Artemesia Annua and Soft-Shelled Turtle Shell Decoction
Chinese Prescription: Qing Hao Bie Jia Tang
English Translation: Artemesia Annua and Soft-Shelled Turtle Shell Decoction
Formula Type: Clear Heat from Deficiency
Actions: Clears heat & nourishes yin. Focuses on nourishing the yin in order to prevent the sinking of heat pathogens into the interior.
Indications: For lesser yang patterns with relatively strong fever characterized by a wiry pulse on the left, night fevers with morning coolness, & thirst following sweating.
Contraindications: Contraindicated for early stages of a warm febrile disease when the pathogen is qi level. Contraindicated for cases with spasms or convulsions.
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Bie Jia / Turtle Shell - Dorsal, Chinese |
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Taste: Salty • Temperature: Slightly Cold • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Yin |
Dosage9-30g, cook 30 minutes before adding other ingredients |
Actions1. Nourishes the yin & anchors the yang: for yin deficiency with fever, steaming bone disorder, night sweats, or consumption. Often used when there are also symptoms of internal movement of Liver wind.
2. Invigorates the blood, promotes menstruation, & dissipates nodules: for such symptoms as chest & flank accumulations causing pain & amenorrhea, as well as malarial disorders with palpable masses. Also for excessive menstruation due to hot blood. |
MeridiansLiver, Spleen |
CautionsContraindicated during pregnancy & in cases of cold from deficiency of the Spleen with reduced appetite & diarrhea. Also contraindicated where an exterior disorder has not been fully resolved. Use with caution in cases of impotence. According to some traditional sources, this substance antagonizes ming fan. |
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Qing Hao / Wormwood, aerial part |
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Taste: Bitter • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Relieve Summerheat |
Dosage3-9g, up to 24g |
Actions1. Clears summerheat: especially for summerheat with low fever, headache, dizziness, & a stifling sensation in the chest.
2. Clears fevers from deficiency: for fevers from either blood deficiency or as the sequelae of a febrile disease. Especially for unremitting fever or night fever & morning coolness with an absence of sweating.
3. Cools blood & stops bleeding: for purpuric rashes or nosebleed due to heat in the blood.
4. Checks malarial disorders & relieves heat: for the alternating fever & chills of malarial disorders. |
MeridiansKidney, Liver, Gallbladder |
CautionsContraindicated in post partum women with blood deficiency, or in cases of cold from deficiency of the Spleen & Stomach. According to some traditional sources, this herb should not be used with sheng di huang or dang gui. |
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Tian Hua Fen / Trichosanthes Root |
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Taste: Bitter, Slightly Sweet • Temperature: Cold • Category: Tranform Phlegm & Stop Coughing • Sub Category: Cool & Transform Phlegm-Heat |
Dosage9-15g |
Actions1. Clears & drains Lung heat, transforms phlegm, & moistens Lung dryness: for phlegm-heat above the diaphragm, especially when the heat has lead to dryness.
2. Drains heat & generates fluids: used when heat injures fluids, giving rise to thrist & irritability, deficient yin thirst, & wasting & thirsting disorder. Also used for cough with thick sputum or blood-streaked sputum.
3. Relieves toxicity & expels pus: for hot toxic carbuncles & sores. Especially appropriate for breast abscess. For this it can be used both internally & topically. |
MeridiansLung, Stomach |
CautionsContraindicated during pregnancy & in diarrhea due to cold from deficiency of the Spleen & Stomach. Toxicity: the protein of tian hua fen causes miscarriages in mice & dogs. It is also quite antigenic & can cause very strong allergic reactions in mice & guinea pigs. In dogs, the feeding of this protein has caused depression of the S-T segment of the ECG. Extremely large doses have been associated with serious & even fatal changes in hepatic & renal function. |
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Zhi Mu / Anemarrhena Rhizome |
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Taste: Bitter • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Drain Fire |
Dosage6-12g |
Actions1. Clears heat & drains fire: for high fever, irritability, thirst, & a rapid, flooding pulse in patterns of exessive heat in the Lungs & Stomach. Also for cough due to heat in the Lungs with expectoration of thick, yellow sputum.
2. Enriches yin & moistens dry conditions: for exhaustion or deficiency of Lung & Kidney yin wih heat signs such as night sweats, steaming bone disorder, irritability, afternoon or low-grade fevers, warmth in the five centers, & bleeding gums. Also for such Kidney heat signs as spermatorrrhea, nocturnal emissions, & abnormally elevated sexual drive.
3. Generates fluids & clears heat: for oral ulcers & in flammation due to yin deficiency as well as wasting & thirsting disorder. |
MeridiansLung, Stomach, Kidney |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of diarrhea due to Spleen deficiency. |
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Sang Ye / Mulberry (White) Leaf |
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Taste: Sweet, Bitter • Temperature: Cold • Category: Exterior Releasing - Cool • Sub Category: |
Dosage4.5-15g |
Actions1. Expels wind & clears heat from the Lungs: for externally contracted wind-heat with fever, headache, sore throat, & coughing. Also for Lung dryness with cough, dry mouth or Lung heat with thick, yellow sputum.
2. Clears the Liver & the eyes: for Liver channel eye problems due to either wind-heat or yin deficiency. Common symptoms include red, sore, dry or painful eyes, or spots in front of the eyes.
3. Cools the blood & stops bleeding: for mild cases of vomiting of blood due to heat in the blood. |
MeridiansLiver, Lung |
CautionsNone. |
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Mu Dan Pi / Moutan root bark - tree peony root bark |
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Taste: Acrid, Bitter • Temperature: Cool • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Cool Blood |
Dosage6-12g |
Actions1. Clears heat & cools the blood: for heat entering the blood level during a warm-febrile disease with such symptoms as nosebleed, blood in the sputum or vomit, or subcutaneous bleeding. Also for frequent & profuse menstruation due to heat in the blood.
2. Clears fire from deficiency: for yin deficiency patterns such as steaming-bone disorder, particularly in the aftermath of a warm-febrile disease. Most suitable in the absence of sweating.
3. Invigorates the blood & dispels blood stasis: for Liver blood stasis patterns with amenorrhea, abdominal masses, lumps, or bruises due to traumatic injury.
4. Clears ascending Liver fire: for such symptoms as headaches, eye pain, flank pain, flushing, & dysmenorrhea.
5. Drains pus & reduces swelling: used topically for firm non-draining sores or internally for Intestinal abscess. |
MeridiansHeart, Liver, Kidney |
CautionsContraindicated for cold disorders, during pregnancy or excessive menstruation, & for yin deficiency with excessive sweating. May counteract the effects of tu si zi, bei mu, & da huang, & should be avoided when using garlic. |