Pinyin: Peng Sha  Chinese: 硼砂
Pharmaceutical: Borax
Taxonomy: Na₂[B₄O₅(OH)₄]
English: Borax

Tastes: Sweet, salty, cool
Meridians Entered: Lung and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Relieves toxicity and prevents putrefication
   Pain and swelling of the throat, open sores in the mouth, white, draining vaginal lesions (internally and topically)
2. Resolves toxicity, reduces swellings and treats the eyes
   Red, swollen and painful eyes and superficial visual obstruction. Can be used alone
3. Clears Heat and dissolves Phlegm
   Hot Phlegm obstruction with difficult-to-expectorate sputum (internal)
4. Dries Dampness and transforms stones
   Blisters between the toes (Dampness) Painful urinary dysfunction with stones

Standard Dosage: 1.5-3g as powder or pills for internal use.
Cautions: It is mostly indicated for external application. Ir should be used with cautions for internal application.

Pinyin: Bo He  Chinese: 薄荷
Pharmaceutical: Herba Menthae haplocalycis
Taxonomy: Mentha haplocalyx
English: Field Mint / Wild Mint

Tastes: Pungent, cool
Meridians Entered: Lung and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Disperses Wind-Heat, cools and clears the head and eyes and benefits the throat
   Wind-Heat with fever, cough, headache, red eyes and a sore throat
2. Vents rashes
   Early-stage rashes e.g. measles
3. Relieves Stagnation of Liver Qi
   Liver Qi Stagnation with pressure in the chest or flanks, emotional instability and gynecological problems
4. Expels turbid filth
   Exposure to unclean Qi in the Summertime leading to gastric distress with abdominal pain, vomiting. diarrhoea and a thick, yellow, greasy tongue coat
5. Releases the Exterior and Drives Out Snakes
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
   One of the chief herbs for treating Gu Syndrome, along with Bai Zhi and Zi Su Ye, classed as "open the exterior with snake killing herbs" (Fruehauf, 1998).

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.

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.

Pinyin: Huang Lian  Chinese: 黄连
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Coptidis
Taxonomy: Coptidis chinensis
English: Coptis Rhizome / Goldthread Rhizome

Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Stomach, Large Intestine and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and drains Dampness
   Damp-Heat in the Stomach or Intestines with diarrhoea or dysenteric disorder
   Stomach Heat with vomiting and/or acid regurgitation
2. Drains Fire and resolves Fire toxicity
   Heat with Blazing Fire (Toxic Heat) with high fever. irritability, disorientation, delirium, a red tongue and a rapid, full pulse
   Heat from Excess with toxicity: painful, red eyes and a sore throat
   Boils, carbuncles and abscesses (Chuang Yung)
3. Clears Heat and stops bleeding
   Blood Heat with epistaxis, hematuria, hemafecia and hemoptysis
4. Clears Heat topically
   Infected wounds, red and painful eyes, ulcerations of the tongue and mouth (topical)
5. Clears Heart Fire (sedative)
   Heart Fire
   Lack of communication between the Heart and Kidneys
6. Drains Stomach Fire
   Stomach Fire
7. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, improve memory. 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: 2-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for deficiency-cold syndrome. Because its taste is extremly bitter and dryness, overdosage and long-time taking will impair spleen and stomach, yin and fluids.

Pinyin: Huang Bai  Chinese: 黄柏
Pharmaceutical: Cortex Phellodendri
Taxonomy: Phellodendron amurense seu chinense
English: Amur Corktree Bark

Tastes: Bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Liver, Gallbladder, Large Intestine, Kidney and Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Drains Damp-Heat especially from the Lower Jiao
   Thick, yellow vaginal discharge, foul smelling diarrhoea or dysenteric disorder
   Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao
   Hot Leg Qi with red, swollen, painful knees, legs or feet
   Damp-Heat jaundice
2. Drains Kidney Fire (False Heat, Deficiency Heat)
   Kidney Yin Deficiency with Empty Fire Rising (steaming bone disorder, night sweats, afternoon fevers and sweating, occasionally with nocturnal emissions and spermatorrhea)
3. Drains Fire and relieves Fire toxicity
   Toxic sores and Damp-skin lesions (internally and topically)

Standard Dosage: 6-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for deficiency-cold syndrome. Overdosage and long-time taking will impair spleen and stomach.

Pinyin: Bing Pian  Chinese: 冰片
Pharmaceutical: Borneolum
Taxonomy: Dryobalanops aromatica
English: Borneol Camphor

Tastes: Pungent, bitter, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Liver and Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Aromatically opens the Orifices, revives the Spirit and unblocks closed disorders
   Impaired consciousness fainting and convulsions
2. Clears Heat, drains Fire, resolves toxicity, clears the eyes and removes superficial visual obstructions
   Heat leading to headache, red and swollen eyes, superficial visual obstruction and sores in the mouth
3. Clears Heat, alleviates pain, dissipates nodules and alleviates itching
   Topically for pain and swelling of the throat, skin diseases such as sores and scabies, and eye diseases such as photophobia and excessive tearing

Standard Dosage: 0.1-0.3g in powder or pills for internal use. Should not be decocted.
Cautions: It should be used with cautions for pregnant women.

Mineral 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. While natural Bing Pian is a crystalised tree resin, the Dryobalanops aromatica is critically endangered making genuine Bing Pian expensive and morally questionable. Most Bing Pian is therefore synthetically made and not suitable for consumption. It is generally substituted with Shi Chang Pu and Yuan Zhi where possible.