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Nine-Herb Decoction with Notopterygium

Chinese Prescription: Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang

English Translation: Nine-Herb Decoction with Notopterygium

Formula Type: Release Exterior Cold

Actions: Induces sweating & dispels dampness while simultaneously draining interior heat.

Indications: Fever & chills (chills predominant) without sweating, headache, stiff neck, generalized aches & pain, slight thirst, a bitter taste in the mouth, a white tongue coating, & a floating pulse.

Contraindications: Due to its acrid & drying nature, this formula is contraindicated in warm pathogen diseases (including damp-warmth disorders). It should be used with great care in patients who tend toward yin deficiency.

Qiang Huo / Notopterygium Rhizome
Taste: Acrid, Bitter • Temperature: Warm • Category: Exterior Releasing - Warm • Sub Category: Aromatic
Dosage 6-15g	Actions 1. Releases the exterior & disperses cold: for exterior cold patterns with such symptoms as chills, fever, headache, & body aches & pains. Most commonly used when accompanied by dampness with joint pain, a general feeling of heaviness, sleepiness, or when there is pain in the occipital region. 2. Unblocks painful obstruction & alleviates pain: for wind-cold-damp painful obstruction, especially in the upper limbs & back. 3. Guides qi to the greater yang channel & governing vessel: to direct other herbs in a prescription to the areas served by these two channels.	Meridians Bladder, Kidney	Cautions Contraindicated in cases of blood deficiency, yin deficiency, & exterior deficiency. Overdosage may cause nausea & vomiting.

Fang Feng / Siler Root, (Ledebouriella Root)
Taste: Acrid, Sweet • Temperature: Slightly Warm • Category: Exterior Releasing - Warm • Sub Category:
Dosage 3-9g	Actions 1. Releases the exterior & expels wind: for headache, chills, & body aches due to externally contracted wind-cold. 2. Expels wind-dampness & alleviates pain: for exterior wind-damp painful obstruction, especially when wind is predominant. 3. Expels wind: as an auxiliary herb to alleviate trembling of the hands & feet & tetany. Also for intestinal wind due to imbalance between the Spleen & Liver manifested in recurrent, painful diarrhea with bright blood in the stool. Also for migraine headaches.	Meridians Bladder, Liver, Spleen	Cautions Contraindicated in cases of blood deficiency with spasms, & for yin deficiency with heat signs. According to some traditional texts, this herb antagonizes gan jiang & li lu, & counteracts bei xie.

Cang Zhu / Atractylodes (Black) Rhizome
Cang Zhu - Black Atractylodes Root Bai Zhu - White Atractylodes Root
Taste: Acrid, Bitter • Temperature: Warm • Category: Transform Damp - Aromatic • Sub Category:
Dosage 4.5-9g	Actions 1. Strongly dries dampness & strengthens the Spleen: for dampness obstructing the middle burner & blocking the transportive & transformative functions of the Spleen. Symptoms include reduced appetite, diarrhea, epigastric distention & pressure, fatigue, nausea & vomting, & a thick, greasy tongue coating. 2. Expels wind-dampness: for painful obstruction due to wind-cold-dampness in the extremities. 3. Clears dampness in the lower burner: for damp-heat pouring downward (as in leg qi), vaginal discharge, & swollen, sore joints. Although this herb is warm, it is very effective in drying dampness; when combined with herbs that clear heat, it is used for damp-heat disorders. 4. Induces sweating & releases exterior disorders: for headache, body aches, absence of sweating & /or oozing yin sores due to wind-damp-cold pathogenic influence.	Meridians Spleen, Stomach	Cautions Contraindicated in cases with excessive sweating due to qi deficiency, or yin deficiency with interior heat. Use with caution in cases of loose, watery stools.

Xi Xin / Ginger, Chinese Wild
Taste: Acrid • Temperature: Warm • Category: Exterior Releasing - Warm • Sub Category:
Dosage 1-3g	Actions 1. Releases the exterior & disperses cold: for any exterior cold patterns, especially with the addition of dampness & underlying yang deficiency. This herb is oftern used for externally contracted wind-cold when the dominant symptoms & head & body aches. 2. Warms the Lungs & transforms phlegm: for patterns of externally contracted wind-cold with congested fluids, manifested in coughing & copious, watery sputum. 3. Disperse cold & alleviates pain: for pain in various parts of the body, most commonly headache, toothache, or painful obstruction, due to wind &/or cold. 4. Disperses & unblocks the qi of the nasal orifices: for various types of nasal congestion.	Meridians Lung, Kidney	Cautions Contraindicated in cases of qi deficiency with profuse sweating, headache due to blood deficiency, or cough due to yin deficiency. According to some traditional sources, this herb antagonizes shan zhu yu & huang qi, & counteracts hua shi. Use with caution in patients with renal problems as it can be nephrotoxic.

Chuan Xiong / Lovage Root (Ligusticum)
Chuan Xiong - Ligusticum Wallichi - Prepared Chuan Xiong Sheng - Ligusticum Wallichi - Unprepared
Taste: Acrid • Temperature: Warm • Category: Regulate Blood • Sub Category: Invigorate Blood
Dosage 3-6g, up to 9g for irregular menstruation	Actions 1. Invigorates the blood & promotes the movement of qi: for any blood stasis pattern. This is an important herb in gynecology & is used for such problems as dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, difficult labor, or lochioschesis. It is also indicated for patterns of stagnant qi & blood stasis with pain & soreness in the chest, flanks, & hypochondria. 2. Expels wind & alleviates pain: a leading herb for any externally contracted wind disorder characterized by headache, dizziness, or painful obsstruction. Also used for a variety of skin problems caused by wind. 3. Headaches: moves the qi upward & alleviates pain. Depending with which other herbs it is combined, it can be used for headaches due to wind, heat, cold, or blood deficiency.	Meridians Liver, Gallbladder, Pericardium	Cautions Contraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with heat signs, headaches due to ascendant Liver yang, qi deficiency, or excessive menstrual bleeding. Vomiting & dizziness may occur from overdosage. May antagonize shan zhu yu & huang qi, may counteract hua shi & huang lian, & may be incompatible with li lu.

