Honeysuckle and Forsythia Powder
Chinese Prescription: Yin Qiao San
English Translation: Honeysuckle and Forsythia Powder
Formula Type: Release Exterior Wind-Heat
Actions: Disperses wind-heat, clears heat, & resolves toxicity.
Indications: Fever, slight chills or chills lasting for only a very brief period of time before aversion to heat develops, headache, thrist, cough, sore throat, a red-tipped tongue, a thin, white or thin, yellow tongue coating, & a floating, rapid pulse.
Contraindications: This formula will be ineffective in cases with damp-heat, unless significantly modified. Proper treatment of wind-dampness requires leaching out the dampness & dispelling the heat through the lower burner (urine or stool). This is precisely what this formula does not do.
Pinyin | English | Suggested Dosage |
---|---|---|
view: Jin Yin Hua |
Honeysuckle Flower | 30g (9-15g) |
view: Lian Qiao |
Forsythia Blossoms | 30g (9-15g) |
view: Jie Geng |
Platycodon | 18g (3-6g) |
view: Niu Bang Zi |
Burdock Seed | 18g (9-12g) |
view: Bo He |
Field Mint [add near end] | 18g (3-6g) |
view: Dan Dou Chi |
Prepared Soybean | 15g (3-6g) |
view: Jing Jie |
Schizonepeta | 12g (6-9g) |
view: Dan Zhu Ye |
Lophatherum Leaves | 12g (3-6g) |
view: Lu Gen |
Phragmities | 15-30g |
view: Gan Cao |
Licorice | 15g (3-6g) |
Jin Yin Hua / Honeysuckle Flower (High) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Sweet • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Relieve Toxicity | |||
Dosage9-15g |
Actions1. Clears heat & relieves fire toxicity: for hot painful sores & swellings in various stages of development, especially of the breasts, throat, or eyes. Also for Intestinal abscess.2. Expels externally contracted wind-heat: for early stages of warm-febrile diseases with such symptoms as fever, slight sensitivity to wind, sore throat, & headache. Also for externally contracted summerheat. 3. Clears damp-heat from the lower burner: for damp-heat dysenteric disorder or painful urinary dysfunction. |
MeridiansLarge Intestine, Lung, Stomach |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of diarrhea due to Spleen & Stomach cold from deficiency. Also contraindicated for sores due to qi deficiency (those with clear exudate) & yin ulcers. |
Lian Qiao / Forsythia Fruit | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Bitter, Slightly Acrid • Temperature: Cool • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Relieve Toxicity | |||
Dosage6-15g |
Actions1. Clears heat & toxin & dissipates nodules: for all hot sores, carbuncles, & neck lumps.2. Expels externally contracted wind-heat: for such symptoms as pronounced fever, slight chills, sore throat, & headache. |
MeridiansHeart, Liver, Gallbladder |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of Spleen & Stomach deficiency with diarrhea, carbuncles that have already ulcerated, & cold (yin) ulcers. |
Jie Geng / Platycodon Root, balloon flower root | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Bitter, Acrid • Temperature: Neutral • Category: Tranform Phlegm & Stop Coughing • Sub Category: Warm & Transform Phlegm Cold | |||
Dosage3-9g |
Actions1. Opens up & disseminates the Lung qi & expels phlegm: for cough. When combined with other appropriate herbs, it can be used for both wind-cold & wind-heat coughs.2. Promotes the discharge of pus: for expelling pus associated with Lung abscess or throat abscess. 3. Benefits the throat: used in manyy cases of sore throat or loss of voice, especially in those caused by external heat, but also when the condition is due to other factors such as phlegm-heat or yin deficiency with heat signs. 4. Directs the effect of other herbs to the upper regions of the body. |
MeridiansLung |
CautionsContraindicated for hemoptysis. May counteract long dan cao & long yan rou. |
Niu Bang Zi / Burdock (Great) Fruit | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Acrid, Bitter • Temperature: Cold • Category: Exterior Releasing - Cool • Sub Category: | |||
Dosage3-9g |
Actions1. Disperses wind-heat & benefits the throat: for externally contracted wind-heat patterns with such symptoms as fever, cough, & a sore, red, swollen throat.2. Clears heat & relieves toxicity: for red swellings, carbuncles, erythemas, mumps, & acute febrile maculopapular rashes. 3. Vent rashes: for early stages of measles when there is incomplete expression of the rash. 4. Moistens Intestines: for wind-heat constipation. |
