Pinyin: Shi Wei  Chinese: 石韋
Pharmaceutical: Folium Pyrrosiae
Taxonomy: Pyrrosia lingua
English: Tongue Fern Leaf

Tastes: Sweet and bitter, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Lung and Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Damp-Heat, unblocks painful urinary dysfunction and clears stones
   Damp-Heat painful urinary dysfunction, Stone Lin and Blood Lin
2. Clears Heat and stops bleeding (Cools the Blood)
   Blood Heat bleeding (hematemesis, uterine bleeding, Blood Lin)
3. Clears the Lungs, expels Phlegm and stops coughing
   Lung Heat coughs and wheezing
4. Clears the Lungs, expels Phlegm and stops coughing
   Lung Heat coughs and wheezing

Standard Dosage: 6-12g in decoction.

Pinyin: Dong Kui Guo  Chinese: 冬葵果
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Malvae
Taxonomy: Malva verticillata
English: Musk Mallow Seeds / Abutilon Seeds

Tastes: Sweet
Meridians Entered: Bladder, Large Intestine and Small Intestine

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat, promotes urination and reduces swelling
   Urinary retention, oedema, thirst
   Urinary tract infection

Standard Dosage: 3-9g in decoction.
Cautions: Use with caution in those with loose stools from Spleen Deficiency and during Pregnancy.

Pinyin: Qu Mai  Chinese: 瞿麦
Pharmaceutical: Herba Dianthi
Taxonomy: Dianthus superbus
English: Fringed Pink Dianthus

Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Small Intestine and Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Drains Damp-Heat from the Urinary Bladder, promotes urination and unblocks painful urinary dysfunction
   Damp-Heat Painful Urinary Dysfunction, especially Blood Lin
2. Breaks up Blood Stasis, invigorates Blood circulation and regulates menstruation
   Amenorrhea due to Blood Stasis (auxiliary)
3. Unblocks the bowels
   Constipation
4. Purges Heart and Small Intestine Fire
   Heart Fire leading to Small Intestine Excess Heat

Standard Dosage: 9-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is cold and descending in property and can cause abortion, so it is contraindicated for pregnant women.

Pinyin: Hua Shi  Chinese: 滑石
Pharmaceutical: Talcum / Magnesium Silicate
Taxonomy: Mg₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂
English: Talc / Talcum Powder

Tastes: Sweet, bland and cold
Meridians Entered: Bladder, Lung and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes urination and drains Heat from the Urinary Bladder (aids the movement of gravel and stones), (expels Damp-Heat)
   Hot Painful Urinary Dysfunction (Lin Syndrome) with hot, painful urination, dark, painful, burning, scanty urine
   Damp-Heat diarrhoea
   Qi Level Heat with Dampness with unremitting fever, heavy feeling in the body, thirst, yellow tongue coat
2. Releases Summeheat and resolves Dampness
   Summerheat (fever, urinary difficulty, thirst)
3. Absorbs Dampness and clears Heat (topically)
   Damp skin lesions (eczema, damp sores, prickly heat)
4. Stops bleeding due to Heat
   Heat type bleeding
   Nosebleed, vomiting blood (taken internally) Bleeding from wounds and sores (topical)
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of minerals which can, with protracted taking, make the body light, free from hunger and prolong life. 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: 10-20g in decoction, or applied externally.
Cautions: Talc can cause granulomas in the rectum, vagina or wounds and prolonged external use has also been linked to ovarian (Wentzensen & O'Brien, 2021), stomach (Chang et al., 2020) and lung (Chang et al., 2017) cancer but other reviews contradict these findings (Goodman et al., 2020) suggesting this may only be an effect seen in rats (Prueitt et al., 2024). For safety it should therefore not be used for prolonged periods.

It should also not be in inhaled as it can cause lung irritation and remain in the body for up to 40 years (Johnson, 2021).

Mineral products are prohibited from use in the UK under the Medicines Act 1968 ch. 67 which restricts herbalists to the use of plant products only. It is generally substituted with Chi Fu Ling and Ze Xie.

Pinyin: Che Qian Zi  Chinese: 車前子
Pharmaceutical: Semen Plantaginis
Taxonomy: Plantago asiatica
English: Plantago Seeds / Plantain Seeds / Psyllium Seeds

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

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes urination and clears Damp-Heat
   Damp-Heat, generally Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao with oedema, painful urinary dysfunction
2. Promotes urination to solidify the stool
   Diarrhoea due to Damp-Heat
   Summerheat with Dampness
3. Clears Liver Heat and clears the eyes
   Eye problems due to Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency with dry eyes and diminished visual acuity
   Heat in the Liver Channel with red, painful, swollen eyes and sensitivity to light
   Hypertension, high blood sugar, diabetes, obesity and hyperlipidemia (Chen et al., 2022; Zhu et al., 2024)
4. Clears the Lungs, expels Phlegm and stops coughing
   Lung Heat induced cough with yellow copious Phlegm
5. 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: 9-15g in decoction.