Herba Menthae or Bo He/Field Mint/Peppermint is used to disperse Wind Heat and is used for Wind Heat patterns with fever, headache and cough. It clears the head and eyes and benefits the throat: used for Wind Heat patterns with sore throat and headache. It encourages rashes to surface and is used in the early stages of measles to let the rash come to the surface and thereby speed up recovery. Peppermint allows constrained Liver Qi to flow freely and is used against symptoms such as pressure in the chest or flanks, emotional instability and gynecological problems. Antibiotical effects include in vitro inhibitory effects against ECHO viruses and Salmonella typhi.
Fructus Arctii Lappae or Niu Bang Zi/Great Burdock Fruit disperses wind heat and benefits the throat, used for externally contracted wind heat patterns with such symptoms as fever, cough and sore/red swollen throat. As Burdock Fruit detoxifies fire poison, it’s used for red swellings, carbuncles, erythemas, mumps and acute febrile maculopapular rash. It is used for incomplete expression of measles since it hastens recovery by drawing the rash to the surface. It is also used for wind heat constipation as it moistens intestines. Preparations of Burdock Fruit have a significant in vitro inhibitory effect against Streptococcus pneumoniae and many pathogenic fungi. Ingredients taken from the fruit have a prolonged hypoglycemic effect on rats.
Periostracum Cicadae or Chan Tui/Cicada Moulting disperses wind and clears heat. It is used for externally contracted wind heat patterns. It is especially useful for loss of voice and swollen, sore throat in wind heat patterns. It encourages rashes to surface and is consequently effective against incomplete expression of measles. Cicada Moulting clears the eyes and removes superficial visual obstruction. It’s used for eye problems related to wind heat such as red, painful or swollen eyes or blurry vision. It stops spasms and is used for childhood febrile diseases where wind produces convulsions, delirium or night terrors. Preparations of Cicada Moulting in conjunction with other traditional medicines have been observed to decrease the spasms induced by tetanus toxoid in rabbits. The animals treated had fewer spasms and lived longer than those untreated, though none survived. In cats, this substance delays transmission across the synapses of the sympathetic cervical ganglion. In humans, ground preparations of Cicada Moulting were used for tetanus. Acupuncture, sedatives, antimicrobials and, when necessary, tracheostomies were also used. In all cases, within 48 hours there was a general diaphoresis with flushing of the cheeks and a generalized maculopapular rash, with elevations of temperature. When gross spasms ended, the substance was discontinued. Out of 29 cases, only 1 died.
Folium Mori Albae or Sang Ye/White Mulberry Leaf expels wind and clears heat from the lungs and is used for externally contracted wind heat with fever, headache and coughing, as well as lung dryness patterns with cough or lung hear with thick, yellow sputum. This herb also clears the liver and eyes and is used for liver channel eye problems due to either wind heat or deficient Yin. Common symptoms of these include red, sore, dry or painful eyes or spots in front of the eyes. Preparations of White Mulberry Leaf have been observed to have a hypoglycemic effect on mice. Intramuscular injections of preparations of White Mulberry were used to treat 352 cases of elephantiasis of the lower extremities. The cure rate was 10.2%, with 44.2% showing significant improvement and 42.3% showing slight improvement. Long-term use of 250 times the normal human dose in mice produced liver and kidney damage.
Flos Chrysanthemi Morifolii or Ju Hua/Chrysanthemum disperses wind and clears heat and is used for wind heat patterns with fever and headache. It clears the liver and brightens the eyes, used against wind heat in the liver channel manifested by red, painful, dry eyes or excessive tearing, or deficient Yin of the kidneys and liver with symptoms such as spots in front of the eyes, blurry vision or dizziness. Chrysanthemum pacifies the liver and extinguishes wind, used for symptoms such as dizziness, headache and deafness from arrogant liver Yang ascension. Preparations of Chrysanthemum have an in vitro inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus, beta-hemolytic Streptococcus and Shigella sonnei. In conjunction with Flos Lonicerae (Honeysuckle Flower), Chrysanthemum can alleviate symptoms of hypertension and/or atherosclerosis such as headache, dizziness and insomnia. Blood pressure also normalizes.
Flos Chrysanthemi Indici or Ye Ju Hua/Wild Chrysanthemum Flower quells fire and detoxifies fire poison and is used for furuncles, carbuncles and sores. Preparations of this flower have an in vitro inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella spp and some ECHO viruses. When administered orally or intraperitoneally, wild chrysanthemum acutely lowers blood pressure. Preparations of Wild Chrysanthemum have been observed to resolve some cases of chronic cervicitis when applied topically. Though occasional nausea and vomiting have ensued from preparations of this herb, no adverse reactions or toxic properties have been found.
Fructus Victis or Man Jing Zi disperses wind and clears heat, used for externally contracted wind heat especially when central symptoms are headache/eye pain. It clears and benefits the head and eyes, used for liver channel wind heat manifesting with excessive tearing, red or swollen eyes, or spots in front of the eyes. It also drains dampness and is used as an auxiliary herb for wind dampness in the limbs causing stiffness, numbness, cramping or heaviness.
Semen Sojae Praeparatum or Dan Dou Chi releases the exterior and is used for both hot and cold exterior patterns. Because of its mild character, it is appropriate for deficient Yin patients with superimposed exterior conditions. It alleviates irritability, restlessness and insomnia following exterior heat illnesses. This herb has a very weak diaphoretic function.