MeridiansLung, Stomach |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of qi deficiency & diarrhea, or open sores & carbuncles. |
Bo He / Field Mint, Mentha leaves | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Acrid • Temperature: Cooling • Category: Exterior Releasing - Cool • Sub Category: Aromatic | |||
Dosage1.5-6g |
Actions1. Disperses wind-heat: for patterns of wind-heat with fever, headache, & cough.2. Clears the head & eyes & benefits the throat: for patterns of wind-heat with sore throat, red eyes, & headache. 3. Vents rashes: used in the early stages of rashes (such as measles) to induce the rash to come to the surface & thereby speed recovery. 4. Allows constrained Liver qi to flow freely: for constrained Liver qi with such symptoms as pressure in the chest or flanks, emotional instability, & gynecological problems. |
MeridiansLung, Liver |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of exterior deficiency, or yin deficiency with heat signs. Not recommended for nursing mothers as this herb may lead to insufficient lactation. |
Dan Dou Chi / Soybean (prepared) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Sweet, Slightly Bitter • Temperature: Cold or Warm • Category: Exterior Releasing - Cool • Sub Category: | |||
Dosage6-15g |
Actions1. Releases the exterior: for both hot & cold exterior disorders. Because of its mild character, it is also appropriate for treating patterns of yin deficiency with superimposed exterior disorders.2. Eliminates irritability: for irritabilty, restlessness, a stifling sensation in the chest, & insomnia following febrile disorders. |
MeridiansLung, Stomach |
CautionsContraindicated for nursing mothers, as it inhibits lactation. |
Jing Jie / Schizonepeta Stem or Bud | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Acrid • Temperature: Slightly Warm • Category: Exterior Releasing - Warm • Sub Category: Aromatic | |||
Dosage3-9g |
ActionsReleases the exterior & expels wind: for exterior patterns of either wind-cold or wind-heat (depending on the herbs with which it is combined). Also for carbuncles or boils when they first erupt, especially when accompanied by chills & fever.2. Vents rashes & alleviates itching: for the initial stage of measles & pruritic skin eruptions. 3. Stops bleeding: as an auxiliary herb for hemorrhage, e.g. blood in the stool or uterine bleeding. |
MeridiansLung, Liver |
CautionsContraindicated for Liver wind patterns, & for fully-erupted measels or open sores. |
Dan Zhu Ye / Lophatherum Stem and Leaves | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Sweet, Bland • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Drain Fire | |||
Dosage6-9g |
Actions1. Clears heat & eliminates irritability: for heat patterns with irritability & thirst. Also used for mouth sores & swollen, painful gums due to heat in the Heart or Stomach channels.2. Promotes urination & clears damp-heat: for rough, scanty, painful urination. Especially useful for heat in the Small Intestine channel with the above symptoms plus irritability & a dark red tip on the tongue. |
MeridiansHeart, Small Intestine, Stomach |
CautionsUse with caution during pregnancy. |
Lu Gen / Phragmites | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Sweet • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Drain Fire | |||
Dosage15-30g, up to 60g if used alone |
Actions1. Clears heat & generates fluids: for heat patterns with such symptoms as high fever, irritability, & thirst.2. Clears heat from the Lungs: for Lung heat patterns with cough & expectoration of thick, yellow sputum. Especially useful in acute stage. 3. Clears Stomach heat: for such symptoms as vomiting & belching. 4. Clears heat & promotes urination: for dark, scanty urine or blood in the urine, especaially when accompainid by irrritability & thirst. 5. Encourages rashes to surface: for febrile diseases with rashes that are incompletely expressed. |
MeridiansLung, Stomach |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of Spleen or Stomach cold from deficiency. |
Gan Cao / Licorice Root (Chinese) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Sweet • Temperature: Neutral (raw root) • Category: Tonic / Harmonize • Sub Category: Tonify Qi | |||
Dosage2-12g |
Actions1. 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. |
MeridiansAll 12 channels (principally the Heart, Lung, Spleen, & Stomach) |
CautionsContraindicated 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. |