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: Bai Ji  Chinese: 白芨
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Bletillae
English: Urn Orchid Rhizome

Tastes: Bitter, sweet, stringe, astringe, light cold
Meridians Entered: Lung, Stomach and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Astringes leakage of Blood and stops bleeding
   Bleeding from the Lungs and Stomach with Hematemesis, hemoptysis and epistaxis
   Bleeding due to traumatic injury (topical)
2. Reduces swelling, generates flesh and eliminates ulcers
   Topically for sores, ulcers and chapped skin (whether or not the sore has ulcerated)
3. Nourishes the Lungs and resolves Phlegm
   Lung damage

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It should not be used with Wu Tou (eighteen antagonisms).

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: Gu Sui Bu  Chinese: 骨碎补
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Drynariae
English: Boneknit Rhizome / Fortune's Drynaria Rhizome

Tastes: Bitter, warm
Meridians Entered: Liver and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies Kidney Yang, strengthens the sinews and bones and benefits the ears (also helps regain strength after injuries)
   Weak low back and knees, diarrhoea, tinnitus, diminished hearing, loose, painful teeth and bleeding gums associated with Kidney Deficiency
2. Promotes mending of sinews and bones
   Traumatic injuries such as falls, fractures, contusions and sprains
   Especially useful for ligament injuries and simple fractures
3. Stimulates hair growth (topical)
   Topically as a tincture for alopecia
4. Invigorates the Blood
   Blood Stagnation especially due to trauma

Standard Dosage: 3 - 9g dried in decoction, or 6 - 15g if fresh, or applied topically to site.
Cautions: This herb is warm that can invigorate yang. Use with cautions for the yin deficiency and internal heat.

Pinyin: Ren Dong Teng  Chinese: 忍冬藤
Pharmaceutical: Caulis Lonicerae
Taxonomy: Lonicera japonica
English: Honeysuckle Stem

Tastes: Sweet, cold
Meridians Entered: Heart and Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and resolves toxicity
   Sores and skin eruptions
2. Dispels Wind-Dampness, soothes the sinews and unblocks the channels
   Wind-Damp-Heat-Bi
3. Cools the Blood
   Adjunctively for hot abdominal pain, early periods Excess bleeding and mastitis
4. Relieves abdominal pain due to inflammation
   Blood Heat dysentery
5. Clears Damp-Heat from the Lower Jiao
   Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao
6. Expels Wind-Heat
   Wind-Heat
7. Expels Corpse Evils
   Unexplained wasting due to Transmitted Corpse Consumption (傳屍癆) (Wilcox, 2024)

Standard Dosage: 10-30g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for frequent diarrhea and deficiency-cold in spleen and stomach.