Herbs That Clear Heat

Front 1

Gypsum fibrosum

Back 1

Shi Gao

Front 2

Acrid, Sweet
Cold
Lung, Stomach

Back 2

Shi Gao

Front 3

1.) Clears heat and drains fire
* Invasion of pathogenic heat but also any condition that presents with heat signs: dry throat red face, red eyes, dry stools, scanty urine, yellow tongue coating, rapid pulse & a sensation of warmth in the 5 centers

2.) Clears heat from excess from the Lungs
* Heat can be found in the exterior or interior: exterior presents with fever, chills, headache, thirst, moderate sweating, & floating rapid pulse; interior heat presents with fever without chills, dry mouth thirst, irritability, scanty & dark urine, yellow tongue coating, constipation or diarrhea, and abdominal distention

3.) Clears blazing Stomach fire
* Qi level & yang brightness stage: fever without chills, irritability, intense thirst, profuse sweating, a flooding, big pulse, red tongue w/ yellow coating

4.) For eczema, burns, and ulcerated sores
*Eye problems due to wind heat
*Cough & wheezing with fever & thick viscous sputum
*Headache, toothache, or gums due to blazing stomach fire

*Very cooling & dispersing; w/in it's ability to drain fire is a tendency to clear & release
* In the exterior it releases heat from the muscle layer, and in the interior it clears fire & heat from excess from the qi level of the lungs & stomach
* Consumed slowly; you want its therapeutic power to remain in the upper & middle burners, and not let the coldness encroach upon the lower burner, causing loose stools or diarrhea
White Tiger Decoction is the best approach: shi gao & zhi mu; combining to release heat & eliminate irritability; acrid cold flavors combined with bitter cold moistening qualities

Back 3

Shi Gao

Front 4

Anemarrhenae Rhizoma

Back 4

Zhi Mu

Front 5

Sweet, Bitter
Cold
Lung, Stomach, Kidney

Back 5

Zhi Mu

Front 6

1.) Clears heat and drains fire
* High fever, irritability, thirst, & rapid, flooding pulse in patterns of heat from excess in the Lungs & Stomach; cough due to heat in the Lungs with expectoration of thick yellow sputum

2.) Enriches the yin and moistens dryness
*Exhaustion or deficiency of Lung & Kidney yin with such heat signs as: night sweats, steaming bone disorder, irritability, afternoon or low-grade fevers, heat in the 5 centers, & bleeding gums

3.) Generates fluids and clears heat
* Oral ulcers & inflammation due to yin deficiency and WASTING THIRSTING DISORDER

4.) Ameliorates the dryness of tonifyin or warming substances
* Drains fire while it's moistening qualities enrich the yin and moisten what is dry

* In the upper burner it clears Lung heat
* In the middle burner it drains ministerial fire, while enriching the yin of the Kidneys, Lung & Stomach
* It can be used in excess & deficiency when heat has dried the yin fluids such as wasting & thirsting disorder

Back 6

Zhi Mu

Front 7

Citrulli Fructus

Back 7

Xi Gua

Front 8

Sweet
Cold
Urinary Bladder, Stomach, Heart

Back 8

Xi Gua

Front 9

* The natural White Tiger decoction

Back 9

Xi Gua

Front 10

Gardeniae Fructus

Back 10

Zhi Zi

Front 11

Bitter
Cold
Heart, Lung, Stomach, Liver, San Jiao

Back 11

Zhi Zi

Front 12

1.) Drains heat & eliminates irritability
* fever, irritability, restlessness, stifling sensation in the chest, insomnia or delirious speech

2.) Clears heat & resolves dampness
* painful urinary dribbling due to damp-heat in the lower burner
* damp heat & constrained Liver & GB w/ jaundice
* damp heat in the GB & San Jiao of the face

3.) Cools the blood & resolves toxicity
* heat in the blood s/x: nosebleed, blood in the vomit, stool or urine
* herb is partially charred for this purpose

