Herbs_Tonify Yin Flashcards
(Bei) Sha Shen
glehniae radix
slightly cold
sweet, slightly bitter
LU, ST
9-15 g
- tonifies Lung yin, clears Lu Heat - dry cough, dry mouth, thirst
- tonifies Stomach yin and generates fluids - dry mouth, thirst, irritability
Sign and symptoms of Yin Xu
These herbs tonify the yin of the Lung, Stomach, Liver, and Kidney; they also generate fluids to
moisten dryness.
Lung Yin Deficiency:
* dry cough, loss of voice, thirst, dry throat, dry skin, coughing up thick sputum
Stomach Yin Deficiency:
* lack of appetite, irritability, thirst, dry mouth, constipation
Liver Yin Deficiency:
* diminished visual acuity, dry eyes, night blindness, dizziness, tinnitus, dry nails, low-grade
sensation of heat
* vertigo, dizziness, tinnitus, dry mouth and throat, insomnia (Liver yang rising)
Kidney Yin Deficiency:
* dizziness, tinnitus, weak low back and legs, warm palms and soles, afternoon fever, scanty and
dark urine
Tongue: red with little or no coat
Pulse: thin, rapid
Nan Sha Shen
Radix Adenophorae (“sand root from the south”)
Sweet, sl. bitter
Cool
Lu, St
Nourishes Yin, clears the Lung, dispels Phlegm - Lung Yin is injured from hot or dry pathogens - dry mouth, dry throat, voice weak and dry, sore throat. Dry cough with scanty phlegm and heat signs
Nourishes the Stomach and generates fluids - dry throat, thirst, constipation, dry red tongue caused by hot disease or chronic illness
Mai Men Dong
ophiopogonis radix
slightly cold
sweet, slightly bitter
HT, LU, ST
6-15 g
- tonifies Lung yin - dry cough, cough with thick phlegm, or coughing up blood
- tonifies Stomach yin - dry mouth and dry tongue
- clears Heart heat - irritability and fever that worsens at night
- moistens Large Intestine - constipation due to dryness
Xi Yang Shen
panacis quinqufolii radix - American Ginseng
slightly cold
sweet, slightly bitter
HT, KI, LU
3-9 g
- tonfies qi
- tonfies yin - heat from yin deficiency
* for aftermath of febrile disease: weakness, irritability, thirst
* for Lung qi and yin deficiency: cough, coughing up blood, loss of voice
Xi Yang Shen differs from Ren Shen in the following ways:
* it is weaker than Ren Shen at tonifying qi
* it is stronger than Ren Shen at tonifying yin and generating fluids
* it is colder than Ren Shen, and it will not cause heat or dryness if used long term.
Tian Men Dong
asparagi radix
very cold
sweet, bitter
KI, LU, (ST)
6-12 g
- tonifies Lung and Stomach yin - dry mouth, cough, cough with thick or blood-streaked phlegm
- tonifies Kidney yin - wasting and thirsting disorder, low-grade afternoon fever, constipation due to dryness
Yu Zhu
polygonati odorati rhizoma
slightly cold
sweet
LU, ST
6-15 grams
- tonifies Lung and Stomach yin - dry cough with scanty phlegm, for irritability, thirst
- extinguishes wind and relaxes tendons - wind generated by insufficient fluids leading to pain and spasm in sinews
It is special because it can tonify yin without being cloying. This means it can restore fluids during a wind-heat attack without retaining the pathogen, so it is commonly used in wind-heat attacks with underlying yin deficiency, as in Jia Jian Wei Rui Tang.
Bai He
lilii bulbus
slightly cold
sweet, slightly bitter
HT, LU
9-30 g
- tonifies Lung yin - dry cough and sore throat, esp. for chronic cough when Lung heat has damaged yin
- clears Heart heat to calm shen - irritability, restless, and insomnia in the aftermath of a febrile disease
To calm the spirit, use unprepared Bai He. To moisten Lung and stop cough, use honey-fried Bai He (Mi Zhi Bai He).
Nu Zhen Zi
ligustri lucidi fructus
cool
bitter, sweet
KI, LV
9-18 grams
- tonifies Liver and Kidney yin
* clears deficiency heat ‣ for fever, steaming bones, night sweats
* blackens the hair and beard ‣ for premature greying of hair
* brightens the eyes ‣ for diminished visual acuity due to LV/KI yin deficiency
Nu Zhen Zi is special because it tonifies without being cloying. It is traditionally picked at the winter solstice. Mo Han Lian and Nu Zhen Zi are often used together as paired herbs, as in Er Zhi Wan (two-solstice pill)
Sang Ji Sheng
Taxillus Chinensis (Mulberry mistletoe stem)
Bitter, sweet
Neutral
Kid Liv
9-15 g
Tonifies Liver and Kidney, strengthens sinews and bones, dispels wind-damp
Bi syndrome
Calms the foetus
Shi Hu
Herba Dendrobii (“Bushel of stone”)
Sweet
Cool
Kid, St
Nourishes the Stomach and generates fluids - thirst, dry mouth and throat, irritability and sweating - hot external pathogens have damaged the Yin and body fluids
Nourishes Yin and clears heat - unremitting low-grade heat from deficiency
Brightens the eyes and strengthens the back, tendons and bones - poor vision due to Yin Xu, with Kidney Yin Xu comes Liver Yin Xu which eventually causes blurred vision
Caution: phlegm and damp and not for use in early stages of EPFs
Han Lian Cao
Eclipta Prostrata
Sweet, sour
cold
Liver and Kidney
Nourishes Yin and tonifies the Kidney - dizziness, blurred vision, soreness and weakness of lower back
Cools Blood and stops bleeding - Heat causes bleeding by making the Blood behave recklessly and pushing the Blood out of the channels, causing disruption such as vomiting, coughing and associated bleeding
Caution: where there is cold and deficiency due to Qi and Yang
Together for strength
Mai Men Dong and Bei Sha Shen = Nourishing Yin and generating fluids (cough and Stomach Yin Xu)
Mai Men Dong and Tian Men Dong = Lung Yin Xu and cough
Mai Men Dong and Shi Hu = Stomach Yin and generating fluids
Shi Hu and Yu Zhu = Nourish Yin and generate fluids
Caution: Spleen and Kidney Yang Xu
