Pinyin: Ma Huang  Chinese: 麻黄
Pharmaceutical: Herba Ephedrae
Taxonomy: Ephedra sinica seu intermedia seu equisetina
English: Ephedra Stem / Joint Pine / Joint Fir / Mormon Tea / Brigham Tea

Tastes: Pungent, slightly bitter, warm
Meridians Entered: Lung and Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Induces sweating and releases the Exterior
   Taiyang Stage Wind-Cold Invasion of the Lung, with anhidrosis, chills, fever, headache and a tight, floating pulse
2. Disseminates and facilitates Lung Qi, calms wheezing and stops coughing
   Wind-Cold Obstructs Lung Qi
3. Promotes urination and reduces oedema
   Externally generated oedema
4. Warms and disperses Cold pathogens
   Wind-Cold Bi
   Cold extremities (Reynaud's disease)
5. Breaks up concretions, firmness, accumulations and gatherings (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing)
   Yin sores that are firm, deeply rooted and without a head

Standard Dosage: 1.5-9g in decoction to release the exterior, and 10-15g for the treatment of oedema. Maximum dose is 20g. Toxic dose is considered to be 30-45g but side effects and risks are possible at any dosage.
Cautions: It is prohibited to be used for patients with deficient dyspnea without blockage of the lung qi and should be used with caution for patients with hypertension and insomnia because ephedrine can stimulate central nervous system and raise blood pressure. The Shang Han Lun recommends removing the nodes and decocting Ma Huang first, scooping the foam from the top of the decoction. It has been argued this is to reduce the "vexing" effects although the efficacy of this is debated and rarely done today.

It should not be used in conjunction with MAOIs, central nervous system stimulants, alkaloids ergotamines and xanthines enhancing their effects by acting as a receptor level agonist.

In the UK the maximum daily dose permitted without prescription is 1.8g daily in three 0.6g doses. This makes it difficult to achieve a pharmacologically active effect and must be complemented with other herbs that release the exterior and expel Wind-Cold such as Gui Zhi, Jing Jie, Fang Feng and Zi Su Ye.

Huang Hua Zi (Sida cordifolia), more common in Ayurveda where it is known as Bala बला, also contains ephedrine at lower concentrations and has no legal restrictions placed on it by the UK MHRA. It is considered more cooling, Heat clearing and Damp draining without Exterior Releasing properties in Chinese medicine so best used as a substitute in Warm Diseases, especially Damp-Warm Disease, or supplemented with increased warm Exterior Releasing herbs like those described above.

Pinyin: Bai Qian  Chinese: 白前
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Cynanchi Stauntonii
English: Prime White Rhizome / Willow Leaf Swallow Wort Rhizome / Cynanchum Rhizome

Tastes: Pungent, bitter, lightly warm
Meridians Entered: Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Descends Qi, expels Phlegm and stops coughing
   Lung Qi blockage and Stagnation with coughing and copious sputum that is difficult to expectorate, and wheezing

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: This herb stimulates stomach mucosa and is used with cautions for those with stomach diseases or tendency of bleeding. Use with cautions for cough and dyspnea due to lung deficiency.

Pinyin: Sang Bai Pi  Chinese: 桑白皮
Pharmaceutical: Cortex Mori
Taxonomy: Morus alba
English: Mulberry Root Bark

Tastes: Sweet, cold
Meridians Entered: Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Drains Heat from the Lungs, stops coughing and calms wheezing
   Coughing and wheezing, fullness and hemoptysis due to Lung Heat
2. Promotes urination and reduces oedema
   Lung Heat obstructing the descending action of the Lung, preventing water from moving and stopping perspiration (floating oedema, facial oedema, swelling of the upper extremities, fever, thirst, urinary difficulty, a floating pulse)
3. Lowers blood pressure
   Hypertension

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for lung cold and wind-cold cough patients for its cold and descending property. It should be used with cautions for patients with much urine.

Pinyin: She Gan  Chinese: 射幹
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Belamcandae
English: Blackberry Lily Rhizome

Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat, relieves Fire toxicity and improves the throat
   Swollen, painful throat due to Fire Excess, Fire toxin or Phlegm-Heat obstruction
   Can be used alone for sore throat
2. Transforms Phlegm, clears the Lungs and eliminates wheezing
   Cough and wheezing with Phlegm obstruction
   Combined with warming herbs for Phlegm Obstruction due to Cold-Phlegm

Standard Dosage: 6-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It should be used cautiously to patients with loose stool due to spleen deficiency. It is contraindicated to pregnant women.

