Shi Gao
Sweet, acrid, very cold. Clears lung heat, clears blazing stomach heat (for toothache), absorbs exudation for eczema, burns and ulcerated sores (calcined, topically). Contra: if pulse is minute, yang deficiency, or yin deficiency heat. Cook: crush and cook for 30 min longer
Zhi Mu
bitter sweet, cold. Enriches yin, moistens dryness for lu/kid yin def with heat. Contra for diarrhea due to sp def
3 herbs in the drain fire category that generate fluids and moisten dryness
Zhi Mu, Tian hua fen, lu gen
Tian Hua Fen
bitter, sl sweet, cold. Clears and drains lung heat, tf phlegm and moistens lung dryness. Resolves toxicity and expels pus. ameliorates dryness of otnifying or warming substances. Used for xiao ke syndrome (wasting and thirsting d/o)
Lu Gen
sweet, cold. clears heat from st and lung, vents rashes, generates fluids and promotes urination to clear heat. contra: sp/st def cold
Dan Zhu ye
sweet, bland, cold. Eliminates irritability. Promotes urination to clear heat, clears damp heat, esp for SI channel. Caution: pregnancy
Zhi Zi
bitter, cold. Eliminates irritability, drain damp heat for uti, jaundice, cool blood and stop bleeding (charred), reduces swelling and moves blood stasis due to trauma (powder, topically). contra: loose stool or loss appetite d/t def cold. prep: crush
xia ku cao
bitter, acrid, cold. Clear ehat and dissipates nodules. Clears liver and eyes and tx hypertension d/t liv fire or liv yang rising. caution: sp/st def.
jue ming zi
bitter, sweet, salty, sl cold.Moistens intestines and moves stool. used to prevent atherosclerosis as it lowers both blood pressure and serum cholesterol. Tx hypertension due to liv yang rising, clears liv and eyes. Caution: diarrhea/hypotension, antagonizes huo ma ren