Properties: Pungent, slightly bitter, slightly sweet, warm
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Lung
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Moistens the Lungs, descends Qi, stops coughing and transforms Phlegm
Coughing and wheezing of various etiologies (usually due to Cold)
Suggested Daily Dosage: 3-10g in decoction. Stir baked with honey before use.
Cautions: This herb has been removed from internal use in the UK due to fears over pyrrolizidine alkaloids. It could be replaced with Jie Geng and Zi Wan or other herbs that stop coughing depending on the presentation.
Appears in 6 formulae listed on this site: (click to display)
Research Links & References: (click to display)
Research Links:
Reference Notes:
Individual herb information has sourced mainly from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes. Zhou, Xie and Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Vol. 5, and A+ Medical Encyclopaedia have been used for entries not available from those sources with additional material searched for and filled in where available. Western herbs not appearing in the Chinese literature have used Ross (2010): Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Materia Medica, White Rabbit Institute of Healing and therapeutika.ch. Choices of which source to use or combine have been my own.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted. Actions and indications are taken from traditional uses and do not necessarily reflect the evidence base which should be researched independently. Dosages are for guidance only and will vary dependening on the potency of the batch and the tolerance of the individual so should be evaluated by a professional based on individual needs.
