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 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: Zhi Zi  Chinese: 栀子
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Gardeniae
Taxonomy: Gardenia jasminoides
English: Gardenia Fruit

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

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat, reduces Fire and eliminates irritability in the San Jiao
   Excess Heat in the Heart, Stomach and Liver with high fever, irritability, restlessness, a stifling sensation in the chest, insomnia or delirious speech, eye problems, anger, jaundice
2. Clears Heat and resolves Dampness (Drains Damp-Heat)
   Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao with painful urinary dysfunction (Lin Syndrome)
   Damp-Heat in the Liver/Gallbladder with jaundice
   Damp-Heat in the San Jiao
   Damp-Heat in the Gallbladder and San Jiao channels of the face affecting the nose and eyes or causing sores in the mouth or facial region
3. Cools the Blood and relieves toxicity (stops bleeding by astringing)
   Heat in the Blood with epistaxis, hematemesis, hemafecia or hematuria (partially charred)
4. Reduces swelling and invigorates the Blood
   Blood Stagnation due to trauma (topical)

Standard Dosage: 5-15g in decoction.
Cautions: Being strongly bitter in flavor and cold in nature, it is not good for deficiency-cold syndrome because it can easily impair spleen and stomach. It is contraindicated in case of loose stool due to spleen deficiency.

Pinyin: Dan Dou Chi  Chinese: 淡豆豉
Pharmaceutical: Semen Sojae Preparatum
Taxonomy: Glycine max
English: Fermented Soybean

Tastes: Pungent, bitter and cool
Meridians Entered: Lung and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Releases the Exterior
   Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat
   Yin Deficiency with superimposed Exterior disorders
2. Eliminates irritability, harmonizes the Middle Jiao and relieves stuffy sensations in the chest
   Irritability, restlessness, insomnia, stifling sensations in the chest and insomnia following a febrile disease

Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.

Pinyin: Xing Ren  Chinese: 杏仁
Pharmaceutical: Semen armeniacae
Taxonomy: Prunus armeniaca seu mandshurica seu sibirica
English: Bitter Apricot Kernel

Tastes: Bitter, slightly warm, slightly toxic
Meridians Entered: Lung and Large Intestine

Actions & Indications:

1. Stops coughing and calms wheezing
   Coughs due to either Heat or Cold (depending on combination) Wind-Dry coughs (especially useful)
2. Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels
   Constipation

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It should not be overused for its slight toxicity. It should be used with cautions for infants and patients with diarrhea.

Pinyin: Zhe Bei Mu  Chinese: 浙贝母
Pharmaceutical: Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii
Taxonomy: Fritillaria Thunbergii
English: Thunberg Fritillary Bulb

Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Lung and Heart

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and dissipates nodules
   Phlegm-Fire causing neck swellings (Chuang Yung)
   Lung and breast abscesses
2. Clears Heat, transforms Phlegm and stops coughing
   Acute Lung Heat patterns with productive cough

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: Contraindicated to Wu Tou.

Pinyin: Li Pi  Chinese: 梨皮
Pharmaceutical: Pericarpium Pyrus pyrifolia
English: Pear Skin

Tastes: Sweet, astringent, cool
Meridians Entered: Lung, Heart, Kidney and Large Intestine

Actions & Indications:

1. Moistens the Lungs and Stomach
   Lung and Stomach Yin Deficiency

Standard Dosage: 9-15g in decoction.