Pinyin: Dai Zhe Shi  Chinese: 代赭石
Pharmaceutical: Haematitum
Taxonomy: Fe₂O₃
English: Haematite

Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Liver and Heart

Actions & Indications:

1. Calms the Liver, anchors Floating Yang and clears Liver Fire
   Liver Yang Rising with dizziness, vertigo, headache, a sensation of pressure around the eyes or tinnitus
2. Strongly descends rebellious Qi
   Rebellious Qi of the Lung and Stomach with belching, vomiting, hiccup and acute wheezing
3. Cools the Blood and stops bleeding
   Blood Heat bleeding Deficiency Cold bleeding (with appropriate combinations) (can be used alone for this)

Standard Dosage: 10-30g in decoction.
Cautions: It should be used with cautions for the pregnant women. It should not be used for a long time for it contains a microamount of arsenicum.

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. It is generally substituted with Xia Ku Cao and Zhu Ru.

Pinyin: Ban Xia  Chinese: 半夏
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Pinelliae
Taxonomy: Pinellia ternata
English: Pinellia Rhizome

Tastes: Pungent, warm, toxic
Meridians Entered: Lung, Spleen and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Dries Dampness and transforms Phlegm
   Cold-Phlegm in the Lungs (cough with copious sputum)
   Especially effective for Damp-Phlegm of the Spleen (Cold-Damp Stagnation)
2. Descends Rebellious Qi and stops vomiting (harmonizes the Stomach)
   Vomiting due to Phlegm-Damp in the Stomach (Tan Yin), Cold thin mucus, Stomach Deficiency, Stomach Heat or pregnancy
3. Dissipates nodules and reduces Stagnation (clumps)
   Phlegm in the chest (nodules, pressure, distention, pain)
   Phlegm nodules in the neck (goiter, scrofula)
   Focal distension in the chest and epigastrium
   Obstruction caused by Phlegm anywhere in the body
4. Treats sores, skin ulcerations and carbuncles and reduces swelling (external)
   Topically as a powder for sores, skin ulcerations and carbuncles

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: Contraindicated to Wu Tou. Use with cautions during gestation.

Must be processed before use as raw Ban Xia is toxic. Ingesting the raw form can cause severe irritation of the mouth, pharynx, and gastrointestinal tracts, and has toxic effects on the nervous system. Symptoms of toxicity include a dry mouth, numbness of the tongue, gastric discomfort, burning sensations and swelling of the mouth, tongue, throat and salivation. In serious cases ingesting Ban Xia can result in hoarseness, spasms, dyspnoea and asphyxia.

Processing can be done with ginger and alum (Jiang Ban Xia) to make a warming herb best suited for Cold-Damp and thin Phlegm conditions, or with liquorice (Fa Ban Xia) to make a more neutral herb that is less drying and can be used for Damp-Heat conditions too.

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: Mang Xiao  Chinese: 芒硝
Pharmaceutical: Natrii Sulfas
Taxonomy: Na₂SO₄·10H₂O
English: Glauber's Salt / Mirabilite

Tastes: Salty, bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Stomach and Large Intestine

Actions & Indications:

1. Purges accumulations, guides out Stagnation, softens hardness and moistens Dryness
   Heat in the Stomach and Intestines with constipation and hard knots
2. Clears Heat and drains Fire
   Heat in the Stomach or Lungs especially accumulated Phlegm or clumping in the Intestines
3. Clears Heat and reduces swelling
   Red, swollen, painful eyes
   Painful, ulcerated, swollen mouth or throat (topical)
   Red, swollen skin lesions (topical)
   Mastitis (topical) (promotes lactation)

Standard Dosage: 10-15g dissolved into decoction at end.
Cautions: Use with caution for women during lactation for its milk regurgitation action. It is contraindicated to pregnant women.

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. It is generally substituted with Yu Li Ren. If the osmotic laxative effects of salts are required then Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) are more commonly available in the UK, although they still come under the same laws and would have to be included as lifestyle advice, to be sourced and dosed by the patient, not prescribed and given by the herbalist.

Pinyin: Yu Jin  Chinese: 鬱金
Pharmaceutical: Radix Curcumae
Taxonomy: Curcuma aromatica seu wenyujin
English: Turmeric Tuber

Tastes: Pungent, bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Liver, Gallbladder and Heart

Actions & Indications:

1. Invigorates the Blood, dispels Blood Stasis, regulates Qi flow, speeds healing of chronic sores and alleviates pain
   Blood Stasis due to trauma (topical and internal)
   Chronic sores
   Liver Qi Stagnation with chest, flank menstrual and abdominal pain
   Especially useful for Liver Qi Stagnation with Heat signs
2. Clears Heat and cools the Blood
   Xue Level Heat with epistaxis, hematemesis and hematuria
   Especially for epistaxis at the onset of menstruation (Inverted menstruation)
3. Clears the Heart and Pericardium and opens the Orifices
   Phlegm Heat Obstructing the Heart Orifices with anxiety, agitation, seizures or mental derangement
4. Benefits the Gallbladder and reduces jaundice
   Gallbladder disorders Jaundice
5. Kills Parasites and expels Demons
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 5-12g in decoction.
Cautions: Use with cautions for pregnant women because this herb can activate blood and resolve stasis leading to uterine excitation. Do not combine with Ding Xiang.

Due to its ability to increase bile secretion, caution should be used in cases of gallstones and avoided in biliary tract obstruction.