Extra herbs Flashcards
What is Tian Men Dong?
ASPARAGUS COCHINCHINENSIS (ROOT)
What are the actions and indications of Tian Men Dong?
- Nourish Yin and moisten the Lung to treat Lung Yin Xu. Presenting as dry cough with less phlegm or paroxysmal spasmodic cough with sticky phlegm
- Nourish Kidney Yin for Kidney Yin Xu. Tidal fever, bone steaming sensation, thirsty due to internal heat.
- Nourish fluid to treat fluid consumption in febrile disease, presenting as poor appetite, thirst and constipation.
What are the classifications of Tian Men Dong?
Nature: cold
Taste or flavour: bitter, sweet
Direction of action: descends
Site of action: Lung, Kidney
What is the dosage of Tian Men Dong?
6-12g
What are the cautions for Tian Men Dong?
Contraindicated to Spleen Qi or Yang Xu
Excess phlegm-dampness
What is Xuan Shen?
XUAN SHEN / SCROPHULARIA NINGPOENSIS (ROOT)
What are the functions of Xuan Shen?
- Subdue fire and resolve toxins to treat warm pathogen entering the nutrient blood levels, presenting as macules and papules, crimson tongue and excessive thirst
- Enrich yin for febrile disease damaging Yin and fluids, presenting as steaming bone fever, overstrained cough
- Dissipate masses and nodules to treat red swollen carbuncles, sores
What are the classifications of Xuan Shen?
Nature: slightly cold
Taste or flavour: sweet, bitter, salty
Direction of action: sinking
Site of action: Lung, stomach, kidney
What is the dosage of Xuan Shen?
9-15g
What are the cautions of Xuan Shen?
Spleen Yang Xu
Incompatible with Li Liu
What is Dan Shen?
DAN SHEN / SALVIA MILTIORRHIZA (ROOT)
What are the actions of Dan Shen?
- Invigorates blood and dispels stasis, used for blood stasis pattern affecting the lower abdomen, chest or hypochondria, particularly in gynaecology presenting as dysmenorrhoea, amenorrhoea, postpartum abdominal pain, irregular menstruation.
- Clears heat in the nutritive level, cools blood presenting as restlessness, irritability, palpitations, insomnia, ulcerations, sores, postpartum bleeding.
- Calms and anchors the Shen, used for heat entering the Blood or nutritive levels or heart blood xu presenting as palpitations and insomnia.
What is the dosage of Dan Shen?
9-15g
What are the cautions of Dan Shen?
Anti-coagulants, digoxin, pregnancy.
Incompatible with Li Lu.
What is Wu Wei?
WU WEI XI / SCHISANDRA CHINENSIS (FRUIT)
What are the actions of Wu Wei?
- Astringe and consolidate the Qi and Jing-essence for Lung and Kidney xu. Presenting as cough, spontaneous seminal emission, enuresis, frequent micturition
- Promote fluid production for fluid consumption, presenting as spontaneous sweating, night sweating, chronic diarrhoea, chronic thirst
- Tranquilise the Heart which presents as palpitation and insomnia
What is the classification of Wu Wei?
Nature: warm
Taste or flavour: sour, sweet
Direction of action: sinking
Site of action: Lung, Heart, Kidney
What is the dosage of Wu Wei?
2-6g
What are the cautions of Wu Wei?
Contraindicated for clients with external pathogen, excess heat in the interior, initial stage of cough or measles
What is Bai Zi Ren?
PLATYCLADUS ORIENTALIS (KERNAL)
What are the functions of Bai Zi Ren?
- Nourishes the Heart and calms the spirit, used for Heart Yin or Blood Xu. Presents as irritability, night sweats, insomnia, forgetfulness, palpitations, anxiety, dizziness
- Moistens the intestines and unblocks the bowels, used for constipation due to Blood or Yin Xu.
What is the classification of Bai Zi Ren?
Nature: neutral
Taste or flavour: sweet
Direction of action: sinking
Site of action: Heart, Kidney, Large Intestine
What is the dosage of Bai Zi Ren?
