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: Liu Huang  Chinese: 硫黄
Pharmaceutical: Sulfur grundum
Taxonomy: S₈
English: Sulphur granules

Tastes: Sour, warm, toxic
Meridians Entered: Kidney and Large Intestine

Actions & Indications:

1. Relieves toxicity, kills Parasites and stops itching
   Important topically for scabies, tinea, Damp-festering sores, ulcers, carbuncles and recalcitrant Yin flat abscess and furuncles and itching
   Internally for Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
2. Tonifies Ming Men Fire and strengthens Yang
   Kidney Yang Deficiency with painful lower back and knees and impotence Kidney and Spleen Yang Deficiencies with diarrhoea
   Asthma due to Kidneys unable to grasp Qi
   Constipation or diarrhoea in the elderly caused by Cold

Standard Dosage: 1.5-3g in pill or powder form for internal use but usually used externally.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for pregnant women because of its toxicity. It should not be combined with Mang Xiao, according to nineteen incompatibilities.