4.) Reduces swelling & moves blood stasis due to trauma


* "an herb of the Heart, Lungs, Liver & Stomach but it's therapeutic affect is more in the Heart, Liver & Stomach & less in the Lungs"
* "tremendous ability to drain fire downward & out through the urine, as by nature it winds its way downward"

* Damp-heat affecting the Spleen & Stomach -> drains fire from 3 burners, & enters the qi aspect ->where it cools & moves the blood -> combined w/da huang, pu gong ying, yu jin, bai jiang cao & tao ren
* Enters qi and xue level
* Excels at eliminating irritable constraint

Back 12

Zhi Zi

Front 13

Lophatheri Herba

Back 13

Dan Zhu Ye

Front 14

Sweet, Bland
Cold
Heart, SI, Stomach

Back 14

Dan Zhu Ye

Front 15

1.) Clears heat & eliminates irritability
* heat w/ irritability & thirst & mouth sores

2.) Promotes urination & clears damp-heat
* painful urination

* Leach out dampness
* Febrile diseases, irritability, thrist, scanty dark urine, & painful urinary dribbling
* Much milder than zhi zi
* Enters only the qi level
* Also good for cough due to wind-heat, & mouth ulcers due to Heart heat

Back 15

Dan Zhu Ye

Front 16

Prunellae Spica

Back 16

Xia Ku Cao

Front 17

Bitter, Acrid
Cold
GB, Liver

Back 17

Xia Ku Cao

Front 18

1.) Clears liver fire & brightens the eyes


2.) Clears heat & dissipates nodules
* goiters -> Western treatment of goiters is very harmful to the body -> hypothyroidism or hyperthryroidism

3.) Recently used for hypertension, especially when accompanied by Liver fire or patterns of ascending yang

* Also disperses clumped stagnation -> phlegm thickened by heat

Back 18

Xia Ku Cao

Front 19

Phragmitis Rhizoma

Back 19

Lu Gen

Front 20

Sweet
Cold
Lung, Stomach

Back 20

Lu Gen

Front 21

1.) Clears heat & generates fluids
* high fever, irritability & thirst
* especially useful when heat is accompanied by rebellious stomach qi

2.) Clears heat & promotes urination
* dark, scanty urine or blood in the urine

3.) Encourages rashes to surface
* for febrile diseases w/rashes that are incompletely expressed

* Cool lung heat, eliminate phlegm & expel pus but it also cools the stomach, generates fluids & alleviates nausea
* Urgency is fire's nature
* Excels at clearing heat at the qi level

Back 21

Lu Gen

Front 22

Trichosanthis Radix

Back 22

Tian Hua Fen

Front 23

Bitter, Slightly Sweet
Cold
Lung, Stomach

Back 23

Tian Hua Fen

Front 24

1.) Drains heat & generate fluids
* heat injures fluids, giving rise to thirst & irritability, yin xu, & wasting & thirsting d/o
* mixed w/zhi mu, wu wei zi, & ge gen for wasting & thirsting d/o

2.) Clears & drain Lung heat, transforms phlegm, & moistening Lung dryness

Back 24

Tian Hua Fen

Front 25

Bubali Cornu

Back 25

Shui Niu Jiao

Front 26

Salty
Cold
Stomach, Liver, Heart

Back 26

Shui Niu Jiao

Front 27

1.) Clears heat, resolves fire toxicity & cools the blood
* For warm-heat pathogen diseases accompanied by extreme heat or heat signs, very high fever affecting the blood levels with chaotic movement of hot blood
2.) Clears heat & arrests tremors
* Erythiems, purpura, nose bleed, vomiting of blood, convulsions or delirium
* Unremitting high fever, loss of consciousness, delirium, convulsions, or manic behavior

* Substitute for Rhinocerotis Cornu - Xi Jiao; actions are weaker and require a higher dosage
* Particularly good for clearing pathogenic heat from the Heart channel& resolving heat toxin from the blood

Back 27

Shui Niu Jiao

Front 28

Rehmanniae radix

Back 28

Sheng Di Huang

Front 29

Sweet, Bitter
Cold
Kidney, Liver, Heart

Back 29

Sheng Di Huang

Front 30

1.) Clears heat and cools the blood
* For warm-heat pathogen diseases where heat enters the blood level causing very high fever, thirst, & a scarlet tongue