3-10g
What are the cautions of Bai Zi Ren?
Diarrhoea and copious phlegm
What is Zhu Sha?
MERCURIC SULFIDE (MINERAL)
What are the functions of Zhu Sha?
- Clear Heart heat for Heart Shen restlessness. Presenting as palpitation, easily frightened, insomnia, profuse dreaming, epilepsy and mania.
- Resolve heat toxins presenting as swollen sores in the mouth and tongue due to heat toxins
What is the classifications of Zhu Sha?
Nature: slightly cold, POSIONOUS
Taste or flavour: Sweet
Direction of action: Descending
Site of action: Heart
What is the dosage of Zhu Sha?
0.1-0.5g into pills or powder
What are the cautions of Zhu Sha?
Prohibited for pregnancy and those with hepatic or renal dysfunction
What is Zhi Mu?
ANEMARRHENA ASPHODELOIDES (RHIZOME)
What are the functions of Zhi Mu?
- Clears heat, drains fire in the Stomach, Lung and Kidney
- Lung Heat – Cough with thick yellow sputum, sweating & rapid pulse.
- Stomach Heat – high fever, irritability and thirst
- Enriches Yin and moistens dryness, used for Kidney Yin Xu presenting as dry cough with difficult expectoration (Lung Yin Xu). Night sweats, steaming bone disorder, irritability, afternoon or low-grade fevers.
What are the classifications of Zhi Mu?
Nature: cold
Taste or flavour: bitter, sweet
Direction of action: descending
Site of action: lung, stomach, kidney
What is the dosage of Zhi Mu?
6-12g
What are the cautions of Zhi Mu?
Loose stool due to Spleen Qi or Yang Xu
What are the cautions of Zhi Mu?
Loose stool due to Spleen Qi or Yang Xu
What is Shan Zhun Yu?
CORNUS OFFICINALIS (FRUIT)
What are the actions / indications of Shan Zhun Yu?
- Tonify Liver and Kidney Yin
- Tonify Kidney Yang for Kidney Yin and Yang Xu
- Presenting as waist and knee weakness, tinnitus, impotence, pre-mature ejaculation, enuresis, profuse menstruation, uterine bleeding.
What is the classification of Shan Zhun Yu?
Nature: slightly warm
Taste or flavour: sour, astringent
Direction of action: Sinking
Site of action: Liver, Kidney
What is the dosage of Shan Zhun Yu?
6-12g
What are the contras and cautions of Shan Zhun Yu?
Contraindicated to patients with difficult or painful urination due to damp-heat
What is Ze Xie?
ALISMA ORIENTALIS (RHIZOME)
What are the actions / indications of Ze Xie?
- Promotes urination and drains dampness, used for stagnation associated with Damp, particularly the lower jiao.
- Presenting as urinary difficulty, oedema, painful urinary dribbling, diarrhoea, dizziness, heaviness
- Clears heat from the Kidneys, used to settle ministerial fire and drain damp-heat in the lower burner affecting the Kidneys/Ministerial Fire. Presenting as painful, scanty urination, spermatorrhoea, urinary tract infections.
What are the classifications of Ze Xie?
Nature: cold
Taste or flavour: sweet, bland
Direction of action: sinking
Site of action: bladder, kidney
What is the dosage of Ze Xie?
6-10g
What are the cautions and contras of Ze Xie?
Kidney and Spleen Yang Xu.
Cold phlegm symptoms.
What is Lu Jiao Jiao?
CERVUS ELAPHUS (ANIMAL GLUE)
What are the actions / indications of Lu Jiao Jiao?
- Warm and tonify Liver and Kidney
- Boost essence and nourish blood for Kidney Yang and essence-blood depletion or deficiency cold pattern
- Presenting as soreness and cold at the waist and knee, impotence, uterine bleeding, blood stool or urine.
What are the classifications of Lu Jiao Jiao?
Nature: warm
Taste or flavour: sweet, salty
Direction of action: descending
Site of action: Kidney, Liver
What is the dosage of Lu Jiao Jiao?