Bai Zhi / Angelica Root (Dahurica)
Taste: Acrid • Temperature: Warm • Category: Exterior Releasing - Warm • Sub Category:
Dosage 3-9g	Actions 1. Expels wind & alleviates pain: for patterns of externally contracted wind-cold, especially those with headache. Also for supraorbital pain, nasal congestion & toothaches. While primarily a warming herb, it can be used for any problem due to wind invading the yang brightness channels of the head. 2. Reduces swelling & expels pus: for early stages of surface sores & carbuncles. If the sore, ulcer, or carbuncle has not yet suppurated, this herb will help reduce the swelling. If pus has already formed or the sore has ulcerates, the herb can be used to help discourage the pus. 3. Expels dampness & alleviates discharge: usually for vaginal discharge due to damp-cold in the lower burner, but with the appropriate herbs can also be used to treat vaginal discharge from damp-heat. 4. Opens up the nasal passages: for sinus congestion.	Meridians Lung, Stomach	Cautions Contraindicated in cases of blood or yin deficiency because it is very drying. Use with caution if pus drains smoothly from sores. Some traditional sources say that this herb antagonizes xuan fu hua.

Huang Qin / Scute or Baical Skullcap Root
Huang Qin - Scutellaria Baicalensis - Yellow Huang Qin - Scutellaria Baicalensis - Green
Taste: Bitter • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Drain Damp
Dosage 6-15g	Actions 1. Clears heat & drains fire, especially from the upper burner: for heat patterns with high fever, irritability, thirst, cough, & expectoration of thick, yellow sputum, or hot sores & swellings. In treating the latter it can be applied topically or taken internally. 2. Clears heat & dries dampness: a major herb for damp-heat in the Stomach or Intestines, which manifests as diarrhea or dyenteric disorder; damp warm-febrile disease, which presents with fever, stifling senstaion in the chest, & thirst but inability to drink; or for damp-heat in the lower burner with painful urinary dysfunction. Used as a an auxiliary herb for damp-heat jaundice.	Meridians Gallbladder, Large Intestine, Lung, Stomach	Cautions Contraindicated in cases of heat from deficiency in the Lungs, cold diarrhea o any other condition with cold in the middle burner, & restless fetus due to cold in the blood. May counteract mu dan pi & li lu.

Sheng Di Huang / Rehmannia Root, Unprepared
Sheng Di Huang - Rehmannia Root - Unprepared Shuu Di Huang - Rehmannia Root - Prepared Shu Di Huang - Rehmannia Root - Prepared
Taste: Sweet, Bitter • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Cool Blood
Dosage 9-30g	Actions 1. Clears heat & cools the blood: for all warm-febrile diseases where heat enters the nutritive level causing very high fever, thirst, & a scarlet tongue. Also indicated in cases of hemorrhage due to heat entering the blood level. 2. Nourishes the yin & generates fluids: for yin deficiency with heat signs, as well as injury to the body's fluids. Manifestations include dry mouth, continuous low-grade fever, & constipation. Also for throat pain associated with yin deficiency. 3. Cools the upward-blazing of Heart fire: for mouth & tongue sores, & for irritability, insomnia, afternoon or low-grade fevers, & malar flush. 4. Wasting & thirsting disorder.	Meridians Heart, Kidney, Liver	Cautions Contraindicated in cases of Spleen deficiency with dampness, yang deficiency, & in pregnant women with blood deficiency or Spleen or Stomach deficiency.

Gan Cao / Licorice Root (Chinese)
Gan Cao - Licorice Root - Large Gan Cao - Licorice Root - Medium Gan Cao - Licorice Root - Small Zhi Gan Cao - Honey-baked Licorice Root
Taste: Sweet • Temperature: Neutral (raw root) • Category: Tonic / Harmonize • Sub Category: Tonify Qi
Dosage 2-12g	Actions 1. Tonifies the Spleen & augments the qi: commonly used for Spleen deficiency with shortness of breath, lassitude, & loose stools. Also for qi or blood deficiency patterns with an irregular or intermittent pulse & /or palpitations. 2. Moistens the Lungs & stops coughing: for coughing & wheezing. Because of its neutral properties, it can be used for either heat or cold in the Lungs. 3. Clears heat & relieves fire toxicity: used raw for carbuncles, sores, or sore throat due to fire toxin. For this purpose, it can be taken internally or applied topically. 4. Moderates spasms & alleviates pain: for painful spasms of the abdomen or legs. 5. Moderates & harmonizes the characteristics of other herbs: by virtue of its sweet, neutral, & moderating properties, this herb moderates hot & cold herbs, & mitigates the violent properties of other herbs. Since it is said to enter all 12 primary channels, it can lead & conduct other herbs into the channels. 6. Used as an antidote for a variety of toxic substances, both internally & topically. 7. The raw root clears heat & relieves toxicity, the honey-fried tonifies the middle & moderates spasms.	Meridians All 12 channels (principally the Heart, Lung, Spleen, & Stomach)	Cautions Contraindicated in cases of excess dampness, nausea, or vomiting. May be in compatible with jing da ji, yuan hua, gan sui, & hai zao, & may antagonize yuan zhi. The toxicity of gan cao is very low, but if taken long-term it may cause hypertension &/or edema. Glycyrrhetinic acid has been reported to cause a reduction in the activity of the thyroid & a reducation in the basal metabolic rate.

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