Pinyin: Chai Hu  Chinese: 柴胡
Pharmaceutical: Radix Bupleuri
Taxonomy: Bupleurum chinense (Nan Chai Hu) seu scorzoneraefolium (Bei Chai Hu)
English: Hare's Ear Root / Thorowax Root

Tastes: Bitter, pungent, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Liver and Spleen

Actions & Indications:

1. 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
   The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing says "It weeds out the stale to bring forth the new."
2. 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
   The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing says "It mainly treats bound qi in the heart, abdomen, intestines, and stomach, food stagnation, cold and heat, and evil qi."
3. 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
4. Disperses Wind-Heat and resolves Phlegm and congestion
   Wind-Heat
5. Guides herbs to the Shaoyang aspects of the head
   Shaoyang headaches
6. Releases the Exterior and Drives Out Snakes
   Relieves the symptoms of Gu Sydnrome while suppressing parasites (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
7. 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, brighten the eyes and boost the Essence. 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: 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.

Pinyin: Shi Gao  Chinese: 石膏
Pharmaceutical: Gypsum Fibrosum / Calcium Sulphate
Taxonomy: CaSO₄
English: Gypsum / Plaster of Paris

Tastes: Pungent, sweet, cold
Meridians Entered: Lung and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat in the Qi Stage, drains Fire, relieves irritability and quenches thirst
   Heat in the Qi Stage or Yangming Heat with high fever, no chills, irritability, intense thirst, profuse sweating, restlessness, encephalitis, a flooding, big pulse and a red tongue with a yellow coat
2. Clears Excess Heat from the Lungs
   Lung Heat with cough, wheezing, fever and a thick viscous sputum
3. Clears Blazing Stomach Fire
   Stomach Fire with headache, toothache or swollen gums
4. Heals eczema, burns and ulcerated sores and wounds
   Sores and wounds (topically or internally)

Standard Dosage: 15-60g in decoction.
Cautions: Mineral 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.

Conventional replacements include Huang Lian and Zhi Mu but its actions are difficult to substitute in many cases and the patient may have to rely on OTC mineral based antacids from the pharmacy such as sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate which have a similar effect of binding and neutralising the stomach acid, then using herbal medicines as an adjunctive treatment. Another possibility would be to use sodium alginate that is often found in antacid medications and extracted from seaweed.

Pinyin: Tian Hua Fen  Chinese: 天花粉
Pharmaceutical: Radix Trichosanthis
English: Snakegourd Root

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

Actions & Indications:

1. 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
2. Clears and drains Lung Heat, transforms Phlegm and moistens Lung Dryness
   Phlegm Heat above the diaphragm, especially when the Heat has led to Dryness
3. Relieves toxicity, expels pus and reduces swelling
   Chuang Yung (especially breast abscesses - internal and topical)

Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.

Pinyin: Huang Qin  Chinese: 黄芩
Pharmaceutical: Radix Scutellariae baicalensis
Taxonomy: Scutellaria baicalensis
English: Baical Skullcap Root

Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Lung, Stomach, Gallbladder, Large Intestine and Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. 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
2. 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)
3. Cools the Blood and stops bleeding
   Xue Stage Heat or Blood Heat causing bleeding with epistaxis, hemoptysis, hematemesis and hemafecia
4. Clears Heat and calms the fetus
   Fetal restlessness due to Heat
5. Calms ascending Liver Yang
   Liver Yang Rising with headache, irritability, red eyes, flushed face and bitter taste
   Hypertension (high blood pressure)
   Gallbladder Heat

Standard Dosage: 5-15g in decoction.

Pinyin: Zhi Mu  Chinese: 知母
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Anemarrhenae
Taxonomy: Anemarrhena asphodeloides
English: Anemarrhena Rhizome

Tastes: Bitter, sweet, cold
Meridians Entered: Lung, Stomach and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. 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
2. 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
3. Generates Fluids, clears Deficiency Fire and quenches thirst
   Oral ulcers and inflammation, steaming bones and Xiao Ke (diabetes) due to Yin Deficiency
4. 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

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.

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.

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: He Ye  Chinese: 荷叶
Pharmaceutical: Nelumbinis Foliae
English: Lotus Leaf

Tastes: Bitter, astringent, neutral
Meridians Entered: Heart, Liver, Spleen, Gallbladder and Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Relieves Summerheat
   Summerheat and Dampness with fever, irritability, excessive sweating, scanty urine and especially diarrhoea
2. Raises and clears Spleen Yang
   Spleen Yang Deficiency diarrhoea especially in the aftermath of Summerheat
3. Removes Stagnation and stops bleeding
   Bleeding in the Lower Jiao due to Heat or Stagnation Hematemesis (adjunctive)

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.