3-6g
What are the cautions of Lu Jiao Jiao?
Contraindicated to Yin Xu with hyperactive Yang or bleeding, cough, sores due to heat accumulated in the interior.
What is Gui Ban Jiao?
CHINEMYS REEVESII (GREY SHELL)
What are the functions of Gui Ban Jiao?
- Nourishes the yin and holds down the Yang
- Strengthens the Kidneys and strengthens the bones
- Cools the Blood
- Stops uterine bleeding
- Nourishes the Heart
- Promotes healing
What are the classifications of Gui Ban Jiao?
Nature: cool
Taste or flavour: salty, sweet
Direction of action: Heart, Kidney, Liver
Site of action:
What are the contras / cautions of Gui Ban Jiao?
Contraindicated during pregnancy and in cold-damp sleep conditions.
What is Fu Zi?
ACONITUM CARMICHAELII (ROOT)
What are the functions of Fu Zi?
- Restore Yang, tonify Yang and dissipate cold and relives pain
- Indicated for Yang collapse and Xu
- Presenting as four limbs coldness with faint pulse, diarrhoea, cold pain in the stomach, oedema and painful bi-syndrome.
What is the classification of Fu Zi?
Nature: hot, poisonous
Taste or flavour: acrid, sweet
Direction of action: descending
Site of action: Heart, Kidney, Spleen
What is the dosage of Fu Zi?
3-15g
What are the cautions of Fu Zi?
S2, S4 medicinal
Contraindicated in pregancy
Yin Xu with hyperactive Yang
What is Zhi Zi?
GARDENIA JASMINOIDES ELLIS (FRUIT)
What are the actions / indications of Zhi Zi?
- Clears heat, drains fire. Used for warm disease/heat patterns affecting the three jiaos. Presenting as agitation, fever, irritability, restlessness, insomnia, delirium, palpitations.
- Drains damp-heat. Affecting lower jiao and Liver/GB. Presenting as difficult and painful urination, blood in urine, jaundice, red painful swollen eyes (Liver/GB)
- Cools Blood to stop bleeding. Used for Heat in the Blood. Presenting as nosebleed, blood in vomit, stool or urine (when partially charred).
What is the classification of Zhi Zi?
Nature: cold
Taste or flavour: Bitter
Direction of action: Sinking
Site of action: Heart, Lung, Liver, Stomach, Triple Jiao
What is the dosage of Zhi Zi?
3-10g
What are the cautions of Zhi Zi?
Toxicology. Due to coldness this herb promotes nausea and vomiting. These symptoms may be avoided if the herb is prepared.
Cautions Spleen Xu with diarrhoea.
What is Huang Bai?
PHELLODENDRON CHINENSE (CORTEX)
What are the functions and indications of Huang Bai?
- Clears heat, drains damp, particularly damp-heat in lower jiao or pouring downward. Presenting as lower burner thick yellow vaginal discharge, foul smelling diarrhoea, dysentery, painful and scanty urination, painful inflammation of the genitals. Painful obstruction – red swollen & painful knees, legs or feet. Damp-heat jaundice/generalised yellowing
- Drains Fire, used for Kidney Fire with Yin Xu. Presenting as night sweats, afternoon fever and sweats, steaming bone disorder, spermatorrhoea (clears heat, does not tonify yin.
- Resolves toxicity, used for fire-toxin generated sores and damp lesions of the skin. Presenting as ulcerations, pruritis, infectious skin diseases.
What are the classifications of Huang Bai?
Nature: cold
Taste or flavour: bitter
Direction of action: sinking
Site of action: Kidney, Bladder
What is the dosage of Huang Bai?
3-10g
What are the cautions of Huang Bai?
Deficiency-cold of Spleen and Stomach
What is Long Dan Cao?
GENTIANA MANSHURICA (RHIZOME & ROOT)
What is the classification of Long Dan Cao?
Nature: cold
Taste or flavour: bitter
Direction of action: descending
Site of action: Liver, GB, stomach
What is the dosage of Long Dan Cao?