Herba Lemnae seu Spirodelae or Fu Ping/Duckweed releases the exterior and is used for exterior heat patterns with head and body aches, making it one of the few cool acrid herbs that is a strong diaphoretic. It penetrates through muscles and encourages rashes to surface, used to hasten the full expression of measles or other exanthemas in order to accelerate the resolution of the disease and is also used for wind rash. Duckweed also removes water and reduces swelling, used for hot superficial edema, primarily when it affects the upper body and is accompanied by difficult urination. Preparations of Duckweed have a weak antipyretic effect for fever induced by inoculation of typhoid bacilli and vaccine into rabbits. Additionally, Duckweed can reverse the negative inotropic effect of quinine on frog hearts. Extremely large doses caused the hearts to stop in systole.
Herba Equiseti Hiemalis or Scouring Rush disperses Wind Heat and removes superficial visual obstruction, used for wind heat affecting the eyes causing redness, pain, swelling, cloudiness, blurred vision, pterygium or excessive tearing. Preparations of Scouring Rush have been used to treat silicosis. A significant improvement in symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and chest pain were observed but there were no physical signs of improvement on X-ray, ECG or pulmonary function testing.
Scapus Eriocaulonis Buergeriani or Gu Jing Cao/Pipewort Scapus disperses wind heat, brightens the eyes and removes superficial visual obstruction. It’s used when wind heat enters the liver channel causing red, swollen eyes, spots in front of the eyes, or pterygium. Preparations of Pipewort Scapus have an in vitro inhibitory effect on bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and many pathogenic fungi.
Radix Puerarie or Ge Gen/Common Kudzu Root releases the muscles and clears heat, used in exterior conditions lodged into the muscles manifesting with fever, headache and stiff or tight upper back or neck. It nourishes the fluids and is used for thirst caused by stomach heat, especially in cases of externally contracted heat. It encourages measles’ rashes to surface and is used to hasten recovery when the rash is not completely expressed. Puerarie alleviates diarrhea and is used for dysentery-like disorders from heat, but can be used for deficient spleen diarrhea when combined with appropriate herbs. Preparations of this herb grown in Japan have a significant antipyretic effect on rabbits with artificially induced fevers. Daidzein has an antispasmodic effect on mouse intestine similar to that of papaverine. Injections of Puerarin into the internal carotid artery of anesthetized dogs increased cerebral blood flow and decrease the resistance of the blood vessels. This effect lasts for about 20 minutes. Intravenous injections have a milder effect and are unable to counteract the effect of epinephrine or norepinephrine. Radix Puerariae moderately increases cerebral blood flow in people with atherosclerosis. Administration of tinctures of this herb or puerarin causes an increase in coronary blood flow in dogs. Based on the lengthy clinical experience of using Radix Puerariae for neck stiffness and pain from externally contracted disorders, experiments were conducted to determine the effect preparations of this herb might have on neck stiffness and pain from hypertension. Decoctions were shown to cause the subjective symptoms to disappear in about 33% of subjects and significantly improve in 58%. While there was also improvement in related symptoms such as headaches and dizziness, there was no significant effect on the blood pressure itself. Studies using preparations of Radix Puerarie have shown it to have some effect on angina pectoris. An average of 38% of subjects experience significant improvement and 42% also had some improvement of their ECGs. Usually, improvement occurred within one month. Results were unclear as to whether there was any decrease in serum cholesterol. Preparations of this herb given daily were used for 33 cases of sudden deafness. Vitamin B complex was also administered orally. According to subjective and objective measurements, 9 cases were cured and 6 showed significant improvement.
Radix Bupleuri or Chai Hu/Hare’s Ear Root resolves lesser Yang heat patterns, used for alternating chills and fever, accompanying bitter taste in the mouth, flank pain, irritability, vomiting, and a sensation of constriction in the chest from the lesser Yang stage of externally contracted disorders. It relaxes strained liver Qi and is used for symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, chest and flank pain, emotional instability or menstrual problems. It is also used for disharmonies between the liver and spleen with symptoms such as epigastric and flank pain, a feeling of constriction in the chest, abdominal bleeding, nausea, and indigestion. Bupleuri raises the Yang Qi in patterns of spleen or stomach deficiency and is used for hemorrhoids, anal or uterine prolapse, and diarrhea due to collapse of spleen Qi. Large doses of Hare’s Ear Root have an antipyretic effect on naturally induced fever, though recent reports do not mark this effect. Oral preparations of this herb can inhibit the increase in capillary permeability caused by histamine and 5-hydroxy-tryptamine but have no protective effect for histamine-induced or anaphylactoid shock. Bupleuri preparations have a bacteriostatic effect on Mycobacterium Tuberculosis as well as a strong in vitro inhibitory effect against influenza and poliomyelitis viruses. In an uncontrolled clinical series of 143 patients, 98% experienced a decrease in temperature 24 hours after the onset of the flu and 88% were fever-free after one day. Oral ingestion of the saponins in Bupleuri has a tranquilizing effect on mice and has a strong antitussive effect that is thought to be central in nature. Also, preparations of this herb slightly decrease blood pressure in animals along with a negative inotropic effect on the heart. This effect is not lessened by atropine.
Rhizoma Cimicifugae or Sheng Ma/Bugbane/Black Cohosh Rhizome releases the exterior and encourages the rash of measles to surface, used for early stages of measles. It raises the Yang Qi and is used in cases of deficient Qi in the spleen and stomach with symptoms of prolapse, as well as to guide other herbs upward. Bugbane also detoxifies fire poison affecting the stomach and is used for sore teeth, swollen or painful gums, ulcerated lips or gums, canker sores, or painful/swollen throat. Preparations of Bugbane inhibit Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and many pathogenic fungi in vitro. Injections of these preparations into animals decreases blood pressure and have negative inotropic and chronotropic effects. Overdosage in humans causes headaches, dizziness, vomiting, tremors, gastroenteritis, and pathogenic erections.
