Pinyin: Man Jing Zi  Chinese: 蔓荆子
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Viticis
Taxonomy: Vitex trifolia
English: Vitex Fruit / Chastetree Fruit

Tastes: Pungent, bitter, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Bladder, Liver and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Disperses Wind and clears Heat
   Wind-Heat with headache or eye pain
2. Dispels Wind-Heat in the Liver channel and clears and benefits the head and eyes
   Liver Channel Wind-Heat with excessive tearing, red, painful or swollen eyes or spots in front of the eyes
   Liver Yang Rising
3. Drains Dampness, expels Wind and relieves pain
   Wind-Dampness in the limbs (auxiliary) with stiffness, numbness, cramping or heaviness
4. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, make the body light and slow 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.

Pinyin: Jing Jie  Chinese: 荆芥
Pharmaceutical: Herba Schizonepetae
English: Japanese Catnip

Tastes: Pungent, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Lung and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Releases the Exterior and expels Wind
   Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat Carbuncles or boils (Chuang Yung) when they first erupt - especially with chills and fever
2. Vents rashes and relieves itching
   Initial-stage measles and pruritic skin eruptions
3. Stops bleeding
   Hemorrhage (auxiliary)
4. Dispels Wind and relieves muscle spasms
   Postpartum spasms, trismus, muscle cramps and spasms due to Wind

Standard Dosage: 5-10g in decoction.

Pinyin: Ji Li / Bai Ji Li / Ci Ji Li  Chinese: 蒺藜 / 白蒺藜 / 刺蒺藜
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Tribuli
Taxonomy: Tribulus terrestris
English: Caltrop Fruit / Puncture-Vine Fruit

Tastes: Bitter, pungent, slightly salty
Meridians Entered: Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Calms the Liver and anchors Yang
   Liver Yang Rising with headache, vertigo or dizziness
2. Dredges Liver Qi and disperses Stagnation and clumping
   Liver Qi Stagnation with pain and distention in the flanks, irregular menstruation or insufficient lactation
3. Dispels Wind-Heat and brightens the eyes
   Red, swollen and painful eyes
   Excess tearing
4. Dispels Wind and stops itching
   Any kind of skin lesion with significant itching, such as hives
   Vitiligo (can be used as a stand-alone herb)
5. Extinguishes Liver Wind
   Liver Wind

Standard Dosage: 6-10g in decoction.
Cautions: Caution in pregnancy.

Pinyin: Sang Ye  Chinese: 桑叶
Pharmaceutical: Folium Mori
Taxonomy: Morus alba
English: Mulberry Leaf

Tastes: Sweet, bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Lung and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Disperses and scatters Wind-Heat
   Wind-Heat with fever, headache, sore throat and cough
   The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing also says it eliminates Cold and Heat by promoting sweating
2. Calms the Liver and clears the eyes
   Liver channel eye problems due to Wind-Heat or Yin Deficiency
   Vertigo due to Liver Yang Rising with red, sore, dry or painful eyes or spots in front of the eyes
   Hypertension (high blood pressure), high blood sugar and cholesterol
3. Clears Heat from the Lungs, stops coughing and moistens Dryness
   Lung Heat with thick, yellow Phlegm
   Lung Dryness with cough and a dry mouth
4. Cools the Blood and stops bleeding
   Mild cases of hematemesis due to Blood Heat
5. Treats Xiao Ke
   High blood glucose, type 2 diabetes, Upper Jiao Xiao Ke where thirst is the primary symptom
   Management of obesity

Standard Dosage: 9-15g in decoction.

Pinyin: Qin Pi  Chinese: 秦皮
Pharmaceutical: Cortex Fraxini
Taxonomy: Fraxinus rhynchophylla seu bungeana seu chinensis seu paxiana seu szaboana seu stylosa
English: Ash Bark

Tastes: Bitter and cold
Meridians Entered: Liver, Gallbladder, Large Intestine

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat, resolves toxicity and dries Dampness; astringes diarrhoea and dysentery
   Diarrhoea, dysenteric disorders with blood in the stool
   Vaginal discharge due to Damp-Heat
2. Drains Liver Fire and benefits the eyes
   Liver Fire affecting the eyes with redness and swelling of the eyes, styes or superficial visual obstruction
3. Disperses Wind-Dampness
   Wind-Damp-Heat Bi
   Psoriasis (decoction used as a wash)
4. Calms wheezing, stops coughs and resolves Phlegm
   Wheezing and coughs due to Lung Heat
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the middle class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, keep the head from becoming white and make the body light. 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.