Clear Epidemics and Overcome Toxin Decoction
Chinese Prescription: Qing Wen Bai Du Yin
English Translation: Clear Epidemics and Overcome Toxin Decoction
Formula Type: Clear Heat and Relieve Toxicity
Actions: Clears heat, resolves toxicity, cools the blood, & drains fire.
Indications: Intense fever, strong thirst, dry heaves, severe & stabbing headache, extreme irritability, & in severe cases, delirious speech, rashes, & nosebleed. The tongue is dark red, the lips are dark & scorched, & the pulse is either rapid, submerged, & thin or rapid, floating, & large.
Contraindications: Contraindicated in cases with yang deficiency, or weakness of the Spleen & Stomach.
Pinyin | English | Suggested Dosage |
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view: Shi Gao |
Gypsum | 24-36g (small), (60-120g) (medium), 180-240g (large) |
view: Sheng Di Huang |
Unprepared Rehmannia | 6-12g, (9-15g), 18-30g |
view: Huang Lian |
Coptis / Goldthread | 3-4.5g, (6-12g), 12-18g |
view: Shui Niu Jiao |
Water Buffalo Horn | (12g)30-120g |
view: Zhi Zi |
Gardenia | 3-18g |
view: Jie Geng |
Platycodon | 1.5-12g |
view: Huang Qin |
Scutellaria Baicalensis | 1.5-12g |
view: Zhi Mu |
Anemarrhena | 3-18g |
view: Chi Shao |
Red Peony | 3-18g |
view: Xuan Shen |
Scrophularia | 3-18g |
view: Lian Qiao |
Forsythia Blossoms | 3-18g |
view: Dan Zhu Ye |
Lophatherum Leaves | 1.5-12g |
view: Gan Cao |
Licorice | 1.5-12g |
view: Mu Dan Pi |
Moutan Root Bark | 3-18g |
Shi Gao / Gypsum | |||
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Taste: Sweet, Acrid • Temperature: Very Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Drain Fire | |||
Dosage9-30g, up to 90g for high fevers. Brake up & cook for 20-30 minutes before adding other herbs. |
Actions1. Clears heat & drains fire: for high fever without chills, irritability, intense thirst, profuse sweating, a flooding & big pulse, & a red tongue with yellow coating. This condition is identified as one of excess in the qi level of the four levels of disease, or the yang brightness channel stage of the six stages of disease.2. Clears excessive heat from the Lungs: for cough & wheezing with fever & thick, viscous sputum. 3. Clears blazing Stomach fire: for headache, toothache, or swollen & painful gums due to Stomach fire. 4. For eczema, burns, & ulcerated sores: usually applied topically in powdered form after being calcined & mixed with other herbs. |
MeridiansLung, Stomach |
CautionsContraindicated for patients with weak stomachs, or when the pulse is minute, or in cases of yang deficiency or heat from yin deficiency. |
Sheng Di Huang / Rehmannia Root, Unprepared | |||
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Taste: Sweet, Bitter • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Cool Blood | |||
Dosage9-30g |
Actions1. 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. |
MeridiansHeart, Kidney, Liver |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of Spleen deficiency with dampness, yang deficiency, & in pregnant women with blood deficiency or Spleen or Stomach deficiency. |
Huang Lian / Coptis Rhizome | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Bitter • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Drain Damp | |||
Dosage1.5-9g |
Actions1. Drains fire & relieves toxicity for heat with blazing fire with such symptoms as high fever, irritability, disorientation, delirium, red tongue, & a rapid full pulse. Also for exessive heat with toxicity with such symptoms as painful, red eyes & sore throat & for boils, carbuncles, & abscesses.2. Clears heat & drains dampness: for damp-heat in the Stomach or Intestines that presents with diarrhea or dysenteric disorder. Also for vomiting &/or acid regurgitation due to Stomach heat. 3. Clears Heart fire: for irritability & insomnia due to lack of communication between the Heart & Kidneys. 4. Clears heat & stops bleeding: for nosebleed, or blood in the urine, stool, or vomit due to reckless moevement of the blood. 5. Drains Stomach fire: for digestive dysfunction with bad breath & belching with a putrid odor. 6. Clears heat topically: used topically for red & painful eyes & ulcerations of the tongue & mouth. |
MeridiansHeart, Large Intestine, Liver, Stomach |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of yin deficiency, nausea or vomiting due to Stomach cold from deficiency, & diarrhea due to Spleen or Kidney deficiency. Long-term use is discouraged as it can injure the Spleen & Stomach. This herb may antagonize ju hua, xuan shen, bai xian pi, & jiang can, & may counteract kuan dong hua & niu xi. Some also say that it should not be taken with pork. |
