Ch2 Herbs that clear heat: Drain fire Flashcards
Shi Gao ***
“stone plaster”
(Ice man)
Sweet, acrid, VERY cold, 15-60g (heavy mineral)
Enters Lung, Stomach
Clears heat and drains fire (YangMing, releases exterior and muscle layer)
Clears heat from excess from lungs (w/cough)
Clears blazing stomach fire (yangming/4 bigs) - qi level, HA, toothache and gum problems
For eczema, burns, and ulcerated sores (Duan Shi Gao powder)
NOT with SP/ST xu and yin xu
Shi Gao (Ice man) preparation and cautions
Must be decocted first, heavy mineral
Not for use with cold from deficiency of SP/ST, or fever from yin deficiency
Shi Gao with Zhi Mu
Clear YangMing, Stomach heat while protecting ST yin/generating fluids. Used for EPF with 4 BIGS
What are the categories for herbs that clear heat?
5 total
1 Herbs that drain fire 2 Herbs that cool the blood 3 Herbs that clear heat and dry dampness 4 Herbs that clear heat and resolve toxicity 5 Herbs that clear heat from deficiency
Zhi Mu ***
better “know mother”
Bitter, sweet, cold, 6-12g
Enters Lung, Stomach, Kidney
Clears heat and drains fire (also for empty heat like menopausal night sweats)
Generates fluids and clears heat
Ameliorates the dryness of tonifying and warming substances
Zhi Mu cautions
Not for use with cold from SP/ST (yang) deficiency, or diarrhea
Zhi Mu Vs. Shi Gao
Both used to treat Yang Ming 4 bigs, especially with heat leading to cough or thirst.
Zhi Mu clears heat and moistens. Also cools the Kidneys and nourishes yin. Directly generates fluids.
Shi Gao clears heat and disperses. its heavy nature reaches interior but brings heat to exterior. Indirectly protects fluids by draining fire/
Zhi Zi ***
gardenia fruit, Cape Jasmine fruit
(Very) Bitter, cold, 6-9g
Enters Heart, Lung, Stomach, Liver, San Jiao
Drains heat and eliminates irritability (from heart heat, for stuffy chest and restlessness)
Clears heat and resolves dampness (for UTIs)
Cools the blood and resolves toxicity (blood in stools, urine, or vomit)
Reduces swelling and moves blood stasis due to trauma (applied topically)
Zhi Zi cautions
Not for use with cold from deficiency of SP/ST with reduced appetite and loose stools
Zhi Zi with Mu Dan Pi
Resolves Qi level constraint of liver qi leading to heat, as well as heat in the blood.
Dan Zhu Ye ***
“bland bamboo leaf”
bamboo leaves form Yangtze river area
Sweet, bland and cold, 6-9g
Enters Heart, Small Intestine, Stomach
Clears heat and eliminates irritability (and mouth sores)
Promotes urination and clears damp heat (for difficult urination and damp-heat in SI)
Dan Zhu Ye Vs. Zhi Zi
Both clear heat, eliminate irritability, and facilitate urination.
Zhi Zi stronger, enters Qi and blood levels, resolves toxicity. Clears heat and constraint from SJ, LV, GB
Dan Zhu Ye milder, enters Qi level, disseminates and vents exterior. Focus on HT,. LU, (ST)
Xia Ku Cao ***
“Summertime withered”
Bitter, acrid, cold, 9-15g Enters Gallbladder, Liver Clears liver fire and brightens eyes Clears heat and dissipates nodules (especially neck and inguinal), also good for nodules with acne or scrofula For hypertension
Xia Ku Cao with Zhe Bei Mu
Enhance each other’s ability to clear heat, resolve phlegm and toxicity. Suitable for goiter, scrofula, and swollen or inflamed lymph glands
Tian Hua Fen ***
“Sky flower powder”
Bitter, slightly sweet, cold, 10-15g
Enters Lung, Stomach
Drains heat and generates fluids (not primarily used to reduce fever, used in late stage febrile disease with some heat remaining interiorly but mostly for dryness)
Clears and drains Lung heat, transforms phlegm, moistens Lung
Resolves toxicity and expels pus (for carbuncles and sores/abscesses)
Tian Hua Fen Cautions and contraindications
not for use with cold from deficiency of SP/ST
Not to be used with herbs of the Wu Tou
An ingredient of this herb (when purified, concentrated) has abortifacient action in early pregnancy when administered by injection
Tian Hua Fen with Gua Lou Pi
Derived from same plant with different actions.
Tian Hua Fen better at directing fire downward, moistening dryness, generating fluids to alleviate thirst. While Gua Lou Pi is better at facilitating movement of Qi, easing chest, transforming and cooling phlegm-heat.
Complementary, cool heat, generate fluids, ease chest, disperse clumping. Balanced to move qi (without drying) and generate fluids (without stagnating). Ideal for late stage febrile disease, for cough with scanty or no sputum
Tian Hua Fen with Mu Li
Tian Hua Fen moistens lungs, generates fluids, resolves nodules from constraint, directs phlegm-fire downward.
Mu Li transforms phlegm, softens hardness, cools heat from deficiency.
