Warm Herbs That Release the Exterior Flashcards
Explain what WARE herbs are and their cautions.
Herbs that Release the Exterior promote sweating in order to expel external pathogens from superficial levels of the body (called diaphoresis).
Because these herbs promote sweating and disperse qi, caution should be used with patients with deficiency. These herbs should not be used longterm.
What are the symptoms of external wind-cold attack?
- Fever and chills
- Headache, nasal congestion
- Stiff neck, muscle ache
- Absence of thirst
- Floating pulse
What are the taste, temp, entering channel of WARE herbs?
acrid/ warm/ LU
List some Warm Acrid herbs that Release the Exterior?
- má huáng
- guì zhī
- zǐsūyè
- jīng jiè
- fáng fēng
- qiāng huó
- gǎo běn
- xì xīn
- shēng jiāng
- shēng jiāng pí
- cōng bái
- xiāng rú
- cāng ěr zǐ
- xīn yí huā
- bái zhǐ
Má Huáng ***
(ephedra herba)
Temp: warm
Taste: acrid, slightly bitter
Channels: LU, UB
Dosage: 2-9 grams
- promotes sweating to release the exterior
* for Tai Yang syndrome with absence of sweating - stops cough and wheezing
- promotes urination to treat edema
* for wind-water edema in the upper body - treats bi syndrome
Guì Zhī ***
Cinnamon Twig
Temp: warm
Taste: acrid, sweet
Channels: LU, UB, HT
Dosage: 3-9 grams
- RELEASES THE EXTERIOR MUSCLE LAYER
* harmonizes the Ying and Wei
* for wind-cold deficiency patterns with presence of sweating - WARMS AND UNBLOCKS YANG QI
* warms the middle-jiao → abdominal pain due to cold, watery diarrhea
- warms the chest → chest bi, chest pain, SOB, palpitations
- warms the UB → edema, urine retention, can used externally as compress warms the channels and (indirectly) invigorates blood
Shēng Jiāng ***
Ginger Root
Temp: slightly warm
Taste: acrid
Channels: LU, SP, ST
Dosage: 3-9 grams (2-4 slices)
- promotes sweating to release the exterior
mild - warms the middle jiao
* for nausea, vomiting, cold in stomach - warms the Lung
* for profuse, thin, white, bubbly phlegm - detoxifies other herbs
Qiāng Huó ***
Sweet Wormwood
Temp: warm
Taste: acrid, bitter, aromatic
Channels: UB, KI
Dosage: 3-9 grams
- promotes sweating to release the exterior
* esp. with accompanying symptoms of dampness, e.g. joint pain, body heaviness, sleepiness
* for Tai Yang (occipital) headache - dispels wind-cold-damp to treat bi syndrome
* esp. in upper body
Jīng Jiè **
Japanese Catnip
Temp: slightly warm (almost neutral)
Taste: acrid
Channels: LU, LV
Dosage: 4.5-9 grams
1. promotes sweating to release the exterior
• used for both wind-cold and wind-heat depending on combination • vents skin rashes and stops itching
LV channel
2. stops bleeding (charred)🩸
• for blood in the urine, heavy menstruation, blood in the stool, etc. • charred version is called Jing Jie Tan
Fáng Fēng **
“guard against” 防⻛
Temp: slightly warm (almost neutral)
Taste: acrid, sweet
Channels: UB, LV, SP
Dosage: 4.5-9 grams
- promotes sweating to release the exterior
• used for both wind-cold and wind-heat - dispels wind-cold-damp from the channels
• for bi syndrome - relieves spasm and contraction
• for trembling hands and feet, lock jaw, opisthotonos, tenesmus, diarrhea with abdominal pain
Bái Zhǐ **
White Angelica
Temp: Warm
Taste: acrid
Channels: LU, SP, ST
Dosage: 3-9 grams
- promotes sweating to release the exterior
• relieves yang-ming headache (frontal headache) 🤕 • opens nasal orifices👃 - reduces swelling and expels pus
• for sores, carbuncles, mastitis - eliminates dampness
• for vaginal discharge due to damp-cold or damp-heat in lower jiao
Xì Xīn **
Chinese Wild Ginger
Temp: warm
Taste: acrid, slightly toxic ☠
Channels: LU, HT, KI
Dosage: 1-3 grams 🤏
- promotes sweating to release the exterior
• esp. with headache and body ache 🤕 - warms the Lung
• for profuse, thin, white, bubbly phlegm - relieves pain
• for pain due to wind and/or cold anywhere in the body
• for headache, nasal congestion, toothache, and bi syndrome
Cōng Bái *
Green Onion
Temp: warm
Taste: acrid
Channels: LU, ST
Dosage: 3-9 grams
- promotes sweating to release the exterior
• mild; for early-stage exterior attack - warms the yang qi in the Stomach
• for abdominal pain - used externally to resolve toxicity
• used as poultice for sores and abscesses
Xiāng Rú **
Aromatic Madder
Temp: slightly warm
Taste: acrid, aromatic💦
Channels: LU, ST
Dosage: 3-9 grams
- promotes sweating to release the exterior
• for wind-cold contracted during the summer accompanied by dampness💦 • expels summer heat-dampness - promotes urination to treat edema
• for urinary difficulty, water retention, and dampness accompanying exterior attack
***Because Xiang Ru is for wind-cold during the summer, and because it has actions that are similar to Ma Huang (releases exterior, promo
Cāng Ěr Zǐ **
Cockle Burr
Temp: warm
Taste: acrid, bitter, slightly toxic☠
Channels: LU
Dosage: 3-9 grams (usually less than 6 grams)
- disperses wind to open nasal orifice👃
- dispels wind-damp to treat bi syndrome
- treats wind related skin problems
• for eczema, rash
