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: Chu Shi Zi  Chinese: 楮实子
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Broussonetiae
English: Paper Mulberry Fruit

Tastes: Sweet, cold
Meridians Entered: Liver and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies the Liver and Kidney Yin
   Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiencies with a weak lower back and legs, Deficiency consumption, steaming bone disorder, nightsweats, spermatorrhea and lightheadedness
2. Clears the Liver and clears the eyes
   Superficial visual obstruction from Heat in the Liver channel (can be used alone)
3. Tonifies the Kidney Yin and Augments Kidney Qi
   Edema and urinary difficulty due to stoppage of water associated with Kidney Qi dysfunction

Standard Dosage: 6-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for deficiency-cold in spleen and stomach.

Pinyin: Gou Qi Zi  Chinese: 枸杞子
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Lycii
Taxonomy: Lycium barbarum seu chinense
English: Goji Berries / Wolfberries / Boxthorn Berries

Tastes: Sweet, neutral
Meridians Entered: Liver and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Nourishes and tonifies Liver and Kidney Blood and Yin
   Blood and Yin Deficiency with sore back and legs, low-grade abdominal pain, impotence, nocturnal emissions, wasting and thirsting disorder and consumption
   Liver and Kidney Deficiency
   Added to baths during spring to promote skin health and delay aging
2. Benefits Jing and brightens the eyes
   Liver and Kidney Deficiency where Jing and Blood cannot nourish eyes with dizziness, blurred vision and diminished visual acuity
3. Nourishes Yin and moistens the Lungs
   Consumptive cough and wasting and thirsting disorder

Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.
Cautions: In vitro testing suggests that unidentified wolfberry phytochemicals in goji tea may inhibit metabolism of other medications, such as those processed by the cytochrome P450 liver enzymes. Such drugs include warfarin, or drugs for diabetes or hypertension. However, no in vivo statistics support this.

Pinyin: Che Qian Zi  Chinese: 車前子
Pharmaceutical: Semen Plantaginis
Taxonomy: Plantago asiatica
English: Plantago Seeds / Plantain Seeds / Psyllium Seeds

Tastes: Sweet, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Kidney, Bladder, Liver and Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes urination and clears Damp-Heat
   Damp-Heat, generally Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao with oedema, painful urinary dysfunction
2. Promotes urination to solidify the stool
   Diarrhoea due to Damp-Heat
   Summerheat with Dampness
3. 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
4. Clears the Lungs, expels Phlegm and stops coughing
   Lung Heat induced cough with yellow copious Phlegm
5. 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).

Standard Dosage: 9-15g in decoction.

Pinyin: Han Shui Shi / Ning Shui Shi  Chinese: 寒水石 / 凝水石
Pharmaceutical: Glauberitum / Calcitum
English: Red Gypsum / Calcite

Tastes: Pungent, salty, cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Stomach and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and drains Fire from the Yangming Stage / Qi Level
   Yangming Division or Qi Level Heat with high fever, irritability and thirst
2. Expels Summerheat
   Especially useful for Summerheat
3. Used for burns and sores
   Topically for burns, sores and inflamed eyes due to Wind-Heat
4. Promotes urination and reduces oedema
   Edema and anuria
5. Directs Fire downward and softens hardness
   Swelling and pain of the throat and gums, and clumping in the abdomen
6. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the middle class of minerals which can, with protracted taking, end hunger. 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: 9-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in case of insufficiency-cold in spleen and stomach.

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.

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: Chong Wei Zi  Chinese: 茺蔚子
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Leonuri
English: Asian Motherwort Seed

Tastes: Sweet, pungent, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Invigorates the Blood and regulates the menses
   Irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea or postpartum abdominal pain due to Blood Stasis
2. Clears Heat and clears the eyes
   Headache or red swollen, painful eyes, nebulae or conjunctivitis due to Liver Heat
   Pterygium

Standard Dosage: 6-9g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated to liver-blood deficiency, corectasis and pregnant women.

Pinyin: San Qi / Tian Qi  Chinese: 三七 / 田七
Pharmaceutical: Radix Notoginseng
Taxonomy: Panax notoginseng
English: Pseudoginseng Root

Tastes: Sweet, slightly bitter, warm
Meridians Entered: Stomach and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Stops bleeding and transforms Blood Stasis
   Internal and external bleeding including hematemesis, epistaxis, hematochezia, metrorrhagia, bloody dysentery, menorrhagia, and hematuria, dizziness, pain
2. Reduces swelling, alleviates pain and removes extravasated Blood
   Traumatic injury with swelling and pain, including falls, fractures, contusions and sprains, stab wounds, pain, dizziness and post-natal Blood retention
3. Invigorates the Blood
   Chest and abdominal pain and joint pain due to Blood Stasis
   Sores, carbuncles and snake and animal bites, conjunctivitis
   Cancer
4. Relieves the symptoms of Gu Sydnrome while suppressing parasites (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction. 1-1.5g as powder or pills.
Cautions: Use with cautions for pregnant women.

Pinyin: Zi He Che  Chinese: 紫河车
Pharmaceutical: Placenta Hominis
Taxonomy: Homo sapiens
English: Placenta

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

Actions & Indications:

1. Strongly tonifies the Liver and Kidneys and strengthens Jing
   Extreme Deficiency Taxation with insufficiency of Kidney Qi, Blood, Yin and Jing Deficiency with night sweats, emaciation, debilty, infertility, impotence, spermatorrhea, decreased libido, low back pain, light-headedness and tinnitus
2. Tonifies Qi and nourishes the Blood
   Exhaustion of Qi and Blood with emaciation, pallor and insufficient lactation especially in the aftermath of a major illness
   Unremitting seizure disorder
3. Assists the Kidneys to grasp the Lung Qi
   Wheezing due to Lung and Kidney Deficiency
   Especially useful between acute attacks
   Consumption with night sweats, emaciation, debility and chronic cases of cough and wheezing

Standard Dosage: 1.5-3g as pills or powder. Traditionally prepared by rinsing it clean and then simmering it in liquor, drying it, and grinding it into a powder.
Cautions: Human 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 other Jing tonics.

Contraindicated post-partum or during lactation as the oestrogen and progesterone it contains can inhibit lactation and increase the risk of post-partum depression (Hollister, 2023).

Traditionally cautioned as a potent, toxic medicine due to its exposure to Foetal Toxin (胎毒) in the mother's womb and used only for a few extreme circumstances, never post-partum and never consumed by the mother herself but prepared by specialist physicians and sold to strangers (Wilms, 2016).

Pinyin: Mu Gua  Chinese: 木瓜
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Chaenomelis
Taxonomy: Chaenomeles sinensis syn. Pseudocydonia sinensis
English: Chinese Quince Fruit

Tastes: Sour, warm
Meridians Entered: Liver and Spleen

Actions & Indications:

1. Relaxes the sinews (increases Qi and Blood circulation) and unblocks the channels
   Damp painful obstruction in the extremities, especially with severe cramping pain and weakness in the low back and legs
2. Harmonizes the Stomach, nourishes the Liver and transforms Dampness
   Abdominal pain, spasms, calf cramps and oedema due to “leg Qi”. It is especially good for disharmony between the Liver and Spleen leading to leg problems
3. Reduces Food Stagnation
   Food Stagnation

Standard Dosage: 6-10g in decoction.