Ch2 Herbs that clear heat: Drain fire

Question 1

Shi Gao ***
“stone plaster”
(Ice man)

Answer 1

Sweet, acrid, VERY cold, 15-60g (heavy mineral)
Enters Lung, Stomach
Clears heat and drains fire (YangMing, releases exterior and muscle layer)
Clears heat from excess from lungs (w/cough)
Clears blazing stomach fire (yangming/4 bigs) - qi level, HA, toothache and gum problems
For eczema, burns, and ulcerated sores (Duan Shi Gao powder)
NOT with SP/ST xu and yin xu

Question 2

Shi Gao (Ice man) preparation and cautions

Answer 2

Must be decocted first, heavy mineral

Not for use with cold from deficiency of SP/ST, or fever from yin deficiency

Question 3

Shi Gao with Zhi Mu

Answer 3

Clear YangMing, Stomach heat while protecting ST yin/generating fluids. Used for EPF with 4 BIGS

Question 4

What are the categories for herbs that clear heat?

5 total

Answer 4

1 Herbs that drain fire
2 Herbs that cool the blood
3 Herbs that clear heat and dry dampness
4 Herbs that clear heat and resolve toxicity
5 Herbs that clear heat from deficiency

Question 5

Zhi Mu ***

better “know mother”

Answer 5

Bitter, sweet, cold, 6-12g
Enters Lung, Stomach, Kidney
Clears heat and drains fire (also for empty heat like menopausal night sweats)
Generates fluids and clears heat
Ameliorates the dryness of tonifying and warming substances

Question 6

Zhi Mu cautions

Answer 6

Not for use with cold from SP/ST (yang) deficiency, or diarrhea

Question 7

Zhi Mu Vs. Shi Gao

Answer 7

Both used to treat Yang Ming 4 bigs, especially with heat leading to cough or thirst.
Zhi Mu clears heat and moistens. Also cools the Kidneys and nourishes yin. Directly generates fluids.
Shi Gao clears heat and disperses. its heavy nature reaches interior but brings heat to exterior. Indirectly protects fluids by draining fire/

Question 8

Zhi Zi ***

gardenia fruit, Cape Jasmine fruit

Answer 8

(Very) Bitter, cold, 6-9g
Enters Heart, Lung, Stomach, Liver, San Jiao
Drains heat and eliminates irritability (from heart heat, for stuffy chest and restlessness)
Clears heat and resolves dampness (for UTIs)
Cools the blood and resolves toxicity (blood in stools, urine, or vomit)
Reduces swelling and moves blood stasis due to trauma (applied topically)

Question 9

Zhi Zi cautions

Answer 9

Not for use with cold from deficiency of SP/ST with reduced appetite and loose stools

Question 10

Zhi Zi with Mu Dan Pi

Answer 10

Resolves Qi level constraint of liver qi leading to heat, as well as heat in the blood.

Question 11

Dan Zhu Ye ***
“bland bamboo leaf”
bamboo leaves form Yangtze river area

Answer 11

Sweet, bland and cold, 6-9g
Enters Heart, Small Intestine, Stomach
Clears heat and eliminates irritability (and mouth sores)
Promotes urination and clears damp heat (for difficult urination and damp-heat in SI)

Question 12

Dan Zhu Ye Vs. Zhi Zi

Answer 12

Both clear heat, eliminate irritability, and facilitate urination.
Zhi Zi stronger, enters Qi and blood levels, resolves toxicity. Clears heat and constraint from SJ, LV, GB
Dan Zhu Ye milder, enters Qi level, disseminates and vents exterior. Focus on HT,. LU, (ST)

Question 13

Xia Ku Cao ***

“Summertime withered”

Answer 13

Bitter, acrid, cold, 9-15g
Enters Gallbladder, Liver
Clears liver fire and brightens eyes
Clears heat and dissipates nodules (especially neck and inguinal), also good for nodules with acne or scrofula
For hypertension

Question 14

Xia Ku Cao with Zhe Bei Mu

Answer 14

Enhance each other’s ability to clear heat, resolve phlegm and toxicity. Suitable for goiter, scrofula, and swollen or inflamed lymph glands

Question 15

Tian Hua Fen ***

“Sky flower powder”

Answer 15

Bitter, slightly sweet, cold, 10-15g
Enters Lung, Stomach
Drains heat and generates fluids (not primarily used to reduce fever, used in late stage febrile disease with some heat remaining interiorly but mostly for dryness)
Clears and drains Lung heat, transforms phlegm, moistens Lung
Resolves toxicity and expels pus (for carbuncles and sores/abscesses)

Question 16

Tian Hua Fen Cautions and contraindications

Answer 16

not for use with cold from deficiency of SP/ST
Not to be used with herbs of the Wu Tou
An ingredient of this herb (when purified, concentrated) has abortifacient action in early pregnancy when administered by injection

Question 17

Tian Hua Fen with Gua Lou Pi

Answer 17

Derived from same plant with different actions.
Tian Hua Fen better at directing fire downward, moistening dryness, generating fluids to alleviate thirst. While Gua Lou Pi is better at facilitating movement of Qi, easing chest, transforming and cooling phlegm-heat.
Complementary, cool heat, generate fluids, ease chest, disperse clumping. Balanced to move qi (without drying) and generate fluids (without stagnating). Ideal for late stage febrile disease, for cough with scanty or no sputum

Question 18

Tian Hua Fen with Mu Li

Answer 18

Tian Hua Fen moistens lungs, generates fluids, resolves nodules from constraint, directs phlegm-fire downward.
Mu Li transforms phlegm, softens hardness, cools heat from deficiency.
Variety of applications from relieving irritability and mental disorientation from LU/ST yin deficiency and ascending heat, to treatment of clumps in goiter

