Pinyin: Huang Lian  Chinese: 黄连
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Coptidis
Taxonomy: Coptidis chinensis
English: Coptis Rhizome / Goldthread Rhizome

Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Stomach, Large Intestine and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and drains Dampness
   Damp-Heat in the Stomach or Intestines with diarrhoea or dysenteric disorder
   Stomach Heat with vomiting and/or acid regurgitation
2. Drains Fire and resolves Fire toxicity
   Heat with Blazing Fire (Toxic Heat) with high fever. irritability, disorientation, delirium, a red tongue and a rapid, full pulse
   Heat from Excess with toxicity: painful, red eyes and a sore throat
   Boils, carbuncles and abscesses (Chuang Yung)
3. Clears Heat and stops bleeding
   Blood Heat with epistaxis, hematuria, hemafecia and hemoptysis
4. Clears Heat topically
   Infected wounds, red and painful eyes, ulcerations of the tongue and mouth (topical)
5. Clears Heart Fire (sedative)
   Heart Fire
   Lack of communication between the Heart and Kidneys
6. Drains Stomach Fire
   Stomach Fire
7. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, improve memory. 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: 2-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for deficiency-cold syndrome. Because its taste is extremly bitter and dryness, overdosage and long-time taking will impair spleen and stomach, yin and fluids.

Pinyin: Rou Gui  Chinese: 肉桂
Pharmaceutical: Cortex Cinnamomi
Taxonomy: Cinnamomum cassia
English: Cinnamon Bark

Tastes: Pungent, sweet, hot
Meridians Entered: Kidney, Spleen, Heart and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Warms the Kidneys, Spleen and Heart and strengthens Yang and Ming Men Fire
   Kidney Yang Deficiency and Deficiency of Ming-Men Fire with aversion to Cold, cold limbs, weak back, impotence and urinary frequency
   Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency with abdominal pain and Cold, reduced appetite and diarrhoea
   Kidney Unable to Grasp Qi
   Heart Yang Deficiency, particularly with chest Bi
2. Disperses deep Cold, warms the channels, unblocks the channels and vessels and alleviates pain
   Deep Cold causing Qi Stagnation or Blood Stasis with Cold in the Blood causing amenorrhea or dysmenorrhea, Cold-Damp Bi, Yin-type boils (chronic sores that are usually concave and ooze a clear fluid) and sores or abscesses that do not heal
   It enters the Blood aspect and, in small amounts, enhances the Blood moving action of other substances
3. Leads the Fire back to its source
   Upward Floating of Deficient Yang (False Heat, True Cold or Heat Above and Cold Below) with flushed face, wheezing, severe sweating (the sweat pours out like oil), weak and cold lower extremities and a deficient and rootless pulse
   Any condition with Heat in the Upper body (dry mouth, sore throat, or teeth which is worse at night) and Cold in the Lower body (Lower back pain, cold lower extremities, diarrhoea and weakness in the proximal portion of the pulse)
4. Assists in the generation of Qi and Blood
   Chronic Qi and Blood Deficiency (auxiliary)
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, enable one to communicate with spirits, make the body light, and prevent forgetfulness. 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: 1-5g in decoction. It should be decocted later.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for syndrome of yin deficiency with fire effulgent, haemorrhage due to blood heat and pregnant women. It is incompatible with Chi Shi Zhi (nineteen incompatibilities).