Yin Tonics Flashcards
Bei Sha Shen
&
Nan Sha Shen
(Glenhiae/Adenophorae Radix)
“sand root”
sweet, cool, sl bitter
Lu, St
*moisten Lu stops cough, nourish St yin generates fluids (Bei is more enriching yin, Nan more for clearing phlegm)
- nourish Lu yin, clears heat- for injured Lu yin and dry cough
- nourishes St yin and generates fluids - dry mouth, fluids
- moistens exterior - dry itchy skin
Nan Sha Shen = moistens Lu, stops cough (unproductive), moistens exterior
Bei Sha Shen = thirst, irritability, warm pathogen injuring fluids, most commonly used
9-15g
c/c: Lu WC cough or Lu cold
incomp w Li Liu
Xi Yang Shen (Panacis quinquefolli Radix)
“american ginseng root”
sweet, sl bitter, cold
Ht, Kd, Lu
*tonifies qi and yin, cools yin xu fire
- benefits qi, generates fluids, nourishes yin - for yin xu heat, post-febrile dz
- nourishes Lu yin, clears Lu fire - for Lu qi and yin xu with xu fire
**Mai Men Dong (Ophiopogonis Radix)
“ophiopogon tuber”
sweet, sl bitter sl cold
HT LU, ST (UJ & MJ)
*nourishes yin of Lu, Ht, St/MJ, clears heat and irritability
- Moistens Lu nourishes yin - for Lu yin xu and esp with Lu yin xu heat
- augments St yin and generates fluids - dry mouth St yin xu, xiao ke
- moistens intestines - for dry constipation esp w yin xu or post febrile dz
- clears Ht heat and irritability - for yin xu or heat xie at ying level
6-15g
c/c: st cold, cold xu diarrhea, shi cold phl, sp xu, turbid phl,
antag: kuan dong hua
counteract: ku shen, bai mu er
fry in wine to reduce cold properties
Yu Zhu (Polygonati odorati Rhizoma)
“jade bamboo”
sweet, sl cold
LU, ST (differentiate w Sha Shen)
*enriches Lu and St yin, restores fluids, good for cases of WH (doesn’t prevent expulsion of xie), not cloying, treats Int and Ext wind
- nourishes yin and moistens dryness - for Lu/St yin xu, dryness, steaming bone, wasting/thirsting, intense hunger/constipation
- extinguishes wind moistens sinews - for wind/spasm dryness/yin xu, externally contracted WH
6-15g
c/c: internal cold yin disorders, accum of phl/damp, cold loose stools
Shi Hu (Dendrobii Herba)
“dendrobium”
sweet, sl salty, bland, sl cold
Kd, St
*nourish St and Kd yin xu and clear xu heat, benefit vision
- nourishes yin, clears heat, generates fluids - yin xu dryness
- enrich Kd yin, reduce xu heat - yin xu s/sx
- tonifies Kd, augments jing, brightens vision - Kd and Lv xu nourishes St yin xu
-strengthens lower back, kd & lv xu usually come together
6-12g
c/c: early stage of warm febrile dz, xu without heat, xs heat
**Tian Men Dong (Asparagi Radix)
“asparagus tuber” “lush winter aerial plant”
sweet, bitter, very cold
KD, LU (UJ & LJ)
*nourish Kd and Lu yin, moisten dryness, generates fluids
- nourish Kd yin and clear Lu heat - yin xu and dryness in UJ (dry mouth)
- moistens Lu, nourishes Kd, generates fluids - wasting and thirsting, consumption, constipation
(3. moistens intestines)
6-12g
c/c: sp/st xu cold, damp, loose stools, WC cough
tests: compared w mai men dong
Bai He (Lilii Bulbus)
1 for LU Heat
“lily bulb”
sweet, sl bitter, sl cold
HT, LU
*nourish yin, moistens Lu, stops cough and drain Ht heat, calm shen
- moistens Lu, clears heat, stops cough - for dry lu or lu heat injuring yin
- Clears Ht calms shen, for “lily bulb disorder” - irritability, insomnia, palp, mental disorientation, dark urine following a febrile dz
9-30 g
c/c: cough due to WC or cold phl, MJ cold
extremely clearing and enters Lu, bitter and goes to Ht
Mo Han Lian (Ecliptae Herba)
