Herbs that Drain Fire

Question 1

Shi Gao

Answer 1

sweet, acrid, very cold
LU, ST
15-60
1. Clears heat and drains fire (Excess in the qi level of Yang Ming stage fever)
2. Clears heat from excess from the LU (cough and wheezing with fever and thick viscous fever)
3. Clears blazing ST fire (h/a, t/a, bleeding gums dt ST fire
4. For eczema, burns and ulcerated sores (usually applied topically in powdered form after being calcined and mixed with other herbs. May be taken internally)

Question 2

Zhi Mu

Answer 2

bitter, sweet, cold
LU, ST, KD
6-12
1. Clears heat and drains fire (heat from excess in LU and ST. Also cough dt heat in the LU witt expectoration of thick, yellow sputum)
2. Enriches the yin and moistens dryness (exhaustion or deficiency of LU and KD yin with heat signs. Also for KD heat signs)
3. Generates fluids and clears heat (oral ulcers and inflamation dt yin deficiency and wasting and thirsting d/o)
4. Ameliorates the dryness of tonifying or warming substances

Question 3

Zhi Zi

Answer 3

bitter, cold
HT, LU, ST, LV, TW
6-9
1. Drains heat and eliminates irritability (heat patterns)
2. Clears heat and resolves dampness (lin dt damp heat in Lower burner, damp heat and constrained LV and GB in MB; damp heat in GB and tW channels of face)
3. Cools blood and resolves toxicity (heat in the blood. Partially char this herb)
4. Reduces swelling and moves blood stasist dt trauma (apply topically as powder mixed with egg white or vinegar)

Question 4

Dan Zhu Ye

Answer 4

sweet, bland, cold
HT, SI, ST
6-9
1. Clears heat and eliminates irritability (heat patterns with irritability and thirst. Also used for mouth sores and swollen painful gums dt heat in the HT or ST channels)
2. Promotes urination and clears damp heat (rough, scanty, painful urination. Especially useful for heat in the SI channel)

Question 5

Ya Zhi Cao

Answer 5

sweet, bland cold
LU, ST, SI
15-30
1. Clears heat and drains fire (fever of relatively superficial warm pathogen diseases. While the herb does have some toxicity resolving action, it is very weak)
2. Clears heat and unblocks lin (hot lin with urinary dysfunction and edema)

Question 6

Xi Gua

Answer 6

sweet, cold
BL, HT, ST
15-30
1. Clears summer heat and generates fluids (summer heat patterns)
2. Promotes urination and expels jaundice (recently as an adjunct in the tx of icteric hepatitis)

Question 7

Xia Ku Cao

Answer 7

bitter, acrid, cold
GB, LV
9-15
1. Clears LV fire and brightens the eyes (upward blazing of LV fire. Eye pain that increases in the evening dt LV deficiency- especially when eyes are neither red nor swollen)
2. Clears heat adn dissipates nodules (for any neck lump or nodule dt phlegm fire. Also used for similar nodules in the inguinal canal and other parts of the body)
3. This herb has recently been used for hypertension, especially when accompanied by LV fire or patterns of ascending yang

Question 8

Lian Zi Xin

Answer 8

bitter, cold
HT, PC
1.5-3
1. Drains HT fire (warm heat pathogen diseases where heat collapses into the PC channel causing mental confusion or delirium. Also excess HT fire)
2. Stops bleeding and binds the essence (used as a powder for vomiting of blood or spermathorrhea)

Question 9

Lu Gen

Answer 9

sweet, cold
LU, ST
15-30
1. Clears heat and generates fluids (heat patterns. Especially useful when the heat is accompanied by upward surging of rebellious qi)
2. Clears heat and promotes urination (dark scanty urine or blood in the urine- especially when accompanied by irritability and thirst)
3. Encourages rashes to surface (febrile diseases with rashes that are incompletely expressed)

Question 10

Tian Hua Fen

Answer 10

bitter, sl sweet, cold
LU, ST
10-15
1. Drains heat and generates fluids (used when heat injures the fluids, giving rise to thirst and irritability, thirst from yin deficiency, and wasting thirsting d/o, Also used for cough with thick sputum or blood streaked sputum.)
2. Clears and drains LU heat, transforms phlegm, and moistens LU dryness (phlegm heat above the diphragm especially when the heat has led to dryness)
3. Resolves toxicity and expels pus (hot toxic carbuncles and sores. Especially appropriate for breast abscess. It can be used both internally and topically.

Question 11

Jue Ming Zi

Answer 11

bitter, sweet, salty, sl cold
LV, LI, KD
9-15
1. Clears the LV and the eyes (heat or wind heat in LV channel. Also all other eye issues)
2. Calms the LV and anchors errant yang (h/a and dizziness from ascendant LV yang. Recently this function has been expanded to include hypertension.)
3. Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels (dry or infrequent stools or chronic constipation- especially when there is an aspect of LV yin deficiency)
4. Recently used to prevent atherosclerosis as it lowers both blood pressure and serum cholesterol)

Question 12

Qing Xiang Zi

Answer 12

sweet, sl cold
LV
6-15
1. Clears wind heat, drains LV fire, improves the vision (patterns of either wind heat or LV fire)
2. Recently used for hypertension associated with ascendant LV yang. Also treating wind-heat h/a)

Question 13

Mi Meng Hua

Answer 13

sweet, sl cool
LV
3-9
1. Clears the LV, brightens the eyes, and reduces superficial visiual obstruction (either excess or deficiency)

Question 14

Gu Jing Cao

Answer 14

sweet, neutral
LV, ST
4.5-9
1. Disperses wind heat, brightens the eyes and eliminates superficial visual obstruction (wind heat entering the LV channel causing red, swollen eyes. Also wind heat head aches

Question 15

Ye Ming Sha

Answer 15

acrid, cold
LV
1. Clears the LV and brightens the eyes. (especially useful for red eyes or bleeding into the whites of the eyes associated with LV heat)
2. Disperses blood stasis and reduces accumulations (traumatic injury as well as accumulations from childhood nutritional impairment)