Ch 2: Herbs that Clear Heat and Dry Dampness

Question 1

Huang Qin ***

1st of 3 yellows

Answer 1

Bitter, Cold
Enters Lung, Stomach, Gallbladder, Large Intestine
Clears heat and dries dampness (#1 herb for damp-heat in LI) - and to break fever directly
Clears heat and resolves toxicity, especially in the upper burner (heat in lungs w/phlegmy cough, jaundice)
Clears heat and stops bleeding
Clears heat and calms Fetus
Sedates ascendant Liver yang

Question 2

Huang Qin with Huang Lian

Answer 2

Both herbs clear heat, dry dampness, drain fire, resolve toxicity, and are of the “3 yellows.”
Huang Lian primarily acts to drain fire from HT and ST, stops nausea
Huang Qin clears heat from LU and ST, cools heat to calm fetus
Together good for heat in upper and middle jiao (esp with fever, signs of dryness and toxic heat). Also for damp-heat in LI with explosive diarrhea, anal burning, and abdominal pain. Can be used in small, short doses to stop nausea and calm fetus during pregnancy.
Prepare in wine to guide herbs upward

Question 3

Huang Qin with Zhi Zi

Answer 3

Clear heat and drain fire form upper and middle jiao. Together they powerfully clear and drain lurking heat from lungs associated with fever, full chest, cough with yellow sputum, and nosebleed or spitting up blood. Also good for damp-heat, jaundice, sores from toxic heat, and irregular menses from constrained Liver channel heat.
Charred Zhi Zi better for expelling blood heat to stop bleeding
Wine fried Huang Qin targets upper jiao better

Question 4

Huang Qin with Bai Zhu

Answer 4

Well-Known fetal quieting combination. Huang Qin reduces heat to quiet blood
Bai Zhu strengthens Spleen Qi to control the blood.
If heat is from Kidney Yin xu, can substitute Shan Yao for Bai Zhu, which is less warming and drying.

Question 5

Huang Qin Vs. Shi Gao

Answer 5

Both cool lung heat and drain fire from excess at Qi level
Huang Qin focuses on clearing heat and drying damp from upper jiao, but also cools blood, stops bleeding, calms fetus
Shi Gao focuses on cooling, releasing, and venting the muscle layer. Eliminates heat to fluids can regenerate. Primarily for excess heat in LU and ST

Question 6

Huang Qin Cautions

Answer 6

Not to be used in cases of cold from deficiency of Spleen and Stomach

Question 7

Huang Lian ***
“Yellow connection”
(2nd of 3 yellows)

Answer 7

(Very)Bitter, cold, 1.5-9g
Enters Heart, Large Intestine, Liver, Stomach
Clears heat and drains dampness (from middle jiao and intestines especially) - FAST acting to help with intestinal cramping and diarrhea
Drains fire and resolves toxicity (for fever, red eyes, sore throat, carbuncles, abscesses, boils)
Clear heat (especially from Heart) and stops bleeding
Clears heat topically (in ointment or as mouth wash for red, painful gums)

Question 8

Huang Lian with Wu Zhu Yu

Answer 8

Very effective for vomiting, belching, and acid reflux. Clears Heart heat, relieving Liver fire constraint, and directing heat downward.
Wu Zhu Yu warms the combo to mitigate the coldness of Huang Lian

Question 9

Huang Lian with Rou Gui

Answer 9

Reestablishes harmonious communication between Heart and Kidneys. Used for palpitations that worsen at night, insomnia with disturbing dreams, and irritability.
Huang Lian cools Heart and redirected heart yang downward
Rou Gui warms the Kidney yang to guide fire to Yuan, and transform yin so that it may rise to benefit the Heart

Question 10

Huang Lian with Xi Xin

Answer 10

Combines hot/cold and acrid/bitter. Disperses, drains downward, and hot/cold balance each other. Effective when Heart fire blazes upward, causing mouth and tongue sores, for Liver fire blazing upward with swollen eyes, deafness, red eyes with photophobia, and Stomach Fire with toothache, swollen gums, halitosis and dental disorders

Question 11

Huang Lian with Mu Xiang

Answer 11

Huang Lian (Bitter, cold, yin) cools the intestines and alleviates dysenteric disorders
Mu Xiang (Acrid, warm, yang) moves Qi and breaks up stagnation
Combination is powerfully heat clearing, and dampness drying, facilitating the flow of qi to quid out obstruction. Very effective for dysentery with damp-heat obstructing the intestines

Question 12

Huang Bai ***
“Yellow [a kind of tree]”
(3rd of 3 yellows)

Answer 12

Bitter, cold, 3-12g
Enters Kidney and Bladder
Drains damp heat, particularly from the lower burner (for gout, UTI, thick yellow vaginal discharge, and damp-heat pouring downward effecting the knees and feet)
Drains Kidney fire (including from empty heat)
Also for deficiency heat

Question 13

Huang Bai with Zhi Mu

Answer 13

Both herbs clear heat and direct downward.
Huang Bai drains Kidney fire downward and works at blood level
Zhi Mu drains Lung heat downward.
Together their heat-clearing ability is enhanced and yin is protected. Also for lower jiao damp-heat.
If there is yin deficiency another herb must be added to directly nourish yin

