INDIVIDUAL HERBS

Pharmaceutical Latin: Herba Artemisiae Annuae
Herba Artemisiae Apiaciae
Common English: Sweet Wormwood
Celery Wormwood
Herbs that Clear Heat and Purge Fire: Herbs that Clear Heat from Deficiency
Taste Temperature Entering Meridians Dosage
Bitter
(Acrid)
Cold
Kidney
Liver
Gallbladder
(Bladder)
(Stomach)
(San Jiao)
3-12g
For stronger Heat clearing: up to 24g
For malaria: 20-40g
Tincture: 1-4ml
Actions Indications/Syndromes

Clears Summerheat or Damp-Heat

Summerheat with low fever, headache, dizziness and a stifling sensation in the chest

Clears Deficiency fevers

Blood Deficiency or Yin Deficiency fevers

Sequelae of a febrile disease

Especially good when steaming bone patterns are marked by anhidrosis

Cools the Blood and stops bleeding

Purpuric rashes or epistaxis due to Blood Heat

Stops malarial disorders and relieves Heat

Malarial disorders with alternating chills and fever

Clears Liver Heat and brightens the eyes

Liver Yang Rising with red eyes, dizziness and photophobia
CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Contraindicated for those with watery diarrhea.
  • Contraindicated for those with weak digestion.
  • Contraindicated for those with Food Stagnation.
  • Contraindicated for postpartum women with Blood Deficiency.
  • Contraindicated for those with Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold.
  • Contraindicated for those with no Deficiency Heat.
INCOMPATIBILITIES
  • Do not use with Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang.
  • Do not use with Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui.
  • Do not use with Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang for those with postnatal Spleen and Stomach Deficiency.
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS
  • This herb may interact with azole antifungals such as griseofulvin (Gris-PEG), nystatin (Mycostatin), ketoconazole (Nizoral), fluconazole (Diflucan) and itraconazole (Sporanox) and calcium channel blockers such as nifedipine (Procardia/Adalat), amlodipine (Norvasc), diltiazem (Cardizem) and verapimil (Calan/Isoptin/Verelan).

Sm. Lablab Album
Bai Bian Dou
Talcum
Hua Shi

Cx. Lycii
Di Gu Pi
Rx. Cynanchi
Bai Wei

Rx. Stellariae
Yin Chai Hu
Rz. Anemarrhenae
Zhi Mu

Fever without sweat, dizziness, and a stifling sensation in the chest associated with Summerheat.

Blood Deficiency fevers, afternoon fevers and night sweats.

Chronic low-grade fever with a sensation of Heat in the bones and a body that feels warm to the touch.

Carapax Trionycis
Bie Jia
Rx. Rehmanniae
Sheng Di Huang

Rx. Scutellariae
Huang Qin
Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum
Zhi
Ban Xia

Carapax Trionycis
Bie Jia

Fever due to Heat in the Yin regions of the body.

Purpuric rashes due to Heat in the Blood.

Malarial disorders due to Damp-Heat or Damp Summerheat with nausea, a stifling sensation in the chest and intense fevers .

The final stages of a Warm febrile disease when the Yin Fluids have already been damaged and the pathogen still lurks deep within the Yin level with night fever with chills in the morning, the fever recedes without sweating, emaciation, rapid pulse and a red tongue with little coating.

Minor Bupleurum Decoction
Xiao Chai Hu Tang

Carapax Trionycis
Bie Jia
Rz. Anemarrhenae
Zhi Mu
Rx. Gentianae Macrophyllae
Qin Jiao

Carapax Trionycis
Bie Jia
Rx. Rehmanniae
Sheng Di Huang
Cx. Moutan
Mu Dan Pi

Malaria with alternating chills and fever. Yin Deficient Heat. Heat in the Ying Level with constant feverish sensations.

Fol. Nelumbinis
He Ye

Hb. Plantaginis
Che Qian Cao

Flos Chrysanthemi
Ju Hua
Concha Haliotidis
Shi Jue Ming
Sm. Cassiae
Jue Ming Zi
Rx. Scutellariae
Huang Qin

Summerheat or Damp-Heat.

Summerheat or Damp-Heat in infants.

Eye disorders.

Hb. Artemisiae Scopariae
Yin Chen Hao
Cx. Phellodendri
Huang Bai
Sm. Plantaginis
Che Qian Zi
Fr. Gardeniae
Zhi Zi

 

 

Jaundice.

 

 

  1. Some sources classify this as a Summerheat clearing herb.
  2. Burning this herb keeps away mosquitoes.
  3. It vents Heat from the Yin level outward to the Yang and is ideal for clearing Heat from the Liver and Gallbladder.
  4. Because it does not exhaust Qi or Blood, it is particularly appropriate for Heat disorders in patients with Blood Deficiency.
  5. Its clear aroma seeps through the forehead to brighten eyes and disperse Wind-Heat.
  6. This herb can be used fresh in large doses by itself to treat malaria.
  7. One source says that this herb relieves fever and overstraining.
  8. This herb has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
  9. When applied to an incised wound, this herb can stop bleeding, promote the growth of new muscle and relieve pain.
  10. Don't boil this herb more than 5-15 minutes.
  11. Both Qing Hao and Rx. Bupleuri Chai Hu enter the Liver and Gallbladder channels and treat malarial with alternating chills and fever. Qing Hao has a light, clearing, cooling aroma that is excellent for clearing Summerheat without injuring the Yin and is used for fever from Yin injured by warm and Summerheat pathogens or for steaming bones due to Yin Deficiency or consumptive Heat. Chai Hu is raising and dispersing which is excellent for spreading Liver Qi Stagnation, and raising clear Yang. Overuse of Chai Hu tends to injure the Yin.
  12. Both Qing Hao and Rx. Stellariae Yin Chai Hu cool the Blood and reduce steaming bones. Qing Hao is acrid, fragrant, vents warm pathogens outward from the Yin level to the Yang level and is most appropriate for Heat at night which cools in the morning due to Ying Level injury by warm pathogen. It also resolves Summerheat and treats alternating chills and fever of malarial disorders. Yin Chai Hu does not clear Heat by venting, but does treat Heat due to childhood nutritional impairment.
  13. Qing Hao, Rx. Cynanchi Atrati Bai Wei and Rx. Stellariae Yin Chai Hu all clear pathogenic Heat. Qing Hao does not cool the Lungs or facilitate urination. Rx. Stellariae Yin Chai Hu does not vent Heat or vent Blood Heat outward, but only cools Blood Heat internally.
  14. Both Qing Hao and Hb. Artemisiae Scopariae Yin Chen are aromatic,resolve Damp-Heat and are often used together to treat Damp-Heat jaundice, Warm-Damp disorders and Summerheat-warmth. Yin Chen enters the Spleen and Stomach and is specific for jaundice. Qing Hao primarily enters the Liver/Gallbladder and is better able to resolve steaming bones due to consumption. It is particularly good for draining pathogenic Fire in Summerheat-warmth and for malarial disorders.
  15. Dry-fried Sweet Wormwood Chao Qing Hao is better able to treat steaming bones and consumptive Heat.
  16. Turtle Blood Sweet Wormwood Bie Xue Qing Hao is better able to cool Heat and nourish the Yin. It is frequently used for Yin Deficiency night sweats, consumptive Heat and steaming bones.