The source is from spike of Prunella vulgaris L., family Labiatae. The producing areas are in all parts of China, but mainly in the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui, etc.. The medicinal material is collected in summer, dried in the sun and the raw is used for medication.

Medicinal Properties Bitter and pungent in flavor, cold in nature and attributive to the liver and gall-bladder meridians.

Actions Clear away liver-fire and disperse stagnation.

Application

1. For hyperactivity of liver-fire with conjunctivitis, headache and dizziness, it is often combined with Juhua ( Flos Chrysanthemi ), Juemingzi ( Semen Cassiae ), etc. ;for insufficiency of liver-yin with eye pains, it is used together with Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis), Gouqizi (Fructus Lycii ) so as to nourish the liver and improve eyesight. Now it is often used for the treatment of high blood pressure due to liver heat and yang hyperactivity.

2. For scrofula and goiter caused by stagnation of phlegm and fire due to stagnation of liver-qi transforming into fire, it is often combined with Beimu (Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii ), Xuanshen ( Radix Scrophulariae), and Muli (Concha Ostreae ); for goiter, also used with Haigeke (Concha Cyclinae ), Kunbu (Thallus Laminariae seu Eckloniae ) , and Haizao ( Sargassum ), etc..

Usage and Dosage 9 -15 g is used in decoction for oral use, or decocted into medicinal extract for oral use.

Notes Used with caution in those with deficiency of the spleen and stomach.

Lugen Rhizoma Phragmitis

The source is from underground rhizomes of perennial herbaceous plant, Phragmites communis Trin, family Gramineae, and the producing areas are in all parts of China. The medicinal material is collected in the end of spring and early stage of summer or in autumn, cut into segments, the fresh or the dried can be used.

Medicinal Properties Sweet in flavor, cold in nature and attributive to the lung and stomach meridians.

Actions Clear away heat and promote the production of the body fluids, stop vomiting and relieve restlessness.
Application

1. For the treatment of febrile disease consuming the body fluids marked by fever with restlessness, thirst, redness of the tongue and shortness of the tongue fluid, it is often combined with Tianhuafen (Radix Trichosan-this), Maimendong (Radix Ophiopogonis), etc. to clear away heat and promote the production of the body fluids together.

2. For vomiting due to stomach-heat, it can be decocted alone into thick juice for oral use; or used together with Zhuru ( Caulis Bambusae in Taeniam ) and ginger juice so as to strengthen the action of stopping vomiting.

3. It is used for cough due to lung-heat and pulmonary abscess and can resolve phlegm and drain pus as well as clear away lung-heat. For cough due to exogenous wind and heat, it is usually combined with Jiegeng (Radix Platycodi ), Sangye ( Folium Mori ), and Niubangzi (Fructus Arctii), etc. to expel wind and heat, such as Sang Ju Yin (Decoction); For cough due to lung-heat with yellow and thick sputum, often combined with Gualou ( Fructus Trichosanthis ) , Beimu ( Bulbus Fritillariae), and Huangqin (Radix Scutellariae), etc.. For pulmonary absess with pus sputum, combined with Yiyiren ( Semen Coicis ), Dongguaren ( Semen Benincasae) and others that can clear away heat and disperse pus, such as Weijing Tang (Decoction).

In addition, it has certain action of clearing away heat and promoting diuresis, so it is also used for oliguria with brownish urine and pyretic stranguria with pain.

Usage and Dosage 15 30 g is used in decoction for oral use. 30 -60 g of the fresh is effective in clearing away heat and promoting the production of body fluids and diuresis.

Notes Used with caution in the patient with deficiency and cold of the spleen and stomach.

Its source is from the root of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim., family Cucurbitaceae, the medicinal material is produced in all parts of China and collected in autumn and winter, the fresh one is used or cut into pieces, dried in the sun for medication.

Medicinal Properties Sweet and slightly bitter in flavor, slightly cold in nature and attributive to the lung and stomach meridians.

Actions Clear away heat and promote the production of body fluids, resolve swelling and drain pus.

Application

1. It is used for febrile disease with thirst, diabetes and frequent drinking, since it is sweet, cold but moistening in properties, and can clear away heat and promote production of the body fluids. For febrile disease with thirst or diabetes due to consumption of the body fluids, it is often combined with Lugen ( Rhizoma Phragmitis ), Maimendong (Radix Ophiopogonis), etc.. For diabetes with frequent drinking due to deficiency and interior heat, combined with Gegen (Radix Puerariae ) and Shanyao (Rhizoma Dioscoreae), such as Yuye Tang (Decoction).

2. It can clear away lung-heat and moisturize the lung, so it is used for dry cough due to lung-heat. For damage to the lung due to dry-heat with dry cough and scanty sputum, it is often combined with Tianmendong (Radix Asparagi ), Maimendong ( Radix Ophiopogonis), and Shengdihuang (Radix Rehmanniae), etc. to clear away heat, moisten the lung to stop cough.

3. It can be used for pyocutaneous disease of heat type whether the infection is ulcerous or not. It can relieve carbuncle for the nonulcerous and can drain pus and promote the production of muscles for the ulcerous, often combined with Jinyinhua ( Flos Lonicerae), Baizhi (Radix Angeticae Dahuricae ), etc., such as Xianfang Huoming Yin (Decoction).

Usage and Dosage 10 -15 g is used in decoction for oral use.

Notes Contraindicated in pregnant women and it is incompatible with Wutou (Radix Aconiti).