3-9g
What are the cautions of Long Dan Cao?
Toxicology: high dose will induce sedation, gastric irritation.
Precautions: deficiency-cold of Spleen and Stomach.
What is Mu Tong?
AKEBIA QUINATA (STEM)
What are the functions / indications of Mu Tong?
- Promote urination for Bladder damp-heat, presenting as difficult and painful urination, scanty and deep brown/red urine
- Clears heat and relieve vexation for heart fire flaming upward or downward towards the small intestine, manifesting as mouth/tongue ulcer, vexation, dark urine.
What are the classifications of Mu Tong?
Nature: cold
Taste or flavour: bitter
Direction of action: sinking
Site of action: heart, SI, bladder
What is the dosage of Mu Tong?
3-6g
What are the cautions / contras for Mu Tong?
Contraindicated long-term use, pregnancy, kidney xu or conditions without damp-heat signs.
What is Che Qian Zi?
PLANTAGO ASIATICA (SEED)
What are the functions / indications of Che Qian Zi?
- Promotes urination and drains damp-heat. Used for oedema, diarrhoea or painful urinary dribbling due to damp-heat. Presenting as diarrhoea, painful urinary dribbling, oedema, painful bladder dysfunction, rough scanty urination.
- Brightens the eyes, used to clear Liver-Heat to brighten the eyes. Presenting as dry, red eyes, blurry vision, light sensitivity
- Stops cough, dislodge phlegm. Used for Lung heat induced cough with yellow phlegm.
What are the classifications of Che Qian Zi?
Nature: Cold
Taste or flavour: sweet
Direction of action: sinking
Site of action: Kidney, Liver, Lung and Bladder
What is the dosage of Che Qian Zi?
9-15g
What is Bai Zhi?
ANGELICA DAHURICA (ROOT)
What are the actions / indications of Bai Zhi?
- Release exterior wind/cold, used for nasal congestion/discharge, body aches, headache
- Dries damp and alleviates discharge, used for vaginal discharge due to cold-damp in the lower burner
- Opens orifices, alleviates pain, unblocks the nasal passages, frontal headaches
- Reduces swelling and expels pus, used for sores, ulcers, carbuncles, particularly in areas of ST & LI channels
What is the classification of Bai Zhi?
Nature: warm
Taste or flavour: acrid, aromatic
Direction of action: lifting
Site of action: Lung/nose, stomach, LI
What is the dosage of Bai Zhi?
3-6g
What are the cautions / contraindications of Bai Zhi?
Open sores, full blown measles, yin xu and blood heat
Medical caution: pharmaceuticals that are metabolised by p450
What is Qiang Huo?
NOTOPTERYGIUM INCISUM (RHIZOME & ROOT)
What are the actions / indications of Qiang Huo?
- Release the exterior, dispels cold, used for chills, fever, headache, body aches.
- Exterior wind cold presenting as common cold, esp when complicated by damp
- Expels wind-damp, relieves pain. Used for wind-cold-damp painful obstruction. Presents as joint/arthritic pain, stagnation & swelling particularly of the upper body – upper limbs, shoulders, neck & back
- Guides Qi to the greater yang channels and the governing vessel. Directs herbs to the greater yang and governing vessel. Enters the Qi level of the BL channel to release the superficial muscle layer.
What is the classification of Qiang Huo?
Nature: warm
Taste or flavour: acrid, bitter, aromatic
Direction of action: lifting
Site of action: Bladder, Kidney
What is the dosage of Qiang Huo?
3-10g
What are the cautions / contraindications of Qiang Huo?
Blood and Yin Xu
Deficiencies of the exterior
Overdose can cause vomiting
What is Yi Mu Cao?
LEONURUS JAPONICUS (PLANT)
What are the actions / indications of Yi Mu Cao?
