Pinyin: Liu Lan Xiang  Chinese: 留蘭香
Pharmaceutical: Herba Menthae spicatae
Taxonomy: Mentha spicata
English: Spearmint

Tastes: Pungent, cool
Meridians Entered: Lung, Stomach, Spleen, Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Releases the Exterior
   Common cold, cough, headache, sore throat
   Red eyes
   
2. Harmonises the Middle Jiao
   Stomachache, abdominal distention, excessive fat or oil consumption
   Sudden Turmoil (霍亂 Huo Luan) with vomiting and diarrhorea
3. Regualtes Qi and Blood
   Nosebleed
   Dysmenorrhoea
   Numbness in the limbs
   Painful swelling from knocks and falls
   Sores and boils, cracking skin, inflammation and itching
   Depression, fatigue, insomnia
4. Repels insects
   Used in India to repel insects and kill fleas

Standard Dosage: 3-12g 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: Ling Ling Xiang  Chinese: 零陵香
Pharmaceutical: Herba Lysimachiae foenum-graecum
Taxonomy: Lysimachia foenum-graecum
English: Stongfragrant Loosestrife

Tastes: Pungent
Meridians Entered: Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Releases the Exterior
   Common cold with headache
2. Regulates Qi and alleviates pain
   Swelling pain in throat, toothache
   Distention fullness in chest and abdomen
3. Expels Parasites
   Roundworms

Standard Dosage:

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: Mu Xiang  Chinese: 木香
Pharmaceutical: Radix Aucklandiae
English: Costus Root

Tastes: Pungent, bitter, warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine and Gall Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes the movement of Qi and alleviates pain
   Spleen/Stomach Qi Stagnation with anorexia, a feeling of food sitting in the Stomach, epigastric or abdominal pain or distention, nausea and vomiting
   Liver or Gallbladder Qi Stagnation with flank pain, distention or soreness
2. Adjusts and regulates stagnant Qi in the Intestines
   Intestinal Qi Stagnation with diarrhoea or dysenteric disorders, abdominal pain and tenesmus
3. Strengthens the Spleen and prevents Stagnation
   Stagnation from tonic herbs, especially when the transportive and transformative functions of the Spleen are weak
4. Dispels Damp-Heat and harmonizes the Liver and Spleen
   Disharmony of the Liver and Spleen with hypochondriac pain and distention, a bitter taste in the mouth, a yellow tongue coat and possibly jaundice
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, prevent oppressive Ghost Dreams whether sleeping during the day or the night. 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).
6. Suppresses Gu Parasites
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.