Pinyin: Gao Liang Jiang  Chinese: 高良姜
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Alpiniae Officinarum
Taxonomy: Alpinia officinarum
English: Lesser Galangal Root

Tastes: Pungent, hot
Meridians Entered: Spleen and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Warms the Middle Jiao and alleviates pain
   Epigastric and abdominal pain, vomiting, hiccup or diarrhoea due to Cold in the Middle Jiao

Standard Dosage: 3-6g in decoction.

Pinyin: Xiang Fu  Chinese: 香附
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Cyperi
English: Nut-Grass Rhizome

Tastes: Pungent, slightly bitter and sweet, bland
Meridians Entered: Liver and Triple Energizer

Actions & Indications:

1. Spreads and regulates Liver Qi
   Liver Qi Stagnation with hypochondriac pain and epigastric distention
   Disharmony between the Liver and Spleen
2. Regulates menstruation and alleviates pain
   Gynecological disorders due to Liver Qi Stagnation with dysmenorrhea or irregular menstruation

Standard Dosage: 6-10g in decoction.

Pinyin: Bai He  Chinese: 百合
Pharmaceutical: Bulbus Lilii
English: Lily Bulb

Tastes: Sweet, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Lung and Heart

Actions & Indications:

1. Nourishes Yin, moistens the Lungs, clears Heat and stops coughing
   Dry coughs or sore throat due to Lung Yin Deficiency, dry Lungs or Lung Heat
   Especially useful for Lung Yin Deficiency
2. Clears the Heart and calms the Spirit
   Intractable low-grade fever, insomnia, restlessness and irritability in the aftermath of febrile disease
   Heart Fire
   Palpitations due to insufficiency of Qi and Yin
   One of the chief spirit calming herbs for Gu Sydnrome with Qi and Yin deficiency (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
3. Nourishes Stomach Yin and harmonizes the Middle Jiao
   Pain associated with Stomach Yin Deficiency

Standard Dosage: 10-30g in decoction.
Cautions: All lilies are acutely nephrotoxic to cats and some other animals due to the high level of insoluble calcium oxalate so should be not be used in vetinary formulas without absolute certainty that the animal in question is not vulnerable. Long term consumption of oxalates in humans can also lead to kidney stone formation.

Pinyin: Wu Yao  Chinese: 烏藥
Pharmaceutical: Radix Linderae
English: Lindera Root

Tastes: Pungent, warm
Meridians Entered: Lung, Spleen, Liver, Kidney and Gallbladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes the movement of Qi and alleviates pain
   Cold and Qi Stagnation with a stifling sensation in the chest, flank pain, epigastric and abdominal pain.
2. Warms the Kidneys and disperses Cold
   Urinary frequency or incontinence due to Kidney Yang Deficiency or Urinary Bladder Deficiency Cold

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.

Pinyin: Dan Shen  Chinese: 丹參
Pharmaceutical: Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae
Taxonomy: Salvia miltiorrhiza
English: Red Sage Root / Salvia Root / Zi Dan Shen 紫丹參 (Purple Cinnabar Ginseng) / Xue Shen 血參 (Blood Ginseng)

Tastes: Bitter, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Heart and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and soothes irritability
   Ying Stage Heat with restlessness, irritability, palpitations and insomnia
   Heart and Kidney Yin Deficiency
2. Cools the Blood and reduces abscesses
   Adjunctive to treat sores or early-stage breast abscesses
3. Nourishes the Blood and calms the Spirit
   Palpitations and insomnia due to Ying and Xue Stage Heat or Heart Blood Deficiency
   Agitation due to Gu Parasites / chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 5-15g in decoction.
Cautions: Use with caution for pregnant women. Contraindicated to Li Lu.

Pinyin: Tan Xiang  Chinese: 檀香
Pharmaceutical: Lignum Santali Albi
English: Sandalwood

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

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes movement of Qi, harmonizes the Middle Jiao and alleviates pain
   Pain associated with Qi Stagnation in the chest and abdomen
2. Dispels Cold and improves digestion
   Stomach Cold
3. Removes Blood Stagnation
   Blood Stagnation
4. Treats coronary artery disease
   Coronary artery disease

Standard Dosage: 1-3g as powder. Should be added to decoctions at end.
Cautions: Used with cautions for the case of yin deficiency and effulgent fire or hemorrhage due to excess heat.

Pinyin: Sha Ren  Chinese: 砂仁
Pharmaceutical: Fructus villosi
Taxonomy: Amomum villosum syn. Wurfbainia villosa
English: Villous Cardamom

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

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes the movement of Qi, aromatically transforms Dampness, strengthens the Spleen and stops vomiting
   Spleen/Stomach Qi Stagnation or Dampness Distressing the Spleen/ Stomach with distention and pain, in the epigastrium and abdomen, anorexia, vomiting and diarrhoea
2. Warms the Middle and stops diarrhoea
   Diarrhoea from Spleen Cold
3. Calms the fetus and prevents miscarriage
   Restless fetus or morning sickness
4. Prevents Stagnation from tonic herbs
   Middle Jiao Stagnation due to herbal tonification

Standard Dosage: 3-6g in decoction, added near end.

Pinyin: Wu Ling Zhi  Chinese: 五灵脂
Pharmaceutical: Faeces Trogopterori
English: Flying Squirrel Feces

Tastes: Sweet, bitter, warm
Meridians Entered: Liver and Spleen

Actions & Indications:

1. Invigorates the Blood, dispels Blood Stasis and alleviates pain
   Blood Stasis with amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain and epigastric pain
2. Transforms Stasis and stops bleeding
   Uterine bleeding and retained lochia due to Blood Stasis
3. Treats childhood nutritional impairment
   Childhood nutritional impairment with focal distention
4. Eliminates toxins
   Internally and topically for various insect and snake bites

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It should not be used with Ren Shen and it is contraindicated to pregnant women.

Animal 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 Yan Hu Suo and Lian Fang.

Pinyin: Pu Huang  Chinese: 蒲黄
Pharmaceutical: Pollen Typhae
Taxonomy: Typha angustifolia
English: Cattail Pollen / Bulrush Pollen

Tastes: Sweet, neutral
Meridians Entered: Liver and Heart

Actions & Indications:

1. Stops bleeding by astringing
   External bleeding due to traumatic injury
   Various forms of internal bleeding such as uterine bleeding, hematemesis, epistaxis, hemoptysis, hematuria, hemafecia or subcutaneous bleeding
2. Invigorates the Blood and dispels Blood Stasis
   Chest pain, postpartum abdominal pain and menstrual pain due to Blood Stasis
3. Promotes urination
   Lin Syndrome
4. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, makes the body light, boosts the Qi and physical strength and prolongs life so an to make one immortal. 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: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: Use with cautions for pregnant women.