Niu Bang Zi

Burdock Seed

3-9 grams

acrid-cold>Lu, St

acrid=disperse, activate Qi & Bld

-Relieves the Exterior & disperses Heat (treats External Wind-Heat with fever & sore throat

-Allows the release of toxicity from the surface & clears heat (for all Wind-Heat skin ailments such as measles & rashes

-Reduces swelling & clears pathogenic Heat (for swollen throat & swellings on the skin

-Lubricates the Intestines (for constipation due to Wind-Heat)

Caution-diarrhea

Bo He

Chinese Field Mint

2-6 grams

acrid-cool-aromatic>Lu, Liv

acrid=disperse, activate Qi & Bld

aromatic=activate, disperse, remove Damp, Stengthen St/Sp, muscle pain

-Relieves the Exterrior & disperses Wind-Heat (treats External Wind-Heat conditions such as the common cold with fever, HA & sore eyes)

-Clears Wind-Heat from the head, eyes & throat (treats all conditions of Wind-Heat with symptoms of HA, red eyes & sore throat)

-Allows the release of toxins from the skin (for the onset of measles & rashes)

-Moves Stagnant Liver Qi (for stifling feeling in the chest, mood swings & irregular menses due to LQS

Caution-Yin Deficient Heat & spontaneous sweat/Should not be used by nursing mothers as it may slow lactation

Chan Tui

Circada

3-9 grams

sweet-salty-cold>Lu, Liv

sweet=tonify, nourish, harmonize

salty=soften, dissolve, moisten, descend

-Clears Wind-Heat & benefits the throat (for Externally contracted Wind-Heat with symptoms of sore throat & loss of voice)

-Allows the release of toxins from the skin & relieves itching (for initial stages of skin eruptions, especially with itching associated with the condition)

-Arrests Wind & relieves spasms & convulsions associated with Heat (for convulsions & spasms due to Warm febrile diseases, especially useful for children)

Caution-PG

Ju Hua

Chrysanthemum Flower

5-15 grams

bitter-sweet-acrid-cold>Lu, Liv

bitter=drain, cool, dry, descend

sweet=tonify, nourish, harmonize

acrid=disperse, activate Qi & Bld

-Relieves the Exterior & clears Heat (treats External Wind & clears Heat for Common cold with fever, HA-temporal)

-Relieves Wind-Heat from the Liver channel & clears the eyes (for Wind-Heat affecting the Liver channel with symptoms of red, painful swollen eyes)

-Cools Heat of the Liver & Kidney due to Yin Deficiency (for blurry vision & dizziness due to Yin Deficiency of the Liver & Kidney)

-Relieves patterns of Liver Yang rising (treats internally contracted Wind & Liver Yang rising with symptoms of HA, dizziness & HTN)

Caution-Qi Deficiency with diarrhea &/or no appetite

Sang Ye

White Mulberry Leaf

5-15 grams

bitter-sweet-cold>Lu, Liv

bitter=drain, cool, dry, descend

sweet=tonify, nourish, harmonize

-Relieves the Exterior & clears Heat (treats the Exterior & clears Heat for common cold with fever, HA & sore throat)

-Clears Heat in the Lung with associated Dryness (for Hot dry cough or thick yellow Phlegm due to Lung Heat)

-Clears the Liver for either Wind-Heat or Yin Deficient Heat (for Liver Heat with Wind-Heat invasion of the Liver channel causing eye symptoms such as acute conjunctivitis, painful red eyes, dry eyes or seeing spots in the vision)

-Cools the Blood (for blood in the vomit caused by Heat in the blood)

Caution-weakness & cold in the Lungs

Man Jing Zi

Vitex Fruit

5-15 grams

acrid-bitter-cool>Liv, St, UB

acrid=disperse, activate Qi & Bld

bitter=drain, cool, dry, descend

-Relieves the Exterior, scatters Wind & clears Heat (treats the Exterior & relieves Eternally contracted Wind-Heat with symptoms of HA & eye pain)

-Clears Wind-Heat associated with the Liver (for Wind-Heat invading the Liver channel with symptoms of internal eye pain, HA, excessive tearing & spots in the vision)

-Clears Wind-Damp painful obstruction (for Wind-Damp painful obstruction with Sx of cramping, numbness & a heavy feeling in the limbs)