2.) Nourishes the yin and generates fluids
* Yin deficiency with heat signs as well as injury to fluids; dry mouth, continuous low grade fever, & constipation, throat pain associated with yin deficiency and WASTING & THIRSTING disorder

* It's bitter coldness drains heat while its cold, sweet and moistening qualities enrich the yin & moisten dryness
* Treats insatiable thirst, internal heat, & hot flashes & bleeding rashes; often used when there is an exhaustion of yin, deficiency of blood or insufficient fluids
* Dissolves stagnation due to dried up fluids

Back 30

Sheng Di Huang

Front 31

Scrophulariae Radix

Back 31

Xuan Shen

Front 32

Salty, Sweet, Bitter
Cold
Kidney, Lung, Stomach

Back 32

Xuan Shen

Front 33

1.) Clears heat & cools the blood
* blood level

2.) Nourishes the yin
* constipation & irritability

3.) Softens hardness & dissipates nodules
* neck lumps due to phlegm-fire & severe throat pain

* Sweet - cold enriches yin
* Bitter coldness drains fire
* Salty coldness softens areas of hardness & moistens dryness
* Ren shen should be used w/shi gao w/blood tonifying herbs w/ xuan shen to address underyling conditions
* Similar to sheng di huang -> both clear heat, cool the blood, enrich yin & generate fluids: Sheng di is stronger than xuan shen b/c sheng di focuses on the blood level
* Xuan shen focuses on entering the yin level, directing fire downward & resolving toxicity, while dispersing clumps, cooling the lungs & benefiting the throat

Back 33

Xuan Shen

Front 34

Moutan Cortex

Back 34

Mu Dan Pi

Front 35

Acrid, Bitter
Slightly Cold
Heart, Liver, Kidney

Back 35

Mu Dan Pi

Front 36

1.) Clears heat & cools the blood
* blood level heat

2.) Clears fire from xu
* steaming bone d/o

3.) Invigorates the blood & dispels blood stasis

4.) Clears ascending liver fire

5.) Drains pus & reduces swelling

* Lurking fire in the blood level in Heart, Kidneys, Pericardium, & Liver
* If there is lurking fire in the blood -> something is wrong w/the ministerial fire (HT, KD, P, LV)
* Chi shao & Mu dan pi cool & invigorate the blood while invigorating the blood -> most frequently used pair for cooling the blood & dispersing stasis
* Sheng di & Mu dan pi both can be used for heat from yin xu; Sheng di nourishes the yin & heat is alleviated & Mu dan pi disperses heat and therefore allows the yin to recover

Back 36

Mu Dan Pi

Front 37

Arnebiae/Lithospermi Radix

Back 37

Zi Cao

Front 38

Sweet
Cold
Heart, Liver

Back 38

Zi Cao

Front 39

1.) Clears heat, cools the blood, & resolves fire toxicity while venting rashes
* w/lian qiao, chan tui, & chi shao for dark purple measles w/ incomplete expression
add niu bang zi & shan dou gen if sore throat

2.) Clears damp heat from the skin


* Best for cooling the blood, invigorating the blood, resolving toxicity & venting rashes while promoting urination & unblocking the intestines

Back 39

Zi Cao

Front 40

Scutellariae Radix

Back 40

Huang Qin

Front 41

Bitter
Cold
Lung, Stomach, Gall Bladder, Large Intestine

Back 41

Huang Qin

Front 42

1.) Clears heat and dries dampness
* Damp-warmth presents with fever, stifling sensation in the chest, & thirst but inability to drink; or damp-heat in the lower burner with painful urinary dribbling

2.) Clears heat and resolves toxicity, especially in the upper burner
* Heat patterns; high fever, irritability, thirst, cough, expectoration of thick, yellow sputum or hot sores & swellings

3.) Clears heat & stops bleeding
* For internal heat from excess causing the blood to move chaotically; vomiting or coughing up blood, nosebleed, & blood in stool

