HERBS THAT CLEAR HEAT AND COOL BLOOD
Herbs that cool the blood are most commonly used for Hot Blood patterns as a result of febrile conditions entering the blood. Symptoms include rashes, nosebleed, vomiting or spitting up blood, cough up blood and blood presence in the stool or urine. This “reckless marauding of Hot Blood” is the result of congested, inflamed organs in febrile conditions with resultant increase in blood flow throughout the body and increased permeability of the capillaries. Nosebleed and spitting up blood are the most commonly occurring symptoms.
Herbs that cool the blood succeed in reducing fever and reducing the permeability of the capillaries while promoting coagulation.
Herbs that cool the blood are also used for disease at the nutritive (ying) level of febrile diseases. Signs and symptoms include night fevers, delirium and deep scarlet tongue. When accompanied by humor ages or rashes, it is considered disease in the blood (xue) level. Certain substances that cool the blood and also nourish Yin and fluids may be used for deficiency heat conditions with such symptoms as low grade fever (especially afternoon and evening time), night sweats, dry throat and reddish and/or purple tongue.
Radix Rehmanniae Glutinosae or Chinese Foxglove Root (Sheng di Huang or Sheng di) is sweet, bitter and cold, entering the Heart, Liver, Kidney.
Sheng Di clears heat and cools the blood and is used in all warm-febrile diseases where Heat enters the Nutritive level causing very high fever, thirst and a scarlet tongue. Also indicated in cases of hemorrhage due to Heat entering the Blood level.
Nourishes Yin and Blood while generating fluids. Treats patterns of Deficient Yin with Heat signs, as well as injury to the body’s fluids. Manifestations include dry mouth, continuous low grade fever and constipation. Also for Deficient Yin throat pain.
Cools the upward blazing of Heart Fire, useful for mouth and tongue sores and for irritability, insomnia, afternoon or low grade fevers and malar flush.
Benefits Wasting & Thirsting syndrome.
Radix Scrophulariae Ningpoensis, Xuan Shen or Ningpo Figwort Root is salty, slightly bitter and cold. Enters Lung, Stomach, Kidney.
Clears Heat and cools Blood, useful for when Heat enters the Blood level of Warm febrile diseases, causing bleeding.
Nourishes Yin, useful for sequelae of Warm-Febrile diseases with symptoms such as constipation and irritability.
Quells Fire and detoxifies Fire Poison, useful for swollen or red eyes and extreme cases of sore throat.
Softens hardness and dissipates nodules, useful for neck lumps due to Phlegm Fire.
Cortex Moutan Radicis or Mu Dan Pi or Cortex of the Tree Peony Root is acrid, bitter and cool, entering the Heart, Liver, Kidney Channels.
Clears Heat and cools Blood when Heat has entered the Blood level during Warm-febrile disease with symptoms such as nosebleed, blood in the sputum or vomit or subcutaneous bleeding.
Clears Deficient Fire, for Deficient Yin patterns such as Steaming Bone syndrome with no sweating.
Invigorates Blood and dispels Congealed blood, for Liver Congealed Blood patterns with amenorrhea, firm masses, lumps and tumors or bruises due to traumatic injuries.
Clears ascending Liver Fire, for symptoms such as headache, eye pain, flank pain, flushing and dysmenorrhea.
Drains pus and reduces swelling, for firm, non-draining sores or internally for Intestinal Abscess.