Question 14

Huang Bai with Cang Zhu

Answer 14

Enriches yin and directs fire downward, eliminates dampness and clears heat. Their temperature moderate each other to protect yang from cold and keep Cang Zhu’s warmth from contributing to the pathogenic heat.
Commonly used to lower jiao damp heat with pain, swelling, weakness in lower limbs, or for vaginal discharge with sores

Question 15

Huang Bai with Zhi Zi

Answer 15

Both herbs are bitter and cold
Zhi Zi resolves constraint and directs downward, focus on LV and GB
Huang Bai drains damp-heat and steaming constraint.
Combo used to clear heat and transform damp - for cases of yang-type jaundice with noticeable fever, yellow-orange skin and eyes, and symptoms of thirst and dark-scanty urine. Also for damp-heat leading to painful urinary dribbling

Question 16

Huang Bai Vs. Huang Lian Vs. Huang Qin

The 3 yellows in comparison

Answer 16

All three clear heat, drain fire, resolve toxicity, and dry dampness.
Huang Qin best for Lung heat/fire (Upper Jiao) and calms restless fetus
Huang Lian best for draining Heart and Stomach fire (Middle Jiao), stopping nausea and distention
Huang Bai primarily drains Kidney fire, reduces lower jiao damp-heat

Question 17

Huang Bai Cautions

Answer 17

Not for use in cases of cold from deficiency of spleen and stomach

Question 18

Long Dan Cao ***

“Liver Gallbladder grass”

Answer 18

Bitter, Cold
Enters Gallbladder, Liver, Stomach
Drains damp heat from the liver and gallbladder channels (upper and lower body)- for deafness, tinnitus (excess patterns), jaundice and eczema
Drains and pacifies excessive Liver fire - for genital itching, red eyes, HA, convulsions (internal wind)

Question 19

Long Dan Cao with Huang Lian

Answer 19

Both herbs are very cold and drain liver heat/fire
For treating red, swollen, painful eyes due to liver channel fire
Huang Lian powerfully resolves heat toxicity, and drains Heart fire, thereby cooling the Liver
Long Dan Cao directly drains Liver/GB fire
For eye problems best used as eye-drops

Question 20

Long Dan Cao with Da Huang

Answer 20

Both herbs are very cold and bitter, strongly drain fire and resolve toxicity.
Long Dan Cao focuses on LV/GB
Da Huang focuses on lower jiao, but can move to clear Liver Qi stagnation and blood stasis
Combo best used for excessive fire from Liver constraint, or damp-heat accumulating internally, with such Sx as flank pain, deafness, bitter taste, red eyes, jaundice, hot dysentery, swelling of scrotum, and constipation with dry stools, or even nosebleeds, vomiting, fright, and mania
Only for excessive conditions and only for short durations due to their very cold nature

Question 21

Long Dan Cao with Shi Jue Ming

Answer 21

Long Dan Cao very yin (bitter, cold, directing downward) with focus on LV and GB
Shi Jue Ming is salty and slightly cold, sinking, and enter Liver, suppresses ascendant liver yang
Combo excellant for Liver Fire or Liver yang rising which causes HA, red swollen eyes, and vertigo (dizziness). Secondarily extinguishes internal wind from upward blazing, so also good for tremors, twitches, and spasms due to heat stirring wind

Question 22

Long Dan Cao cautions

Answer 22

Not for use in cases of cold from spleen or stomach deficiency

Question 23

Ku Shen ***

“Bitter ginseng”

Answer 23

Bitter, cold
Enters Bladder, Heart, Liver, Large intestine, Stomach, and Small intestine
Clears heat and dries dampness - primarily for damp-heat in the lower jiao
Disperses wind, KILLS PARASITES, and stops itching
Clears heat and promotes urination (powerful effect on painful urination

Question 24

Ku Shen Vs. Zhi Zi Vs. Long Dan Cao

Answer 24

All 3 clear and drain damp-heat, promote GB function, and resolve jaundice.
Long Dan Cao for clearing Liver channel damp-heat leading to swelling, and expelling Bladder fire
Zhi Zi also drains heat through promoting urination and resolves irritability/discomfort in chest
Ku Shen expels wind and kills parasites, relieves itchy skin and hot dysenteric disorders

Question 25

Ku Shen Vs. Huang Lian

Answer 25

Both herbs are very bitter and cold and address the heart.
Huang Lian primarily cools Heart fire (organ)
Ku Shen treats Heart (channel) fire as well as the yang organ, Small Intestine. Cools damp-heat of lower jiao and drains through the urine. More drying than any of the 3 yellows, and can therefore kill parasites from damp-heat

Question 26

Qin Pi **

pi= skin

Answer 26

Bitter, cold, astringent, 6-12g
Enters Gallbladder, Large Intestine, Liver, Stomach
Clears heat, resolves toxicity, and dries dampness - for diarrhea, vaginal discharge (binding quality)
Drains Liver fire and benefits the eyes
Disperses wind dampness - for heat type Bi syndrome
Calms wheezing and stops cough

Question 27

Qin Pi with Bai Tou Weng

Answer 27

Bai Tou Wen enters blood level, eliminates heat toxin, cools blood, stops dysenteric disorder
Qin Pi enters qi level, cools Large Intestine
Good for heat-type red-and-white dysenteric disorders (with blood and pus in the stools)