Question 19

Tian Hua Fen Vs. Lu Gen

Answer 19

Both herbs cool Lung and Stomach heat, nourish yin, generate fluids.
Lu Gen stronger cooling effect LU/ST Qi level, expels pus (LU abscesses), vents and dissipates EPF (esp in early stage)
Tian Hua Fen better at generating fluids, nourishing yin (mainly for ST yin deficiency), resolves toxicity, invigorates blood, reduces swelling (for toxic swellings, boils, sores)

Question 20

Lu Gen ***

root of a reed

Answer 20

Sweet, cold, 15-30g
Enters Lung, Stomach
Clears heat and generates fluids (without cloying) - not directly used for lowering fever
Clears heat and promotes urination
Encourages rashes to surface
Stops vomiting, from ST heat, and stops cough, from LU heat (moistens lung). Also for pneumonia (clear pus from LU)

Question 21

Lu Gen Vs. Bai Mao Gen

Answer 21

Both clear heat, generate fluids, promote urination.
Lu Gen excels at clearing Qi-level heat (drains fire) especially from LU, ST, and resolves phlegm-heat, and vents/disseminates EPF.
Bai Mao Gen better at clearing blood level heat, cooling blood to stop bleeding. Treats LU/ST, and HT, BL (broader cooling effect).
BUT often substituted for each other

Question 22

Lian Zi Xin **

Lotus heart, the green center

Answer 22

Bitter, Cold, 1.5-3g
Enters Heart, Pericardium
Drains Fire (from Heart and PC)
Stops bleeding, binds essence (astringent action) - for spermatorrhea

Question 23

Jue Ming Zi **

Cassia seeds

Answer 23

Bitter, sweet, salty, slightly cold, 9-15g
Enters Liver, Large Intestine, Kidney
Clears the Liver and eyes (for visual problems with LV channel)
Calms the Liver and anchors ascendant yang
Moistens the Intestines and unblocks bowels (for cleansing and constipation)
Recently used to prevent atherosclerosis, lowers Blood Pressure (hypertension) and serum cholesterol

Question 24

Jue Ming Zi Cautions

Answer 24

Not to be used in patients with diarrhea from spleen deficiency or low blood pressure

Question 25

Jue Ming Zi with Xia Ku Cao

Answer 25

Complement each other to cool and drain fire fro Liver to benefit the eyes. For redness, swelling, and pain of eyes, abnormal tearing, photophobia, HA, and dizziness due to liver fire blazing. Especially good with painful eyes that worsens at night from Liver yang rising

Question 26

Jue Ming Zi Vs. Qing Xiang Zi

Answer 26

Both herbs cool the liver to improve vision.
Jue Ming Zi not only bitter and cold, but it’s salty and sweet nature enrich Liver and Kidney yin and moisten the intestines. Also disperses W-H. Can therefore be used in cases of eye disorders or HA from excess and deficiency.
Qing Xiang Zi can only be used for eye disorder or HA due to excessive pathogenic heat. Good for superficial visual obstructions and can dilate the pupils

Question 27

Xi Gua *

watermelon fruit

Answer 27

Sweet, Cold (15-30g)
Enters Bladder, Heart, Stomach
Clears summerheat and generates fluids
Promotes urination and expels jaundice
CAUTION - over consumption can damage Spleen yang

Question 28

Ya Zhi Cao *

“duck foot grass”

Answer 28

Sweet, bland, cold, 15-30g
Enters Lung, Stomach, Small Intestine
Clears heat and drains fire, resolves toxicity
Clears heat and unblocks painful urinary dribbling

Question 29

Han Shui Shi *

“cold water stone”

Answer 29

Acrid, salty, cold, 10-15g
Enters Heart, Stomach, Kidney
Clears heat and drains fire (from YangMing Qi-level, Kidneys, and blood) - directs fire downward, softens hardness, promotes urination
Used for burns and sores

Question 30

Qing Xiang Zi *

“blue [something] seed/son”

Answer 30

Sweet, slightly cold, 6-15g
Enters Liver
Clears W-H, drains Liver fire, and IMPROVES VISION (and hearing) - directs Qi downward and eliminates superficial visual obstruction
Also used for hypertension associated with Liver yang rising

Question 31

Mi Meng Hua *

Answer 31

Sweet, slightly cool
Enters Liver
Clears Liver, brightens eyes, reduces superficial visual obstruction
Benefits the eyes by TONIFYING LIVER YIN and cooling liver heat

Question 32

Gu Jing Cao *

“grain essence grass”

Answer 32

Sweet, neutral, 4.5-9g
Enters Liver, Stomach
Disperse W-H, brightens eyes, and eliminates superficial visual obstruction

Question 33

Qing Xiang Zi Vs. Mi Meng Hua Vs. Gu Jing Cao

Answer 33

Gu Jing Cao good for Liver heat eye problems, HA and toothache due to wind
Mi Meng Hua doesn’t rise and disperse as much as Gu Jing Cao, but excels at simultaneously cooling and tonyifying (Liver blood and yin)
Qing Xiang Zi is appropriate for Liver fire blazing upward and HEAT-TOXIN flushing the eyes because it is bitter, cold and downward directing

Question 34

Ye Ming Sha *

“Night bright mineral/sand”

Answer 34

Acrid, cold
Enters Liver
Clears Liver and brightens the eyes
Disperses blood stasis and reduces accumulations (cools blood, stops pain)