Variety of applications from relieving irritability and mental disorientation from LU/ST yin deficiency and ascending heat, to treatment of clumps in goiter
Tian Hua Fen Vs. Lu Gen
Both herbs cool Lung and Stomach heat, nourish yin, generate fluids.
Lu Gen stronger cooling effect LU/ST Qi level, expels pus (LU abscesses), vents and dissipates EPF (esp in early stage)
Tian Hua Fen better at generating fluids, nourishing yin (mainly for ST yin deficiency), resolves toxicity, invigorates blood, reduces swelling (for toxic swellings, boils, sores)
Lu Gen ***
root of a reed
Sweet, cold, 15-30g
Enters Lung, Stomach
Clears heat and generates fluids (without cloying) - not directly used for lowering fever
Clears heat and promotes urination
Encourages rashes to surface
Stops vomiting, from ST heat, and stops cough, from LU heat (moistens lung). Also for pneumonia (clear pus from LU)
Lu Gen Vs. Bai Mao Gen
Both clear heat, generate fluids, promote urination.
Lu Gen excels at clearing Qi-level heat (drains fire) especially from LU, ST, and resolves phlegm-heat, and vents/disseminates EPF.
Bai Mao Gen better at clearing blood level heat, cooling blood to stop bleeding. Treats LU/ST, and HT, BL (broader cooling effect).
BUT often substituted for each other
Lian Zi Xin **
Lotus heart, the green center
Bitter, Cold, 1.5-3g
Enters Heart, Pericardium
Drains Fire (from Heart and PC)
Stops bleeding, binds essence (astringent action) - for spermatorrhea
Jue Ming Zi **
Cassia seeds
Bitter, sweet, salty, slightly cold, 9-15g
Enters Liver, Large Intestine, Kidney
Clears the Liver and eyes (for visual problems with LV channel)
Calms the Liver and anchors ascendant yang
Moistens the Intestines and unblocks bowels (for cleansing and constipation)
Recently used to prevent atherosclerosis, lowers Blood Pressure (hypertension) and serum cholesterol
Jue Ming Zi Cautions
Not to be used in patients with diarrhea from spleen deficiency or low blood pressure
Jue Ming Zi with Xia Ku Cao
Complement each other to cool and drain fire fro Liver to benefit the eyes. For redness, swelling, and pain of eyes, abnormal tearing, photophobia, HA, and dizziness due to liver fire blazing. Especially good with painful eyes that worsens at night from Liver yang rising
Jue Ming Zi Vs. Qing Xiang Zi
Both herbs cool the liver to improve vision.
Jue Ming Zi not only bitter and cold, but it’s salty and sweet nature enrich Liver and Kidney yin and moisten the intestines. Also disperses W-H. Can therefore be used in cases of eye disorders or HA from excess and deficiency.
Qing Xiang Zi can only be used for eye disorder or HA due to excessive pathogenic heat. Good for superficial visual obstructions and can dilate the pupils
Xi Gua *
watermelon fruit
Sweet, Cold (15-30g) Enters Bladder, Heart, Stomach Clears summerheat and generates fluids Promotes urination and expels jaundice CAUTION - over consumption can damage Spleen yang
Ya Zhi Cao *
“duck foot grass”
Sweet, bland, cold, 15-30g
Enters Lung, Stomach, Small Intestine
Clears heat and drains fire, resolves toxicity
Clears heat and unblocks painful urinary dribbling
Han Shui Shi *
“cold water stone”
Acrid, salty, cold, 10-15g
Enters Heart, Stomach, Kidney
Clears heat and drains fire (from YangMing Qi-level, Kidneys, and blood) - directs fire downward, softens hardness, promotes urination
Used for burns and sores
Qing Xiang Zi *
“blue [something] seed/son”
Sweet, slightly cold, 6-15g
Enters Liver
Clears W-H, drains Liver fire, and IMPROVES VISION (and hearing) - directs Qi downward and eliminates superficial visual obstruction
Also used for hypertension associated with Liver yang rising
Mi Meng Hua *
Sweet, slightly cool
Enters Liver
Clears Liver, brightens eyes, reduces superficial visual obstruction
Benefits the eyes by TONIFYING LIVER YIN and cooling liver heat
Gu Jing Cao *
“grain essence grass”
Sweet, neutral, 4.5-9g
Enters Liver, Stomach
Disperse W-H, brightens eyes, and eliminates superficial visual obstruction
Qing Xiang Zi Vs. Mi Meng Hua Vs. Gu Jing Cao
Gu Jing Cao good for Liver heat eye problems, HA and toothache due to wind
Mi Meng Hua doesn’t rise and disperse as much as Gu Jing Cao, but excels at simultaneously cooling and tonyifying (Liver blood and yin)
Qing Xiang Zi is appropriate for Liver fire blazing upward and HEAT-TOXIN flushing the eyes because it is bitter, cold and downward directing
Ye Ming Sha *
“Night bright mineral/sand”
Acrid, cold
Enters Liver
Clears Liver and brightens the eyes
Disperses blood stasis and reduces accumulations (cools blood, stops pain)