Shui Niu Jiao / Water Buffalo Horn, ribboned | |||
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Taste: • Temperature: • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Cool Blood | |||
Dosage |
Actions |
Meridians |
Cautions |
Zhi Zi / Gardenia, Cape Jasmine Fruit | |||
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Taste: Bitter • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Drain Fire | |||
Dosage3-12g |
Actions1. Clears heat & eliminates irritability: for heat patterns with fever, irritability, restlessness, a stifling sensation in the chest, insomnia, or delirious speech.2. Dries damp-heat: for painful urinary dysfunction due to damp-heat in the lower burner; damp-heat & constrained Liver & Gallbladder (middle burner) with jaundice; & damp-heat in the Gallbladder & Triple Burner channels of the face, affecting the nose & eyes or causing sores in the mouth or facial region. 3. Cools the blood & stops bleeding: for heat in the blood with such symptoms as nosebleed, or blood in the vomit, stool, or urine. For this purpose, the herb is partiallly charred. 4. Reduces swelling & moves blood stasis due to trauma: for this purpose, apply topically as a powder mixed with egg white or vinegar. |
MeridiansHeart, Liver, Lung, Stomach, Triple Burner |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of loose stool or loss of appetite due to cold from deficiency. |
Jie Geng / Platycodon Root, balloon flower root | |||
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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. |
Huang Qin / Scute or Baical Skullcap Root | |||
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Taste: Bitter • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Drain Damp | |||
Dosage6-15g |
Actions1. 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. |
MeridiansGallbladder, Large Intestine, Lung, Stomach |
CautionsContraindicated 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. |
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. |
Chi Shao / Peony (Red) Root | |||
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Taste: Sour, Bitter • Temperature: Slightly Cold • Category: Regulate Blood • Sub Category: Invigorate Blood | |||
Dosage4.5-9g |
Actions1. Invigorate the blood & dispels blood stasis: for dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, abdominal pain & immobile abdominal masses. Also for the swelling & pain associated with traumatic injury, & the early stages of abscesses & boils.2. Clears heat & cools the blood: for heat entering the blood level with fever, purple tongue, skin blotches, & bleeding due to the reckless movement of hot blood. Also for gynecological problems associated with hot blood. 3. Clears Liver fire: for red, swollen, painful eyes. |
MeridiansLiver, Spleen |
CautionsUse with caution in cases of blood deficiency. |
Xuan Shen / Scrophularia Root | |||
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Taste: Salty, Sweet, Bitter • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Cool Blood | |||
Dosage9-30g |
Actions1. Clears heat & cools the blood: used when heat has entered the blood level of warm-febrile diseases, causing bleeding, fever, dry mouth, & a purplish tongue.2. Nourishes the yin: especially for the sequelae of warm-febrile diseases with such symptoms as constipation & irritability. 3. Drains fire & relieves toxicity: for swollen or red eyes, & especially in extreme cases of sore throat. 4. Softens hardness & dissipates nodules: for neck lumps due to phlegm-fire as well as severe throat pain & swelling. |
MeridiansKidney, Lung, Stomach |
CautionsUse with caution in cases of Spleen or Stomach dampness, or diarrhea due to Spleen deficiency. According to some traditional sources, this herb antagonizes huang qi, gan jiang, da zao, & shan zhu yu. It is also considered to be incompatible with li lu. |
Lian Qiao / Forsythia Fruit | |||
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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. |
Dan Zhu Ye / Lophatherum Stem and Leaves | |||
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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. |
Gan Cao / Licorice Root (Chinese) | |||
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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. |
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. |