Source: Records of Pattern Discrimination (1687)
Category: Formulas that Treat Abscesses and Sores
Pattern: Damp-Heat accumulation in the Lower Jiao that may sink into the bones.
Key Symptoms: Various Damp-Heat patterns including erysipelas and toxic rashes, bone abscesses and dark, painful urination.
Ingredients
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Fu Ling
| 30g | |
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Pinyin: Fu Ling
Chinese: 茯苓
Pharmaceutical: Poria
Taxonomy: Poria cocos syn. Wolfiporia extensa
English: China-Root / Hoelen / Tuckahoe / Indian Bread |
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Tastes: Sweet, bland, neutral
Meridians Entered: Heart, Spleen, and Kidney |
Actions & Indications:
- Strengthens the Spleen and harmonizes the Middle Jiao
Spleen Deficiency Dampness with anorexia, diarrhoea and epigastric distention
- Strengthens the Spleen
Phlegm Dampness due to Spleen Deficiency with thin mucus in which Phlegm moves upward manifesting as palpitations, headache, dizziness and a thick, greasy tongue coat
- Promotes urination and leaches out Dampness
Urinary difficulty, diarrhoea or oedema due to Stagnation of Fluids or Dampness
- Quiets the Heart, calms the Spirit and soothes the nerves
Palpitations, insomnia or forgetfulness due to either Spleen and Heart Insufficiency or Internal Obstruction of Turbid Phlegm
- Aids fasting
Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, quiet the Hun, nourish the Shen, 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).
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Standard Dosage: 9-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for spermatorrhea due to deficiency-cold. |
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Che Qian Zi
| 30g | |
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Pinyin: Che Qian Zi
Chinese: 車前子
Pharmaceutical: Semen Plantaginis
Taxonomy: Plantago asiatica
English: Plantago Seeds / Plantain Seeds / Psyllium Seeds |
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Tastes: Sweet, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Kidney, Bladder, Liver and Lung |
Actions & Indications:
- Promotes urination and clears Damp-Heat
Damp-Heat, generally Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao with oedema, painful urinary dysfunction
- Promotes urination to solidify the stool
Diarrhoea due to Damp-Heat
Summerheat with Dampness
- 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
- Clears the Lungs, expels Phlegm and stops coughing
Lung Heat induced cough with yellow copious Phlegm
- 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).
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Standard Dosage: 9-15g in decoction.
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Jin Yin Hua
| 90g | |
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Pinyin: Jin Yin Hua
Chinese: 金银花
Pharmaceutical: Flos Lonicerae japonicae
Taxonomy: Lonicera japonica
English: Honeysuckle Flower |
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Tastes: Pungent, slightly bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Lung, heart, stomach and large intestine |
Actions & Indications:
- Clears Heat and resolves Fire Toxicity
Hot, painful sores and skin eruptions in various stages of development, especially breast, throat and eyes
Intestinal abscesses
- Vents and disperses External Wind-Heat
Early-Stage Wind-Heat Warm-Heat pathogen with fever, chills, slight aversion to Wind, sore throat and headache
External Summerheat
- Clears Damp-Heat from the Lower Jiao
Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao with dysentery or Lin Syndrome
- Cools the Blood and stops bleeding (charred)
Blood Heat dysentery
- Releases the Exterior and Drives Out Snakes
Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
Mysterious bruises due to Ghost Strike (鬼擊) (Wilcox, 2024)
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Standard Dosage: 6-30g in decoction. Small doses are for expelling Wind-Heat, large doses for Toxic Heat sores. Can be up to 90g in extreme cases (e.g. Si Miao Yong An Tang).
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| Niu Xi | 15g | |
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Zi Hua Di Ding
| 30g | | |
Pinyin: Zi Hua Di Ding
Chinese: 紫花地丁
Pharmaceutical: Herba Violae
Taxonomy: Viola yedoensis Makino seu prionantha (see notes)
English: Violet herb |
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Tastes: Bitter, pungent, cold
Meridians Entered: Heart and Liver |
Actions & Indications:
- Clears Heat and resolves Toxicity, cools the Blood and disperses swelling
Red and swollen eyes
Mastitis
Jaundice
Dysentery
Sore throat with swelling and pain
Topically for bruises and snake bites
- Clears Hot Sores (Chuang Yung), internally and topically
Deep rooted sores and abscesses, especially if red and swollen and located on the head and back
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Standard Dosage: 15-30g in decoction.
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Preparation: Grind into a powder and take 6g twice per day as a draft.
Actions: Clears Heat, resolves Toxicity, separates and drains out Damp-Heat
Research Links:
Reference Notes: (click to display)
Most formulas are found in Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet (2009): Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies and Chen & Chen (2015) Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications. Others are from translations of primary sources. It is recommended that the original material is cross-referenced for mistakes and additional information.
Substitutions have been taken from Ken Lloyd & Prof. Leung (2004): Mayway UK Substitution List or the above publications and are intended as suggestions to help navigate the tight restrictions in the UK quickly. More applicable substitutions may be appropriate in specific situations.
Individual herb information has initially been sourced from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted.
