Pinyin: Xian Mao  Chinese: 仙茅
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Curculiginis
English: Golden-Eye Grass Rhizome / Curculigo

Tastes: Sweet, pungent, hot, slightly toxic
Meridians Entered: Liver and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies the Kidneys and strengthens Yang
   Kidney Yang Deficiency with impotence, urinary incontinence, nocturnal emissions and irregular menstruation Infertility from either a Cold Womb (women) or Cold Essence (men) Weakening of Ming Men Fire
2. Expels Cold and eliminates Dampness(strengthens bones and sinews)
   Obstinate Cold Damp Bi with generalized pain, a sense of weakness in the bones and sinews and lower back and knee pain (especially useful for Cold abdominal or lower back pain) Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency

Standard Dosage: 5-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with effulgent fire, and long term usage, because it is toxic.

Pinyin: Yin Yang Huo / Xian Ling Pi  Chinese: 淫羊藿 / 仙靈脾
Pharmaceutical: Herba Epimedii
Taxonomy: Epimedium brevicornum, sagittatum, pubescens seu koreanum
English: Horny Goat Weed / Barrenwort / Bishop's Hat / Fairy's Wings

Tastes: Sweet, pungent, warm
Meridians Entered: Kidney and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies the Kidneys, strengthens Yang and increases the libido
   Kidney Yang Deficiency with impotence, infertility, urinary frequency, forgetfulness, withdrawal and painful, Cold lower back and knees
2. Dispels Wind-Cold-Dampness and warms and unblocks the flow of Yang Qi (strengthens the sinews and bones)
   Wind-Cold-Damp Bi with spasms, or cramps in the hands and feet, joint pain and numbness in the extremities Contractures, numbness or hemiplegia following Wind-Stroke

Standard Dosage: 5-15g in decoction.

Pinyin: Ba Ji Tian  Chinese: 巴戟天
Pharmaceutical: Radix Morindae
Taxonomy: Mornida officinalis
English: Medicinal Indian Mulberry Root / Morinda Root

Tastes: Sweet, pungent, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Kidney and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies the Kidneys and strengthens Yang
   Kidney Yang Deficiency with impotence, male or female infertility, premature ejaculation, urinary frequency, Incontinence, irregular menstruation and a cold and painful back
2. Disperses Wind-Cold-Damp and strengthens the sinews and bones
   Wind-Cold-Damp Bi with Kidney and Liver insufficiency with tight muscles of the lower back and legs, joint pain and difficulty moving

Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.

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: 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: 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.