Pinyin: Xiang Ru  Chinese: 香薷
Pharmaceutical: Herba Moslae seu Elscholtsiae
English: Aromatic Madder / Mosla / Elscholtzia

Tastes: Pungent, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Lung, Spleen, Stomach and Gallbladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Induces sweating, releases the Exterior, expels Summeheat, transforms Dampness and harmonizes the Spleen and Stomach
   Wind-Cold during the summer, especially when accompanied by Dampness with chills, fever, headache, anhidrosis, body aches, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting
   Externally contracted Summerheat or Dampness
2. Promotes urination and reduces swelling
   Edema and urinary difficulty especially if associated with external invasion

Standard Dosage: 6-15g in decoction. Small doses decocted for a short time are best for sweating, large doses decocted for a long time are better for inducing diuresis.

Pinyin: Huo Xiang  Chinese: 藿香
Pharmaceutical: Herba Pogostemonis seu Agastaches
Taxonomy: Pogostemon cablin seu Agastache rugosa
English: Patchouli / Korean Mint

Tastes: Pungent, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach and Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Aromatically transforms Dampness, releases the Exterior and dispels Summerheat (transforms turbidity)
   Turbid Dampness Obstructing the Middle Jiao
   Summer Heat-Dampness, Damp-Warmth or Wind-Dampness
2. Harmonizes the Middle Jiao and stops vomiting
   Nausea or vomiting due to Dampness Obstructing the Middle Jiao
   Other types of vomiting, and morning sickness when combined with appropriate herbs
3. Treats dermatosis and fungal infection
   Dermatosis and fungal infections affecting either the hands or feet

Standard Dosage: 5-10g in decoction.

Pinyin: Pei Lan  Chinese: 佩蘭
Pharmaceutical: Herba Eupatorii fortunei
Taxonomy: Eupatorium fortunei
English: Fragrant Thoroughwort

Tastes: Pungent, neutral
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach and Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Aromatically transforms Dampness, awakens the Spleen and regulates the Middle
   Dampness Obstructing the Middle Jiao Stifling sensation in the chest, lack of appetite, nausea and a white, moist tongue coat
   Damp-Heat in the Spleen channel with a sweet, sticky taste in the mouth, excessive saliva and bad breath
2. Transforms Dampness and releases Summerheat
   Summerheat with Dampness with nausea and early-stage Warm-Damp febrile disease
3. Kills Gu Toxins
   Chronic patterns of abdominal disease that are unresponsive to most medicines
4. Aromatically dispels Middle Jiao turbid filth to unbind the Stomach Harmonizes the Middle
   Internal accumulation of increasingly thickened dampness in the Middle Jiao binding Stomach Qi (lethargy, nausea, anorexia, epigastric and abdominal distention and pain with a very thick, greasy tongue coat
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, boost the Qi, make the body light, slow ageing and enable one to communicate with the Spirit Light (Shen Ming 神明). 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: 5-10g in decoction.
Cautions: This herb can no longer be used internally due to containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids. It is probably best substituted with Huo Xiang or Xiang Ru.

Pinyin: Zi Su Ye  Chinese: 紫苏叶
Pharmaceutical: Folium Perillae
English: Perilla Leaf

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

Actions & Indications:

1. Releases the Exterior and disperses Cold
   Wind-Cold with fever, chills, headache, nasal congestion, cough or a stifling sensation in the chest (especially in older people)
2. Promotes the movement of Spleen and Stomach Qi and Harmonizes the Middle Jiao
   Spleen/Stomach Qi Stagnation with nausea, vomiting, or anorexia
   Intestinal gas
3. Improves Lung function and expands the chest
   Asthma
   Chest distention
   Cold induced wheezing
4. Calms the fetus and alleviates morning sickness
   Restless fetus and morning sickness
5. Alleviates seafood poisoning Detoxifies any type of allergy
   Seafood poisoning (fish and crab), used alone or in combination
6. Releases the Exterior and Drives Out Snakes
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
   One of the chief herbs for treating Gu Syndrome, along with Bo He and Bai Zhi, classed as "open the exterior with snake killing herbs" (Fruehauf, 1998).

Standard Dosage: 5-10g in decoction.

