guidance of a TCM physician during pregnancy as it can cause uterine contractions. However, there are no studies supporting this and the only scientific literature seems to suggest that Z-Ligustilide has anti-spasmodic activities that alleviate dysmenorrhoea by inhibiting uterine contractions (Du et al., 2006; Dietz et al., 2016).

Caution is also advised in breast cancer patients due to its oestrogen stimulating activity. This based upon Lau et al (2005) who found it may stimulate breast cancer growth in vitro, however Yue et al, (2019) demonstrated that it is not that stimulatory in breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo through a series of tests, although they suggested it should still be used with caution in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Conversely, a large population study in Taiwan by Wu et al (2014) found it reduced the subsequent risk of endometrial cancer in breast cancer survivors taking tamoxifen, especially in those of reproductive age.

Pinyin: Gu Sui Bu  Chinese: 骨碎补
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Drynariae
English: Boneknit Rhizome / Fortune's Drynaria Rhizome

Tastes: Bitter, warm
Meridians Entered: Liver and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies Kidney Yang, strengthens the sinews and bones and benefits the ears (also helps regain strength after injuries)
   Weak low back and knees, diarrhoea, tinnitus, diminished hearing, loose, painful teeth and bleeding gums associated with Kidney Deficiency
2. Promotes mending of sinews and bones
   Traumatic injuries such as falls, fractures, contusions and sprains
   Especially useful for ligament injuries and simple fractures
3. Stimulates hair growth (topical)
   Topically as a tincture for alopecia
4. Invigorates the Blood
   Blood Stagnation especially due to trauma

Standard Dosage: 3 - 9g dried in decoction, or 6 - 15g if fresh, or applied topically to site.
Cautions: This herb is warm that can invigorate yang. Use with cautions for the yin deficiency and internal heat.