“dried lotus grass”
sweet, sour, cool
Kd, Lv
*nourishes kd/lv yin, stops bleeding, cools blood, nourish hair (blackens)
- nourishes and tonifies Lv and Kd yin - for Lv Kd yin xu
- cools blood, stops bleeding - for yin xu heat in blood (xue level heat)
c/c:kd xu cold, st xu loose stools
Nu Zhen Zi (Ligustri Lucidi Fructus)
“female chastity seed”
bitter, sweet, cool
KD, LV (eyes)
*tonifies lv/kd yin, clears xu heat, benefits vision and hair
- nourishes and tonfies Lv and Kd yin - for lv/kd yin xu
- augments kd and lv to clear yin xu heat - for yin xu heat internally generated
- improves vision - for lv/kd xu affecting vision
c/c: diarrhea due to sp/st xu, yang xu
9-18g
Hei Zhi Ma (Sesami Semen nigrum)
“black sesame seeds” “hu ma ren”
sweet, neutral
Kd, LV, LI
*tonify KD/LV yin and blood, moistens ints, increases lactation (dry fry & mix w salty water), benefits hair
- nourishes lv and kd - for lv/kd xu. also increases lactation (tonifies qi and yin)
- nourishes blood and extinguishes wind - for xue xu dizziness/HA
- moistens and lubricates intestines for dry/xue xu constipation
9-30g
c/c: diarrhea/loose stool due to xu
Gui Ban (Testudines Plastrum)
“turtle shell”
sweet, salty, cold
HT, LV, KD
*strongly tonifies Kd and Lv yin, strengthens bones, subdues yang, stabolizes chong/ren mai
- nourishes yin and anchors yang - for yin xu with rising yang and or internal wind
- benefits Kd, strengthens bones - yin xu skeletal weakness, delayed childhood development, fontanel closure (kd essence xu)
- nourishes blood, enriches yin, stabilizes ren/chong mai - for bleeding, discharge, conception
- cools blood stops uterine bleeding - xs bleeding due to hot blood
- nourishes blood, tonifies Ht - for Ht xu s/sxs
- non healing sores/ulcerations - with other herbs for chronic non healing sores
c/c: pregnancy, yang xu cold/diarrhea,
antag: sha shen, ren shen
crush, cook 30 min longer
Bie Jia (Trionycis Carapax)
“dorsal aspect of turtle”
salty, sl cold
LV, SP
*tonifies Kd/Lv yin, subdues yang, clears xu heat, softens nodules and clumping (esp in children)
- nourishes yin and anchors yang - for yin xu s/sxs and with lv yang/wind, steaming bone
- invigorates blood promotes menstruation, dissipates nodules - masses, nodules, hot flooding (sxs of int Lv wind)
- heavily anchors and descends, unblocks blood vessels, esp for int clumping in children
- guiding herb: can bring herbs to liver channel “channel herb”
c/c: pregnancy, sp xu cold, yang xu, postpartum diarrhea, lv xu without heat, historical caution of impotence
antagon: ming fan
crush, cook 30 min longer
9-30g
1)
Which Yin tonic is a good choice if the patient is also Qi deficient?
a. Shi Hu (Dendrobii Herba)
b. Gui Ban (Testudines Plastrum)
c. Xi Yang Shen (Panacis quinquefolli Radix)
d. Tian Men Dong (Asparagi Radix)
c. Xi Yang Shen (Panacis quinquefolli Radix)
2)
Which herb used for clearing Heart fire and calming the spirit, has a special disorder of yin xu heat named after it?
a. Bai He (Lilii Bulbus) “Lily Bulb Disorder”
b. Tian Men Dong (Asparagi Radix) “Asparagus Stalk Disorder”
c. Han Lian Cao (Ecliptae Herba) “Eclipse of the Heart Disorder”
d. Xi Yang Shen (Panacis quinquifolli Radix) “Panic Disorder”
a. Bai He (Lilii Bulbus) “Lily Bulb Disorder”
3)
Which herb can nourish the LV and KD yin to brighten the eyes?
Shi Hu (Dendrobii Herba)
Mai Men Dong (Ophiopogonis Radix)
Bai He (Lilii Bulbus)
Bie Jia (Triconycis Carapax)
Shi Hu (Dendrobii Herba)