- Invigorates blood and dispels stasis, used for blood stasis. Commonly used in gynaecological disorders such as irregular menstruation, premenstrual abdominal pain, heavy menstruation with clots, fixed abdominal masses, infertility, postpartum abdominal pain with retained lochia. Also used for traumatic pain
- Promotes urination and reduces swelling, used for oedema with scanty urination, dysuria, acute or chronic fluid accumulation
- Clears heat, resolves toxicity, used for sores, abscesses and toxic swellings, also itchy rashes from damp-heat collecting and steaming muscles and subcutaneous tissues (used topically and internally)
What is the classification of Yi Mu Cao?
Nature: Slightly cold
Taste or flavour: acrid, bitter
Direction of action: sinking
Site of action: Heart, Liver, Bladder
What is the dosage of Yi Mu Cao?
9-30g
What are the cautions of Yi Mu Cao?
Pregnancy, Blood and Yin Xu conditions
What is Yi Jiao Teng?
SHOU WU TENG / POLYGONI MULTIFLORI (STEM)
What are the actions / indications of Yi Jiao Teng?
- Nourish blood and calm the mind for Yin and Blood xu, presenting as insomnia, dizziness, numbness of the skin
- Dispel wind and unblock the channels for Wind-damp-bi syndrome, presenting as itchiness from rubella, scabies, tinea, abscess or scrofula
What is the classification of Yi Jiao Teng?
Nature: neutral
Taste or flavour: sweet
Direction of action: floating and descending
Site of action: Heart, Liver
What is the dosage of Yi Jiao Teng?
9-15g
What are the cautions of Yi Jiao Teng?
Use with caution for excessive fire patterns
What is Fu Shen?
PORIA COCOS (ROOT)
What are the functions of Fu Shen?
- Calm heart and induce tranquilisation, promote diuresis
- Used for palpitation due to heart xu, insomnia, amnesia, epilepsy, difficult urination
What is the classification of Fu Shen?
Nature: neutral
Taste or flavour: sweet, bland
Direction of action: descending
Site of action: Heart, Lung, Spleen, Kidney
What is the dosage of Fu Shen?
10-15g
What are the cautions for Fu Shen?
Use with caution for Kidney Yin Xu with or without cold
What is Fang Feng?
SAPOSHNIKOVIA DIVARICATA (ROOT)
What are the actions & indications of Fang Feng?
- Release exterior, dispels wind, particularly wind cold (function of expelling wind is stronger). Can be used for both wind-heat and wind-cold syndromes. Presents as chills, mild fever, headaches, particularly good for body aches and pains
- Dispels Wind-cold-damp, relieves pain, used in wind-damp painful obstruction, esp when wind predominates. Presents as joint pain, body aches
- Expels Wind, relieves spasms, used in internal wind, tremor, tetany, Liver/Spleen disharmony with Spleen Xu with Dampness. Presents as rubella, tetany, itching
What is the classification of Fang Feng?
Nature: warm
Taste or flavour: acrid, sweet
Direction of action: superficial
Site of action: Bladder, Liver, Spleen
What is the dosage of Fang Feng?
4.5-9g
What is Ma Huang?
EPHEDRA SINICA (AERIAL PARTS)
What are the actions and indications of Ma Huang?
- Releases exterior, expels wind-cold, used for chills & fever in the absence of sweating, and respiratory complaints. Presents as common cold due to Wind Cold.
- Moves and regulates Qi. Used for cough and panting with an excess pattern due to Lung Qi obstruction. Alleviates wheeze. Wind oedema. Bronchial asthma. Zhi Ma Huang (honey-fried) can moisten Lung to arrest cough, which has been used for asthma & cough with exterior syndrome having been resolved.
- Promotes urination
What is the classification of Ma Huang?
Nature: warm
Taste or flavour: acrid, slightly bitter
Direction of action: lifting, sinks lung qi
Site of action: Lung, Bladder
What is the dosage of Ma Huang?
2-9g
What are the cautions / contraindications of Ma Huang?
Spontaneous sweating due to exterior deficiency, yin deficient night sweats, dyspnoea from lung and kidney xu.
Pregnancy, hypertensive pharmaceutical agents (diuretic, adrenergic receptor agonist, angiotensin 2 receptor antagonists angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor AC, calcium channel blocker, aldosterone antagonist).
