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: Hua Shi  Chinese: 滑石
Pharmaceutical: Talcum / Magnesium Silicate
Taxonomy: Mg₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂
English: Talc / Talcum Powder

Tastes: Sweet, bland and cold
Meridians Entered: Bladder, Lung and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes urination and drains Heat from the Urinary Bladder (aids the movement of gravel and stones), (expels Damp-Heat)
   Hot Painful Urinary Dysfunction (Lin Syndrome) with hot, painful urination, dark, painful, burning, scanty urine
   Damp-Heat diarrhoea
   Qi Level Heat with Dampness with unremitting fever, heavy feeling in the body, thirst, yellow tongue coat
2. Releases Summeheat and resolves Dampness
   Summerheat (fever, urinary difficulty, thirst)
3. Absorbs Dampness and clears Heat (topically)
   Damp skin lesions (eczema, damp sores, prickly heat)
4. Stops bleeding due to Heat
   Heat type bleeding
   Nosebleed, vomiting blood (taken internally) Bleeding from wounds and sores (topical)
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of minerals which can, with protracted taking, make the body light, free from hunger and prolong life. 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: 10-20g in decoction, or applied externally.
Cautions: Talc can cause granulomas in the rectum, vagina or wounds and prolonged external use has also been linked to ovarian (Wentzensen & O'Brien, 2021), stomach (Chang et al., 2020) and lung (Chang et al., 2017) cancer but other reviews contradict these findings (Goodman et al., 2020) suggesting this may only be an effect seen in rats (Prueitt et al., 2024). For safety it should therefore not be used for prolonged periods.

It should also not be in inhaled as it can cause lung irritation and remain in the body for up to 40 years (Johnson, 2021).

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 Chi Fu Ling and Ze Xie.

Pinyin: Fu Ling Pi  Chinese: 茯苓皮
Pharmaceutical: Sclerotum Poriae excorio
Taxonomy: Poria cocos syn. Wolfiporia extensa
English: China-Root Peel

Tastes: Sweet, bland and neutral
Meridians Entered: Kidney and Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes urination and leaches out Dampness
   Urinary difficulty, diarrhoea or oedema due to Stagnation of Fluids or Dampness
   Fluid Stagnation
   Damp-Heat
2. Strengthens the Spleen and harmonizes the Middle Jiao
   Spleen Deficiency Dampness with anorexia, diarrhoea and epigastric distention
3. Strengthens the Spleen
   Phlegm Dampness due to Spleen Deficiency with thin mucus in which Phlegm moves upward manifesting as palpitations, headache, dizziness and a thick, greasy tongue coat
4. Quiets the Heart, calms the Spirit and soothes the nerves
   Palpitations, insomnia or forgetfulness due to either Spleen and Heart Insufficiency or Internal Obstruction of Turbid Phlegm

Standard Dosage: 15-30g in decoction.

Pinyin: Da Fu Pi  Chinese: 大腹皮
Pharmaceutical: Pericarpium Arecae
English: Betel Husk

Tastes: Pungent, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine and Small Intestine

Actions & Indications:

1. Descends Qi and eases the Middle
   Damp Stagnation in the Stomach and Intestines, Food Stagnation or Qi Stagnation in the Middle with epigastric and abdominal distention, focal distention, a stifling sensation and belching with acid regurgitation
   Especially useful when the above conditions are accompanied by incomplete or irregular bowel movements
2. Promotes urination and reduces oedema
   Abdominal distention accompanied by oedema, especially superficial oedema or symptoms of Food Stagnation
   Damp leg Qi

Standard Dosage: 5-10g in decoction.
Cautions: This herb is prohibited from use in the UK under the banned and restricted herbal ingredients list issued by the MHRA and so is generally substituted with Zhi Shi and Yu Li Ren.

Pinyin: Bai Dou Kou  Chinese: 白豆蔻
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Amomi rotundus
Taxonomy: Amomum krervanh seu compactus
English: Round Cardamom / White Cardamom / Java Cardamom

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

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes the movement of Qi, aromatically transforms Dampness and strengthens the Stomach
   Dampness Obstructing the Middle Jiao and Damp-Warmth (a stifling sensation in the chest, fullness in the epigastrium, anorexia and a very greasy tongue coat)
2. Warms the Middle Jiao, descends Qi and stops vomiting
   Vomiting due to Spleen and Stomach, Deficiency Cold, Spleen and Stomach Cold, Cold Dampness and Food Stagnation

Standard Dosage: 3-6g in decoction.

Pinyin: Tong Cao  Chinese: 通草
Pharmaceutical: Medulla Tetrapanax Papyriferus
English: Rice Paper Plant Pith

Tastes: Sweet, bland and slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Stomach and Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes urination, resolves Dampness and clears Heat
   Damp-Warm febrile disease Damp-Heat painful urinary dysfunction
   It is usually used as an assistant
2. Promotes lactation
   Insufficient or absent lactation

Standard Dosage: 6-12g in decoction.
Cautions: Used with caution for pregnant women.

Pinyin: Zhu Ling  Chinese: 猪苓
Pharmaceutical: Polyporus Sclerotium
Taxonomy: Polyporus umbellatus / Grifola frondosa
English: Umbrella Polypore Mushroom

Tastes: Sweet, bland, neutral
Meridians Entered: Kidney, and Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes urination and leaches out Dampness
   Dampness (Fluid Stagnation) with oedema, scanty urination, vaginal discharge, turbid painful urinary dysfunction (Milky Lin), jaundice and diarrhoea
   Can be used alone for Lin Syndrome during pregnancy
2. Dispels Damp-Heat
   Damp-Heat with turbid painful urinary dysfunction (Milky Lin) and jaundice
3. Resolves Nue (Malaria) and Toxicity
   The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing places it in the lower class of herbs and says it treats "Nue and resolves Toxicity."
4. Expels Gu through the urine
   The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing says it treats "Gu Toxins, Gu possession, and ill omens (不祥) by benefiting the waterways."
5. Aids fasting
   The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing mentions that, with protracted taking, it makes the body light and slows 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: 6-12g in decoction. Mushrooms should ideally be decocoted for at least 40 minutes and preferably 1-2 hours to fully extract the polysaccharides from within the chitin cell walls.