Pinyin: Tu Si Zi  Chinese: 菟丝子
Pharmaceutical: Semen Cuscutae
English: Chinese Dodder Seeds

Tastes: Sweet, astringing, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Kidney, Spleen and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Strengthens Yang, nourishes Yin, astringes Jing and urine and benefits the marrow
   Kidney Yang Deficiency with impotence, nocturnal emissions, premature ejaculation, tinnitus, urinary frequency, sore painful back and vaginal discharge
2. Tonifies the Kidneys and Liver and improves vision
   Deficient Liver and Kidney Yin, Yang and Jing with dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision or spots before the eyes
3. Benefits the Kidneys and Spleen and stops (astringes) diarrhoea
   Diarrhoea, loose stools and anorexia from Spleen and Kidney Deficiency
4. Calms the fetus
   Habitual or threatened miscarriage
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, brighten the eyes, 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: 10-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with effulgent fire and difficult urination because of its warm property and tonifying and astringing actions.

Pinyin: Lu Rong  Chinese: 鹿茸
Pharmaceutical: Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum
English: Deer Antler Velvet

Tastes: Sweet and salty, warm
Meridians Entered: Kidney and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies the Kidneys and strengthens Yang
   Kidney Yang Deficiency with fatigue, impotence, cold extremities, light-headedness, tinnitus, soreness and lack of strength in the lower back and knees and frequent, copious clear urination
2. Warms Yang, regulates the Chong and Ren channels and stabilizes the Dai Channel
   Insufficiency of the Chong and Ren and Dai Channel weakness with vaginal discharge or uterine bleeding from Deficiency Cold Infertility with a cold Womb (can be used alone)
3. Tonifies the DU Channel, strengthens Jing and Blood, strengthens the sinews and bones and benefits marrow
   Jing and Blood Deficiency, especially in children with physical and mental developmental disorders such as failure to thrive, mental retardation, learning disabilities, insufficient growth or skeletal deformities including rickets Non healing fractures with Kidney Deficiency and exhaustion of the Jing (can be used alone)
4. Tonifies and nourishes Qi and Blood and heals chronic Yin sores and boils
   Qi and Blood Deficiency Chronic ulcerations or Yin-type boils, non healing ulcers (can be used alone)

Standard Dosage: 1-3g ground into fine powder and taken as a pill 3 times per day.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with effulgent fire, heat in blood system excessive stomach-fire, phlegm heat in lung and attacking by external pathogen; and it should be used from small dosage to treatmental dosage because of its warm, ascending property and tonifying yang heat action, and if it was used in large amount suddenly, it would result in vertigo, blood-shot eyes and syncope due to yang ascending and wind stirring; or epistaxis hematemesis, hematuria due to excessive fire.

Pinyin: Shan Yao  Chinese: 山药
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Dioscoreae
Taxonomy: Dioscorea polystachya syn. batatas
English: Chinese Yam / Shu Yu

Tastes: Sweet, neutral
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Lung and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies the Spleen, nourishes Stomach Yin and stops diarrhoea
   Spleen or Stomach Deficiency with diarrhoea, fatigue, spontaneous sweating and anorexia
2. Tonifies Lung Qi and nourishes Lung Yin
   Lung Qi and/or Yin Deficiency with chronic cough
3. Tonifies Kidney Yin and astringes Jing
   Kidney Qi Deficiency with spermatorrhea, urinary frequency and vaginal discharge
   消渴 Xiao Ke due to Qi and Yin Deficiency
4. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, sharpen the ears and eyes, make the body light, make one 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). Despite being a starchy vegetable, this may still have been an appropriate addition to a ketogenic diet as the starches are mostly resistant and many of its other compounds have been shown to have blood glucose reducing effects, making it a potential important source of this essential nutrient group while engaging in a low carbohydrate diet.

Standard Dosage: 5-30g in decoction. Very large doses, up to 500g have been used in trials for diabetes management.

Pinyin: Fu Zi  Chinese: 附子
Pharmaceutical: Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata
Taxonomy: Aconitum carmichaeli
English: Wolf's-bane Root / Monkshood Root / Aconite Root

Tastes: Pungent, sweet, hot, toxic
Meridians Entered: Heart, Kidney and Spleen

Actions & Indications:

1. Restores Devastated Yang and rescues from rebellion
   Devastated Yang with diarrhoea containing undigested food, chills, cold extremities and a faint almost imperceptible pulse (often as a result of severe vomiting, diarrhoea or sweating)
2. Warms Ming Men Fire and assists Heart, Kidney and Spleen Yang
   Heart Yang Deficiency
   Spleen Yang Deficiency
   Kidney Yang Deficiency
3. Disperses Cold and Dampness, warms the channels and stops pain
   Wind-Damp-Cold Bi
   Cold blocking the organs, channels, bones and Blood vessels
   Yin flat abscesses
   Gu Parasites / chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 3-15g in decoction. Fire Spirit practitioners prescribe doses of 60-200g per day (Fruehauf, 2009).
Cautions: It is contraindicated for heat syndrome, yin-deficiency leading to hyperactivity of yang and the pregnant because of its pungent, hot, dry and drastic properties. It must be soaked and decocted for about half and hour to one hour until numbing taste disappears for oral use. Over-dosage and incorrect processing must be avoided.

This herb is prohibited from use in the UK under the banned and restricted herbal ingredients list issued by the MHRA. It is generally substituted with various Yang tonics depending on the presentation although none can imitate its powerful cardiovascular effects making them ineffective substitutes for rescuing devastated Yang. External use is permitted at 1.3% or below.

