Pinyin: Ce Bai Ye  Chinese: 侧柏叶
Pharmaceutical: Cacumen Platycladi
English: Oriental Arborvitae Tip / Biota Leaves

Tastes: Bitter, astringent cold
Meridians Entered: Lung, Liver and Spleen

Actions & Indications:

1. Cools the Blood and stops bleeding
   Blood Heat bleeding with hematemesis, bleeding gums, hemafecia, hematuria, bloody dysenteric disorders and uterine bleeding
   This herb may be combined with appropriate herbs to treat bleeding associated with Cold patterns
2. Stops cough and asthma and expels Phlegm
   Lung Heat with cough
   Phlegm Heat, especially important for viscous, difficult-to-expectorate, blood-streaked sputum
3. Promotes the healing of burns and generates flesh (topical)
   Burns (topically in powdered form in the early stages over a moderate area)
4. Promotes hair growth
   Hair loss
5. Clears Damp-Heat
   Vaginal discharge due to Damp-Heat
6. Dispels Wind-Dampness
   Wind-Damp Bi

Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.

Pinyin: Gan Jiang  Chinese: 干姜
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Zingiberis
Taxonomy: Zingiber officinale
English: Dried Ginger

Tastes: Pungent, hot
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach, Kidney, Heart and Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Warms the Middle and expels Cold
   External Cold affecting the Spleen and Stomach Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiencies
2. Dispels Wind-Dampness seeping into the Lower Jiao
   Lower Jiao Wind-Cold-Damp Bi
3. Rescues Devastated Yang and expels Interior Cold
   Devastated Yang with a very weak pulse and cold limbs
4. Warms the Lungs and transforms thin mucus
   Lung Cold with expectoration of thin, watery or white sputum
5. Warms the channels (unblocks the pulse) and stops bleeding
   Haemorrhage due to Deficiency Cold, especially uterine bleeding (only if the bleeding is chronic and pale in colour with cold limbs, ashen white face and a soggy thin pulse)
6. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the middle class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, remove foul smell and enable one to communicate withe Spirit Light (Shen Ming 神明). 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: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for yin deficiency with internal heat and haemorrhage due to blood heat.

Pinyin: Ai Ye  Chinese: 艾叶
Pharmaceutical: Folium Artemisiae argyi
Taxonomy: Artemisia argyi (may also refer to vulgaris and indica species)
English: Mugwort Leaf

Tastes: Pungent, bitter, warm, slightly toxic
Meridians Entered: Liver, Spleen and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Warms the channels, warms the womb, stops bleeding and calms the fetus
   Excess and/or prolonged menstrual bleeding due to Deficiency Cold
   Restless fetus, lower abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding (threatened miscarriage)
   Infertility due to Cold womb
2. Disperses Cold and alleviates pain
   Cold abdominal pain
   Cold menstrual pain
3. Eliminates Dampness and stops itching
   Decocted and applied externally as a wash for skin problems marked by Dampness and itching
4. Resolves Phlegm and stops cough and asthma
   As an extracted oil for wheezing, and coughing with profuse sputum
5. 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, sharpen the eyes and ears 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: 3-10g in decoction.