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: Long Dan Cao  Chinese: 龍膽草
Pharmaceutical: Radix Gentianae
Taxonomy: Gentiana scabra
English: Chinese Gentian Root

Tastes: Bitter and cold
Meridians Entered: Liver, Gallbladder, Stomach and Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Drains Damp-Heat from the Liver and Gallbladder channels
   Damp-Heat in the upper portion of the Gall Bladder Channel with red, swollen sore throat and eyes; swollen, painful ears or sudden deafness
   Damp-Heat in the Liver/Gallbladder with jaundice, pain, swelling or dampness in the genital area or foul-smelling vaginal discharge and itching
2. Drains and pacifies Excess Liver Fire
   Liver Fire Blazing Upward with headache or red eyes
   Liver Wind-Heat with fever, spasms, convulsions or flank pain
3. Settles the Five Zang and Kills Gu Toxins
   Stated in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing but not commonly used this way today
4. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, sharpen the wits, improve memory, make the body light and slow ageing. 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: 2-6g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for deficiency cold syndrome.

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: Huang Lian  Chinese: 黄连
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Coptidis
Taxonomy: Coptidis chinensis
English: Coptis Rhizome / Goldthread Rhizome

Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Stomach, Large Intestine and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and drains Dampness
   Damp-Heat in the Stomach or Intestines with diarrhoea or dysenteric disorder
   Stomach Heat with vomiting and/or acid regurgitation
2. Drains Fire and resolves Fire toxicity
   Heat with Blazing Fire (Toxic Heat) with high fever. irritability, disorientation, delirium, a red tongue and a rapid, full pulse
   Heat from Excess with toxicity: painful, red eyes and a sore throat
   Boils, carbuncles and abscesses (Chuang Yung)
3. Clears Heat and stops bleeding
   Blood Heat with epistaxis, hematuria, hemafecia and hemoptysis
4. Clears Heat topically
   Infected wounds, red and painful eyes, ulcerations of the tongue and mouth (topical)
5. Clears Heart Fire (sedative)
   Heart Fire
   Lack of communication between the Heart and Kidneys
6. Drains Stomach Fire
   Stomach Fire
7. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, improve memory. 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: 2-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for deficiency-cold syndrome. Because its taste is extremly bitter and dryness, overdosage and long-time taking will impair spleen and stomach, yin and fluids.

Pinyin: Huang Bai  Chinese: 黄柏
Pharmaceutical: Cortex Phellodendri
Taxonomy: Phellodendron amurense seu chinense
English: Amur Corktree Bark

Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Liver, Gallbladder, Large Intestine, Kidney and Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Drains Damp-Heat especially from the Lower Jiao
   Thick, yellow vaginal discharge, foul smelling diarrhoea or dysenteric disorder
   Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao
   Hot Leg Qi with red, swollen, painful knees, legs or feet
   Damp-Heat jaundice
2. Drains Kidney Fire (False Heat, Deficiency Heat)
   Kidney Yin Deficiency with Empty Fire Rising (steaming bone disorder, night sweats, afternoon fevers and sweating, occasionally with nocturnal emissions and spermatorrhea)
3. Drains Fire and relieves Fire toxicity
   Toxic sores and Damp-skin lesions (internally and topically)

Standard Dosage: 6-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for deficiency-cold syndrome. Overdosage and long-time taking will impair spleen and stomach.

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: Lu Hui  Chinese: 蘆薈
Pharmaceutical: Aloe vera seu ferox
Taxonomy: Aloe very (syn. barbadensis) seu ferox
English: Aloe Juice

Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Large Intestine, Liver and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Purges and drains Fire and guides out accumulations
   Heat Accumulation with constipation, dizziness, red eyes, and irritability (especially for Hot constipation with Heart and Liver Fire with irritability, restlessness and insomnia)
   Chronic constipation
2. Clears Heat and cools the Liver
   Heat in the Liver channel or Liver Fire with epigastric discomfort, dizziness, headache, irritability, tinnitus, constipation and fever
3. Kills parasites and strengthens the Stomach
   Childhood nutritional impairment especially when due to roundworms
   Tinea

Standard Dosage: 0.6 - 4.5g as concentrate in pills, or 10 - 15g of whole leaf in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of patients with hypo-function of stomach and spleen, poor appetite, diarrhea as well as pregnant women.

