Author: Zong Xiao-Fan and Gary Liscum
Year: 1996
Source: Chinese Medicinal Teas
Category: Formulas that Clear Heat
Pattern: Prevention of Exterior Wind-Heat-Toxic Invasion
Key Symptoms: Fever, headache, cough, shortness of breath, nasal congestion
Secondary Symptoms: Mainly used as preventative for epidemic respiratory tract infections, meningitis, hepatitits.
Ingredients
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Ban Lan Gen
| 50g | |
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Pinyin: Ban Lan Gen
Chinese: 板蓝根
Pharmaceutical: Radix Isatidis
English: Indigo Woad Root |
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Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Lung, Stomach, Heart and Liver |
Actions & Indications:
- Drains Heat, relieves Fire toxicity, cools the Blood and benefits the throat
Warm febrile disease Epidemic disorders Seasonal toxic pathogens such as mumps, and painful, swollen throat conditions Damp-Heat jaundice Gallbladder Heat Blood Heat
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Standard Dosage: 15-30g in decoction.
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Da Qing Ye
| 50g | |
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Pinyin: Da Qing Ye
Chinese: 大青葉
Pharmaceutical: Folium Isatidis
Taxonomy: Isatis tinctoria
English: Indigo Leaf |
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Tastes: Bitter, pretty cold
Meridians Entered: Lung, Stomach, Heart and Liver |
Actions & Indications:
- Clears Heat and resolves Fire toxicity
Warm febrile disease, pneumonia
Epidemic outbreaks of Fire toxin that affects people regardless of their constitutions (severe contagious diseases)
Fire toxins anywhere in the body (Chuang Yang), especially the Lungs and throat
Often used for mouth ulcers and throat Bi
- Cools the Blood and dissipates maculae
Maculae or other skin eruptions due to Blood Heat
Gallbladder Heat
Often used in cases with intense fever, irritability and changes in consciousness
Hematemesis
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Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.
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Ye Ju Hua
| 30g | |
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Pinyin: Ye Ju Hua
Chinese: 野菊花
Pharmaceutical: Flos Chrysanthemi Indici
English: Wild Chrysanthemum Flower |
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Tastes: Bitter, pungent, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Liver, Lung and Heart |
Actions & Indications:
- Drains Fire and resolves toxicity
Fire toxicity with sore, swollen throat
Furuncles, carbuncles and sores (Chuang Yung)
Liver-Wind Fire causing red eyes
As an external wash for itching
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Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.
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Jin Yin Hua
| 30g | | |
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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Preparation: Place the herbs in a large cup and pour in boiling water. Let them soak for a short time and then drink the liquid. Use one packet per day, drunk freely as tea.
Actions: Clears Heat and resolves Toxicity.
Notes:
While Zong and Liscum (1996) are the published source, the formulas they present are simple folk remedies and likely much older.
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.