4.) Clears heat and calms the fetus


5.) Sedates ascendant liver yang
* headache, irritability, red eyes, flushed face, & bitter taste

* Bitterness dries dampness & cold clears heat
* Noted as a fetal-quieting herb benefitting the mother & the fetus when heat disturbs the pregnancy

Back 42

Huang Qin

Front 43

Coptidis Rhizoma

Back 43

Huang Lian

Front 44

Bitter
Cold
Stomach, Liver, Large Intestine, Heart

Back 44

Huang Lian

Front 45

1.) Clears heat and drains dampness
*For damp-heat with diarrhea or dysenteric disorder

2.) Drains fire and resolves fire toxicity
* For heat with blazing fire; high fever, irritability, disorientation, delirium, red tongue, rapid & full pulse

3.) Clears heat and stops bleeding
* For heat from excess with toxicity; painful red eyes, sore throat, boils, carbuncles, & abscesses
* For nosebleed, or blood in the urine, stool, or vomit due to chaotic movement of hot blood

4.) Clears heat topically
* Used topically for red & painful eyes & ulcerations of the tongue & mouth

* Coldness enables it to cool heat & resolve toxicity & bitterness drains fire & dries dampness
* Best at draining Heart & Stomach fire while clearing damp-heat from the Stomach & Intestines

Back 45

Huang Lian

Front 46

Phellodendri Cortex

Back 46

Huang Bai

Front 47

Bitter
Cold
Kidney, Urinary Bladder

Back 47

Huang Bai

Front 48

1.) Drains damp-heat, particularly from the lower burner
* Thick yellow vaginal discharge, foul smelling diarrhea, or dysenteric disorder; damp-heat pouring downward or hot leg qi; red, swollen & painful knees, legs, or feet

2.) Drains Kidney fire
* Damp-heat jaundice

3.) Drains fire and resolves fire toxicity
* Ascending Kidney fire with yin deficiency signs; steaming bone disorder, night sweats, afternoon fevers & sweating

Back 48

Huang Bai

Front 49

Gentianae Radix

Back 49

Long Dan Cao

Front 50

Bitter
Cold
GB, Liver, Stomach

Back 50

Long Dan Cao

Front 51

1.) Drains damp-heat from the Liver & GB channel
* red, swollen, sore throat & eyes, swollen & painful ears or sudden deafness

2.) Drains & pacifies excessive Liver fire
* liver fire blazing upward w/ headache or red eyes

* Cooling fire from excess in the Liver & GB & clearing lower burner damp-heat

Back 51

Long Dan Cao

Front 52

Lonicerai Flos

Back 52

Jin Yin Hau

Front 53

Sweet
Cold
Lung, Stomach, Large Intestine

Back 53

Jin Yin Hau

Front 54

1.) Clears heat & resolves fire toxicity
* For hot painful sores& swellings in various stages; breast, throat, eyes

2.) Vents & disperses externally-contracted wind-heat
* For early stages of warm-heat pathogen; fever, slight sensitivity to wind, sore throat, & headache; externally contracted summer heat

3.) Clears damp-heat from the lower burner
* For dampheat dysenteric disorder or painful urinary dribbling

* Lightweight so it affects the upper body; resolves toxicity by dispersing pathogenic heat & cooling heat in the stomach & lungs; tonifies deficiency, enriches the blood & alleviates thirst
* Vine

Back 54

Jin Yin Hau

Front 55

Forsythiae Fructus

Back 55

Lian Qiao

Front 56

Acrid, Bitter
Cold
Lung, Gall Bladder, Heart

Back 56

Lian Qiao

Front 57

1.) Clears heat & resolves toxicity
* For externally contracted wind-heat; fever, slight chills, sore throat & headache

2.) Reduces abscesses & dissipates clumps
* For toxic clumps; external sores, internal abscesses, scofula, or throat painful obstruction

* Bitterness drains fire, coldness cools heat, and its light weight conducts pathogens outward; enabling it to vent heat; it disperses heat from the exterior & the interior from the Heart & Upper Burner
* Treats externally-contracted wind-heat or a warm pathogen disease entering the Pericardium; irritability, fever, delirium, or rashes due to blood heat
* Encourages the smooth flow of Qi & Blood
* Promotes urination & leads Heart fire out through urine; which would facilitate its ability to eliminate phlegm