Caution-Blood, Yin or Stomach Qi Deficiency

Ge Gen

Kudzu

5-15 grams

acrid-sweet-cool>Sp/St, UB

acrid=disperse, activate Qi & Bld

sweet=tonify, nourish, harmonize

-Relieves muscle tension especially in the neck & shoulders (treats muscle tension when there is invasion of either External Wind-Heat or Wind-Cold as with the case of the common cold or flu)

-Relieves the Exterior & scatters Wind (treats the Exterior & relieves Externally contracted Wind-Heat or Wind-Cold)

-Supports the Fluids & eases thirst (for thirst due to Stomach Heat or Externally contracted Heat as with febrile diseases)

-Assists in the expression of measles to speed recovery

-Relieves diarrhea (associated with Heat or Spleen Deficiency)

-Relieves HTN (with symptoms of HA or dizzy)

Caution-Cold in the Stomach & excessive sweat

Chai Hu

Bupleurum

3-12 grams

acrid-bitter-cool>Liv, GB, P,SJ

acrid=disperse, activate Qi & Bld

bitter=drain, cool, dry, descend

Guide Herb for Sciatica

-Relieves fever associated with Lesser Yang diseases (for successive fever & chills associated with Lesser Yang diseases with Sx of bitter taste in the mouth, irritabile, vomit or congested feeling in the chest)

-Moves the Liver Qi & relieves LQS (for LQS with SX menses difficulties, mood swings, dizziness or pain in the chest or flanks)

-Lifts the Yang Qi of the Sp/St (for prolaps of anus or uterus due to Deficiency of the Yang Qi of the Sp or St)

-For diarrhea doe to Deficient Sp Qi

Caution-Yin Deficiency/extreme HA or eye diseases such as conjunctivitis when caused by Liv Fire

Sheng Ma

Chinese Black Cohosh

3-9 grams

sweet-acrid-sl bitter-cool>Lu, Sp/St, LI

sweet=tonify, nourish, harmonize

acrid=disperse, activate Qi & Bld

bitter=drain, cool, dry, descend

-Relieves the Exterior, scatters Wind & clears Heat (treats the Exterior for externally contracted Wind-Heat with Sx of HA & sore throat)

-Allows the release of toxicity from the skin & clears Heat (for incomplete expression of measles to speed recovery)

-Raises the Yang associated with Middle Qi Deficiency (for prolapse of rectum, uterus or veins;also for SOB & tiredness associated with this type of Deficiency)

-Directs herbs upwards (when there is cause to do so)

-Cools the Blood (for toxins in the blood causing Sx of tooth and gum aches, HA, St inflammation or rashes due to Warm febrile diseases)

Caution-full blown measles/Yin Deficiency/Excess in upper regions & Deficency in lower body

Mu Zei

Equisetum

3-9 grams

sweet-bitter-neutral>Lu, Liv

sweet=tonify, nourish, harmonize

bitter=drain, cool, dry, descend

-Disperses Wind & Heat (for fever withf associated eye problems)

-Relieves the eyes (for eye difficulties associated with Heat, reduces pterygium, treats conjunctivitis & inflammation of the tear ducts)

-Stops bleeding (for bleeding associated with Heat in the Blood)

-Diuretic (for urinary problems associated with Heat)

Caution-PG/weak with Sx of excessive Dryness or frequent urination

Dan Dou Chi

Fermented Black Soybean

12-15 grams

sweet-sl bitter-cold>Lu, St

sweet=tonify, nourish, harmonize

bitter=drain, cool, dry, descend

-Relieves the Exterior & scatters Wind, Cold & Heat, especially when there is Yin Deficiency (treats the Exterior for externally contracted Wind-Heat or Wind-Coldf with SX of fever, common cold, or HA)

-Relieves stuffy sensation in the chest & irritability (and insomnia that comes in the wake of febrile diseases)

Caution-Nursing Mothers, inhibits lactation

Ye Ju Hua

Wild Chrysanthemum Flower

9-15 grams

acrid-bitter-sl cold>Lu, Liv

acrid=disperse, activate Qi & Bld

bitter=drain, cool, dry, descend

-Expels Heat & Fire toxins (for Heat a & toxicity with Sx of sore throat, boils & carbuncles)

-Clears Liver Wind or Liver Yang Rising (with Sx of red painful eyes, eczema, itchy skin or sccalp & HTN)

Caution-very safe herb/High doses could cause nausea & vomit