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: Wu Wei Zi  Chinese: 五味子
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Schisandrae
Taxonomy: Schisandra chinensis
English: Schisandra Fruit / Chinese Magnolia-vine Fruit

Tastes: Sour, sweet, warm
Meridians Entered: Lung, Heart and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Astringes the leakage of Lung Qi and stops coughing
   Chronic cough and wheezing due to Lung Qi Deficiency
   Lung and Kidney Deficiency patterns
2. Tonifies the Kidneys, binds up Essence (astringes Jing) and stops diarrhoea and spermatorrhea
   Kidney Deficiency with nocturnal emissions, spermatorrhea, vaginal discharge and urinary frequency
   Spleen and Kidney Deficiency with daybreak diarrhoea
3. Astringes sweat and generates fluids
   Excessive sweating. especially when accompanied by thirst or a dry throat
   In combination, it is used for spontaneous sweating, night sweats and wasting and thirsting disorder
4. Quiets the Spirit and calms and contains Heart Qi
   Heart and Kidney Blood and Yin Deficiency, with irritability, palpitations, dream-disturbed sleep and insomnia
5. Tonifies Qi
   Heart and Spleen Qi Deficiency

Standard Dosage: 3-6g in decoction. 1-3g as powder.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of external pathogen existence, internal excess heat, acute cough, early stage of measles.

Pinyin: Sang Piao Xiao  Chinese: 桑螵蛸
Pharmaceutical: Ootheca Mantidis
English: Praying Mantis Egg-Case

Tastes: Sweet, astringent, neutral
Meridians Entered: Liver and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies the Kidneys, assists Yang, retains Jing and astringes urine
   Kidney Yang Deficiency with dribbling urine, urinary frequency, and nocturnal emissions, especially when unaccompanied by dreams
   Enuresis in children
   Impotence

Standard Dosage: 6-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It can tonify yang and astringe, so it is contraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with effulgent fire, and heat in bladder.

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 Tu Si Zi and Qian Shi.

Pinyin: Yi Zhi Ren  Chinese: 益智仁
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Alpiniae Oxyphyllae
Taxonomy: Alpinia Oxyphylla
English: Sharp-leaf Galangal Pod

Tastes: Sweet, pungent, astringent, warm
Meridians Entered: Kidney and Spleen

Actions & Indications:

1. Warms the Kidneys and astringes Jing and urine
   Frequent and copious urination, urinary incontinence and spermatorrhea or dribbling of urine due to Kidney Yang Deficiency
   Kidney Jing not Consolidated
   Irregular uterine bleeding
2. Warms the Spleen, increases the appetite and stops diarrhoea and salivation
   Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency with diarrhoea, Cold abdominal pain, excessive salivation and a thick, unpleasant taste in the mouth
   Abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea from Cold entering the Spleen and Kidneys

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.

Pinyin: Mu Li  Chinese: 牡蛎
Pharmaceutical: Concha Ostreae
English: Oyster Shell

Tastes: Salty, astringent, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Liver and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Heavily settles and calms the Spirit
   Agitated Heart and Spirit with palpitations with anxiety, restlessness and insomnia
2. Calms the Liver, benefits Yin and anchors Floating Yang
   Liver Yin Deficiency with Liver Yang Rising or Yin Deficiency with internal Heat with restlessness, irritability, palpitations and spontaneous sweating
3. Prevents leakage of fluids
   Continuous sweat after febrile disease or in patients with steaming bone disorder
   Loss of fluids due to Deficiency with night sweats, spontaneous sweating, nocturnal emissions, spermatorrhea or vaginal discharge and uterine bleeding
4. Softens hardness and dissipates nodules
   Various kinds of lumps particularly neck lumps such as goiter or scrofula
5. Absorbs acidity and alleviates pain (calcined)
   Excessive Stomach pain with a sour taste in the mouth
6. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of animal parts which can, with protracted taking, fortify the bones and joints (骨节 Gu Jie), kill evil ghosts (邪鬼 Xie Gui), 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: 15-30g in decoction.
Cautions: The high mineral content of this medication may prevent the oral absorption of the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics.

Caution should also be taken due to the possibility of heavy metal absorption from the oysters' environment. If decocting it is advisable to leave the dregs at the bottom as heavy metal particles will naturally sink. It is still probably advisable to avoid for long term use unless the source is known to be clean.

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 Xuan Shen, Bai Shao and Wu Wei Zi or Tian Ma.

If viewed from a western perspective as a source of calcium which may cause sleep disturbances, then supplementation or inclusion of high calcium/magnesium content herbs (e.g. Kun Bu which is also salty and softens nodulation) could be considered, especially if other signs such as oesteoporosis or muscle cramps are present and the risk of side effects from calcium/magnesium supplements are low (stones, calcified arteries, GI issues). However, this assumes a mechanism which does not match many of the traditional patterns for which it is prescribed.

Pinyin: Ji Nei Jin  Chinese: 鸡内金
Pharmaceutical: Endothelium Corneum Gigeriae Galli
English: Chicken Gizzard

Tastes: Sweet, bland
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach, Small Intestine and Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Strongly reduces Food Stagnation and improves the Spleen's transportive function
   Food Accumulation in the digestive tract
   Food Stagnation due to Spleen Deficiency
   Childhood nutritional impairment
2. Astringes Jing and urine and stops enuresis
   Spermatorrhea, enuresis and urinary frequency
3. Transforms hardness and dissolves stones
   Urinary or biliary stones

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: 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 Shan Yao and Mai Ya.