Back 57

Lian Qiao

Front 58

Lycii Cortex

Back 58

Di Gu Pi

Front 59

Sweet, Bland
Cold
Lung, Liver, Kidney

Back 59

Di Gu Pi

Front 60

1.) Cools the blood & reduces steaming
* night sweats, steaming bone disorder w/ sweating, chronic low grade fever, irritability & thirst

2.) Clears & drains Lung heat

* Eliminates heat from excess in the blood by cooling it

Back 60

Di Gu Pi

Front 61

Cynanchi atrati Radix

Back 61

Bai Wei

Front 62

Bitter, Salty
Cold
Lung, Stomach, Kidney

Back 62

Bai Wei

Front 63

1.) Clears heat & cools the blood
* nutrative or blood levels
* yin xu fever, persistant summertime fever in children, postpartum fever & lingering fever

2.) Cools the blood & promotes urination
* especially w/giving birth

3.) Resolves toxicity & treats sores

* Often paired w/Di gu pi for tidal fevers & steaming bones due to yin xu & excellent foundation for prescriptions designed for low grade fevers from unidentified causes & no other symptoms

* Special in that it can vent residual pathogenic heat injuring the yin in the later stage of a febrile d/o

* Mu dan pi, di gu pi & bai wei all cool the blood & reduce heat from xu -> t/x heat from yin xu associated w/consumptive d/o w/low grade fever; Mu dan pi & Di gu pi can also reduce heat form excess at the xue level & mu dan pi dispels blood stasis (bai wei & Di gu pi can't)

Back 63

Bai Wei

Front 64

Stellariae Radix

Back 64

Yin Chai Hu

Front 65

Sweet
Slightly cold
Liver, Stomach

Back 65

Yin Chai Hu

Front 66

1.) Causes heat from xu to recede
* fire from yin xu w/steaming bone d/o

2.) Clears heat & reduces childhood nutritional impairment
* fever, thirst, & irritability associated w/childhood nutritional impairment
* combined w/zhi zi, huang qin & dang shen

* Reaches the muscle layer
* Combined w/bie jia for tonification w/cooling, t/x: heat from xu w/or w/out sweating

Back 66

Yin Chai Hu

Front 67

Cassiae Semen

Back 67

Jue Ming Zi

Front 68

Bitter, Sweet, Salty
Slightly Cold
Liver, LI, Kidney

Back 68

Jue Ming Zi

Front 69

1.) Clears the Liver & the eye
* red, swollen, painful eyes from heat or wind-heat in the Liver channel

2.) Calms the Liver & anchors the errant yang
* headaches & dizziness

3.) Moistens the intestines & unblocks the bowels


4.) Recently used to prevent atherosclerosis as it lowers both blood pressure & serum cholesterol

Back 69

Jue Ming Zi

Front 70

Vesica Fellea Ursi

Back 70

Xiong Dan

Front 71

Bitter
Cold
Liver, GB, Heart, Spleen, Stomach

Back 71

Xiong Dan

Front 72

1.) Clears heat from the Heart & Liver & stops spasms
* childhood convulsions, epilepsy, & eclampsia

2.) Clears heat & resolves toxicity


3.) Clears & drains Liver heat & benefits the eyes


4.) Clears heat & eliminates childhood nutritional impairment

Back 72

Xiong Dan

Front 73

Sophorae Flavescentis Radix

Back 73

Ku Shen

Front 74

Bitter
Cold
UB, Heart, Liver, Large Intestine

Back 74

Ku Shen

Front 75

1.) Clears heat & dries dampness
* damp heat in the lower burner

2.) Disperses wind, kills parasites & stops itching
* damp toxin skin leasions or infestations w/chronic itching

