Pinyin: Shui Zhi  Chinese: 水蛭
Pharmaceutical: Hirudo
English: Leech

Tastes: Salty, bitter, neutral, lightly toxic
Meridians Entered: Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Breaks up and drives out Blood Stasis and reduces fixed masses
   Amenorrhea and fixed uterine and abdominal masses due to Blood Stasis and/or traumatic injury
2. Clears water passages
    
3. Induces abortion
   Abortion

Standard Dosage: 1.5-3g in decoction, 0.3-0.5g as powder or pills.
Cautions: Prohibited for pregnant women and patients with excessive menstruation.
Decoction is best avoided as hirudin easily breaks down with heating.
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 San Leng and E Zhu.

Pinyin: Meng Chong  Chinese: 虻虫
Pharmaceutical: Tabanus
English: Horsefly / Gadfly

Tastes: Bitter, slightly salty, cool, toxic
Meridians Entered: Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Breaks up Blood Stasis, reduces abdominal masses and unblocks the Blood vessels
   Amenorrhea, abdominal masses or retained lochia from Blood Stasis
2. Dispels Stasis, heals injuries and stops pain
   Traumatic injury

Standard Dosage: 1.5-3g in decoction, or 0.3-0.6g powdered.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for qi and blood deficiency, menstrual period and pregnant women.

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 Mu Dan Pi and Chi Shao.

Pinyin: Tao Ren  Chinese: 桃仁
Pharmaceutical: Semen Persicae
Taxonomy: Prunus persica
English: Peach Seed

Tastes: Bitter, sweet, neutral, lightly toxic
Meridians Entered: Heart, Liver, Lung and Large Intestine

Actions & Indications:

1. Breaks up Blood Stasis and invigorates Blood circulation
   Menstrual disorders, abdominal pain, traumatic injury, flank pain, Lung abscess and Intestinal abscess with fixed abdominal masses associated with Blood Stasis
2. Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels
   Constipation due to dry Intestines
3. Drains abscesses
   Lung and Intestinal abscesses

Standard Dosage: 5-10g in decoction.
Cautions: Prohibited for pregnant women. Use with cautions for loose stool. Not overuse because of its toxicity.

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.