Pinyin: Bo He  Chinese: 薄荷
Pharmaceutical: Herba Menthae haplocalycis
Taxonomy: Mentha haplocalyx
English: Field Mint / Wild Mint

Tastes: Pungent, cool
Meridians Entered: Lung and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Disperses Wind-Heat, cools and clears the head and eyes and benefits the throat
   Wind-Heat with fever, cough, headache, red eyes and a sore throat
2. Vents rashes
   Early-stage rashes e.g. measles
3. Relieves Stagnation of Liver Qi
   Liver Qi Stagnation with pressure in the chest or flanks, emotional instability and gynecological problems
4. Expels turbid filth
   Exposure to unclean Qi in the Summertime leading to gastric distress with abdominal pain, vomiting. diarrhoea and a thick, yellow, greasy tongue coat
5. Releases the Exterior and Drives Out Snakes
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
   One of the chief herbs for treating Gu Syndrome, along with Bai Zhi and Zi Su Ye, classed as "open the exterior with snake killing herbs" (Fruehauf, 1998).

Standard Dosage: 3-10g 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: Ge Gen  Chinese: 葛根
Pharmaceutical: Radix Puerariae
Taxonomy: Pueraria lobata
English: Kudzu Vine Root

Tastes: Sweet, pungent, cool
Meridians Entered: Lung, Spleen and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Discharges Exterior conditions and releases the muscles, especially of the neck and upper back
   Wind-Heat or Wind-Cold lodged in the muscles of the upper back and neck
2. Relieves Heat and generates fluids (relieves thirst)
   Thirst due to Stomach Heat or Wind-Heat or Wasting and Thirsting
3. Vents and discharges measles
   Measles with incomplete expression of the rash
4. Raises Spleen Yang and stops diarrhoea
   Diarrhoea or dysentery due to Heat
   Diarrhoea due to Spleen Deficiency (with appropriate herbs)
5. Alleviates symptoms of hypertension
   Hypertension symptoms such as headache, dizziness, tinnitus or paresthesia

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.

Pinyin: Gan Cao  Chinese: 甘草
Pharmaceutical: Radix Glycyrrhizae
Taxonomy: Glycyrrhiza uralensis seu glabra seu inflata
English: Liquorice Root

Tastes: Sweet, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Lung and Spleen (and all 12 meridians)

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies the Spleen and augments Qi
   Spleen Qi Deficiency with shortness of breath, lassitude and loose stools
   Qi and Blood Deficiency with an irregular pulse and/or palpitations
   Heart Qi Deficiency or Heart Yang Deficiency
2. Moistens the Lungs, resolves Phlegm and stops coughing
   Lung Heat or Cold
   Productive or non-productive coughing
3. Moderates spasms and alleviates pain
   Painful muscle spasms of the abdomen and legs
4. Clears Heat and relieves Fire Toxicity
   Raw for Toxic Heat with sore throat or carbuncles and sores (Chuang Yung)
5. Antidote for many toxic substances (internal and topical)
   Poisoning
   Bites (after washing the wound, chew Gan Cao and apply a thick layer on the bite wound, changing whenever it dries out; Bao Xiang-Ao, 1846, New Compilation of Proven Formulas)
6. Moderates and harmonizes the harsh properties of other herbs and guides the herbs to all twelve channels
   Often added in small doses to harmonise formulas
7. Tonifies the Qi while suppressing Parasites
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
8. 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 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: Typically 1.5-9g in decoction. Large doses can be up 30g.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for combining with Hai Zao, Da Ji, Gan Sui and Yuan Hua because of "eighteen antagonisms". It is also contraindicated in cases of dampness obstruction in middle energizer and edema because it can help dampness obstruct qi, and it is prohibited from long-term usage in large dosage (more than 20g/day) and should be avoided or used with extreme caution in patients with high blood pressure because it may raise aldosterone levels in the blood causing retention of sodium.

The NHS recommends avoiding during pregnancy.

Pinyin: Huang Lian  Chinese: 黄连
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Coptidis
Taxonomy: Coptidis chinensis
English: Coptis Rhizome / Goldthread Rhizome

Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Stomach, Large Intestine and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and drains Dampness
   Damp-Heat in the Stomach or Intestines with diarrhoea or dysenteric disorder
   Stomach Heat with vomiting and/or acid regurgitation
2. Drains Fire and resolves Fire toxicity
   Heat with Blazing Fire (Toxic Heat) with high fever. irritability, disorientation, delirium, a red tongue and a rapid, full pulse
   Heat from Excess with toxicity: painful, red eyes and a sore throat
   Boils, carbuncles and abscesses (Chuang Yung)
3. Clears Heat and stops bleeding
   Blood Heat with epistaxis, hematuria, hemafecia and hemoptysis
4. Clears Heat topically
   Infected wounds, red and painful eyes, ulcerations of the tongue and mouth (topical)
5. Clears Heart Fire (sedative)
   Heart Fire
   Lack of communication between the Heart and Kidneys
6. Drains Stomach Fire
   Stomach Fire
7. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, improve memory. 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: 2-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for deficiency-cold syndrome. Because its taste is extremly bitter and dryness, overdosage and long-time taking will impair spleen and stomach, yin and fluids.