3.) Clears heat & promotes urination

* Descending nature expels wind, stops itching, & promotes urination

Back 75

Ku Shen

Front 76

Fraxini Cortex

Back 76

Qin Pi

Front 77

Bitter, Astringent
Cold
Gall Bladder, Large Intestine, Liver, Stomach

Back 77

Qin Pi

Front 78

1.) Clears heat & resolves toxicity & dries dampness
* diarrhea, dysenteric d/o, & vaginal discharge due to damp-heat

2.) Drains Liver fire & benefits the eyes


3.) Dipserses wind-dampness


4.) Calms wheezing & stops coughs

Back 78

Qin Pi

Front 79

Isatidis Folium

Back 79

Da Qing Ye

Front 80

Bitter, Salty
Very Cold
Heart, Lung, Stomach

Back 80

Da Qing Ye

Front 81

1.) Clears heat & resolves fire toxicity
* warm heat disease or epidemic febrile outbreak

2.) Cools the blood & dissipates maculae
* for skin eruptions due to heat in the blood

* Bitterness drains & directs rebellious qi downward
* Saltiness enters the blood level
* Intense cold cools heat
* High fever & insatiable thirst
* The cooling proterties of this herb are considered to be antibacterial, antiviral, antipyretic & ant-inflammatory

Back 81

Da Qing Ye

Front 82

Isatidis Radix

Back 82

Ban Lan Gen

Front 83

Bitter
Cold
Heart, Lung, Stomach

Back 83

Ban Lan Gen

Front 84

1.) Drains heat, resolves fire toxicity, cools the blood, & benefits the throat

* Similar to Da Qing Ye ( can use as a substitute)
* Leaves primaryly disperse
* Root primarly direct qi downward

Back 84

Ban Lan Gen

Front 85

Taraxaci Herba

Back 85

Pu Gong Ying

Front 86

Bitter, Sweet
Cold
Liver, Stomach

Back 86

Pu Gong Ying

Front 87

1.) Reduces abscesses & dissipates nodules


2.) Clears the Liver & clears the eyes
* for redness & swelling of the eyes

3.) Clears heat, resolves dampness & unblocks painful urinary dribbling

* Excels at draining & directing downward, dispersing qi stagnation & clumping,
* Traditional sphere of use was for breast abscesses
* Vs: Xia Ku Cao -> Pu Gong Ying is especially strong at for clearing heat & resolving toxicity
* Xia Ku Cao exels at dredging & unblocking constraint & stasis
* Paired together effective for treating early stage of breasts abscesses
* Vs: Zi Hua Di Ding-> Pu Gong Ying tends to enter the qi level w/a stronger ability to dredge constraint & disperse clumping
* Pu Gong Ying is directed more at the Liver & Stomach channel
* Zu Hua Di Ding tends to enter the blood level -> able to cool the blood & resolve toxicity stronger

Back 87

Pu Gong Ying

Front 88

Violae Herba

Back 88

Zi Hua Di Ding

Front 89

Acrid, Bitter
Cold
Heart, Liver

Back 89

Zi Hua Di Ding

Front 90

Andrographitis Herba

Back 90

Chuan Xin Lian

Front 91

Bitter
Cold
Large Intestine, Lung, SI, Stomach

Back 91

Chuan Xin Lian

Front 92

1.) Clears heat & resolves toxicity


2.) Clears heat, dries damp, & stops diarrhea
* damp-heat dysenteric d/o, hot painful urinary dribbling, & eczema

* Treats influenza, cough, & wheezing
* VS Ban Zhi Lian: Chuan Xin Lian exels at clearing heat & resolving toxicity
* Ban Xhi Lian excels at eliminating stagnation, reducing swelling, & alleviating pain

Back 92

Chuan Xin Lian

Front 93

1.) Clears heat & resolves toxicity


2.) Clears hot sores


* Bitter drains
* Acrid disperses stagnation
* Vs: Pu Gong Ying -> these two herbs have similar actions but different scopes of treatment so together action is very broad
* Pu Gong Ying excels at directing downward & dispersing stagnant qi
* Zi Hua Di Ding excels at resolving toxicity so more effective in treating deep set toxic sores & carbuncles

Back 93

Zi Hua Di Ding