Pinyin: Bai Wei  Chinese: 白薇
Pharmaceutical: Radix Cynanchi Atrati
English: Blackened Swallow Wort Root

Tastes: Bitter and cold
Meridians Entered: Liver, Kidney, Lung, and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Cools the Blood and clears Deficiency Heat
   Ying and Xue level Heat
   Yin Deficient fever
   Persistent Summertime fever in children
   Postpartum fever and recovery from febrile disease (most commonly used)
   Lingering fever as a result of warm febrile disease that injures Blood or Yin
2. Promotes urination
   Hot or bloody painful urinary dysfunction, especially before or after giving birth
3. Relieves toxicity and treats sores
   Toxic sores, swollen and painful throat and snakebite (internal or topical - weak action)

Standard Dosage: 4.5-9g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of poor appetite and diarrhea due to deficient cold of spleen and stomach.

Pinyin: Bai Bu  Chinese: 百部
Pharmaceutical: Radix Stemonae
English: Stemona Root

Tastes: Bitter, sweet, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Moistens the Lungs and stops coughing
   Acute and chronic cough (especially due to Deficiency including Yin Deficiency)
2. Expel parasites and kills lice
   Head and body lice or fleas (topically)
   As a wash for bacterial vaginosis
   As a wash or soak for fungal infections
   As a nightly retained enema for pinworms

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.

Pinyin: Sheng Di Huang  Chinese: 生地黃
Pharmaceutical: Radix Rehmanniae
Taxonomy: Rehmannia glutinosa
English: Chinese Foxglove Root / Rehmannia Root

Tastes: Sweet, bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Liver, Stomach and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and cools the Blood
   Ying Stage Heat with high fever, thirst and a scarlet tongue
   Xue Stage Heat
   Hemorrhage due to Blood Heat
2. Nourishes Yin, generates fluids, increases saliva and treats wasting and thirsting
   Yin Deficiency with Heat signs
   Injury to fluids
   Throat pain due to Yin Deficiency
   Wasting and thirsting disorder (消渴 Xiao Ke - diabetes)
3. Cools Heart Fire
   Heart Fire
4. Calms the Spirit agitated by Parasites damaging the Yin
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
5. Breaks up Blood Stasis, expels Cold and Hot Bi, replenishes Bone Marrow and promotes the growth of Muscles and Flesh
   Broken bones or severed sinews from falls and a damaged center (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing)
6. 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 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: 10-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of diarrhea, abdomen distention due to spleen deficiency.

Pinyin: Di Gu Pi / Gou Qi Gen Pi  Chinese: 地骨皮 / 枸杞根皮
Pharmaceutical: Cortex Lycii
Taxonomy: Lycium barbarum seu chinense
English: Goji Berry Root Bark / Wolfberry Root Bark / Boxthorn ROot Bark

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

Actions & Indications:

1. Cools the Blood and drains Yin Deficiency Fire (steaming bones) - (drains Kidney Fire, eliminates lurking Heat, and clears Heat from the bones)
   Yin Deficiency with Empty Fire Rising (Kidney Fire) with night sweats, steaming bone disorder with sweating, chronic low-grade fever, irritability and thirst
   Toothache from Floating Fire in the Kidney channel
2. Clears and drains Heat in the Lung
   Lung Heat cough or wheezing
3. Clears Heat, cools the Blood and stops bleeding
   Various bleeding disorders characterized by Heat in the Blood
4. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, fortify the sinews and bones, 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: 9-15g in decoction.

Pinyin: Chen Pi  Chinese: 陈皮
Pharmaceutical: Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae
Taxonomy: Citrus spp.
English: Aged Tangerine Peel

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

Actions & Indications:

1. Regulates Qi, adjusts the Middle and relieves the diaphragm
   Spleen/Stomach Qi Stagnation with epigastric or abdominal distention, fullness, bloating, belching, nausea and vomiting
2. Dries Dampness and transforms Phlegm
   Phlegm-Damp Obstructs the Lung with coughing, a stifling sensation in the chest and/or diaphragm and copious, viscous sputum
   Turbid Damp Obstructs the Middle with a stifling sensation in the chest, abdominal distention, anorexia, fatigue, loose stools and a thick, greasy tongue coat
3. Helps prevent Stagnation from tonic herbs
   Tonic herbs causing Stagnation
4. Descends Qi
   Qi Rebellion
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, remove foul breath, precipitate the Qi, and enable one to communicate with spirits. 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).
6. Suppresses Gu Parasites
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.