Pinyin: Qing Dai  Chinese: 青黛
Pharmaceutical: Indigo Naturalis
Taxonomy: Isatis indigotica seu Baphicacanthus cusia seu Polygonum tinctorium
English: Natural Indigo

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

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat, resolves Fire toxicity, cools the Blood and reduces maculae
   Maculae due to Blood Heat (Xue Stage Heat)
   Can be used alone for bleeding due to Blood Heat, especially epistaxis where it is placed on cotton wool as a nasal plug.
2. Clears Heat, resolves Fire toxicity, cools the Blood, disperses Stagnation and reduces swelling
   Throat inflammation, dysphagia, sores of the mouth or mumps due to blazing Heat (internal or topical)
3. Drains Liver Fire, dispels Summerheat and extinguishes Wind to stop tremors
   Convulsions, red eyes, sore throat and other manifestations of Heat, especially Summerheat, affecting the Liver
4. Clears Liver Fire, drains Lung Heat and cools the Blood
   Cough due to Lung Heat Cough and chest pain due to Liver Fire attacking the Lungs
5. Expels Gu Parasites
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 1.5-3g as pills or powder internally. Should not be decocted because it is insoluble in water.

Pinyin: Da Huang  Chinese: 大黄
Pharmaceutical: Radix et Rhizoma Rhei
Taxonomy: Rheum palmatum
English: Chinese Rhubarb Root

Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Large Intestine, Spleen, Stomach, Liver and Heart

Actions & Indications:

1. Drains Heat and purges accumulations
   Intestinal Heat Excess, with high fever, profuse sweating, thirst, constipation, abdominal distention and pain, delirium, a yellow tongue coat and a full pulse
   Yang-Ming Fu Stage
   Qi Level Heat in the Intestines
2. Drains Fire
   Fire from Excess with intense fever, sore throat, and painful eyes and constipation
   Fire toxin sores due to Xue Level Heat, especially with constipation
3. Clears Heat, transforms Dampness and promotes urination
   Damp-Heat with oedema, jaundice, painful urinary dysfunction and acute, hot dysenteric disorders
4. Drains Heat from the Blood
   Bloody stool either from hemorrhoids or Heat in the Intestines
   Chaotic movement of hot Blood with hemoptysis or epistaxis with constipation
   It can be powdered and administered orally for bleeding in the upper digestive tract
5. Invigorates the Blood and dispels Blood Stasis
   Blood Stasis with amenorrhea, fixed abdominal masses or fixed pain
   Blood Stasis due to traumatic injury
   Intestinal abscess
6. Clears Heat and reduces Fire toxicity
   Topically or internally for burns or skin lesions (Chuang Yung) due to Heat
7. Clears Heat and eliminates Phlegm
   Chronic Accumulation of Phlegm-Heat with cough, dyspnea, mania, disorientation and other symptoms of Phlegm Misting the Heart

Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction. Excessive decoction will reduce the purgative action. Therefore it should be added at end to achieve this purpose and over-decocted to eliminate this action.
Cautions: It should be used with caution in case of spleen and stomach deficiency for its bitter and cold property which is easily to damage stomach qi. It is contraindicated to women during pregnancy, menstruation or lactation for it has actions of activating blood and resolving stasis, and can make the purged substances follow lactating out.

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: She Xiang  Chinese: 麝香
Pharmaceutical: Moschus
English: Musk

Tastes: Pungent, warm
Meridians Entered: Heart, Liver and Spleen

Actions & Indications:

1. Strongly opens the Orifices and Luo vessels, revives the Spirit and unblocks closed disorders
   Ying Stage Heat Attacks the Pericardium due to a Warm pathogen disease with convulsions, delirium, stupor and fainting
   Closed disorders (Yang Obstruction, Yin Obstruction, Phlegm Obstruction) Tetanic collapse Seizures
2. Invigorates the Blood, dissipates masses, reduces swellings, detoxifies, opens the channels and alleviates pain
   Severe problems due to Blood Stasis including fixed palpable masses, toxic sores and carbuncles
   Obstructions of the channels and collaterals due to traumatic injury or painful obstruction
   Coronary artery disease
3. Hastens delivery and facilitates the passage of stillborns (induces abortion)
   Labour
   Dead fetus or placenta fail to descend
4. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of animal parts which can, with protracted taking, eliminate evils, and stop dreams (梦) and waking from nightmares (寤魇寐). 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).
5. Removes the Three Worms
   Said in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing that it removes the Three Worms. These may refer to difficult to treat metabolic disorders caused by overindulgence and should be accompanied by fasting, meditation and exercise regimes.

Standard Dosage: 0.03-1g as pills or powder. Should not be decocted.
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 Shi Chang Pu and Ru Xiang.