INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Herba Artemisiae Scopariae |
| Common English: | Virgate Wormwood Yinchenhao Shoots and Leaves Oriental Wormwood Downey Wormwood Capillary Wormwood Capillaris |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Bitter (Acrid) |
Slightly Cold (Cool) (Neutral) |
Liver Gallbladder Spleen Stomach (Bladder) |
9-30g Tincture: 2-4ml |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Clears Damp-Heat from the Liver and Gallbladder and relieves jaundice |
Jaundice due to Damp-Cold or Damp-Heat |
Clears Heat and facilitates the resolution of Dampness |
Damp sores, wind rashes, other skin diseases, in the Lower parts of the body (can be used alone as a wash) |
Clears and releases Dampness in the the exterior |
Damp-Warm Febrile disease |
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
|
INCOMPATIBILITIES |
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Damp-Heat jaundice with abdominal distention, fever, constipation, and urinary dysfunction. Gallstones |
Damp predominant jaundice with marked urinary dysfunction |
Damp-Cold jaundice |
Cx. Magnoliae Officinalis |
Rx. Bupleuri |
Talcum |
Summer-Heat with Damp turbidity Obstructing the Middle Jiao or jaundice |
Cholecystitis or cholelithiasis |
Summerheat or Warm febrile disease causing urinary dysfunction and jaundice |
Rx. Scutellariae |
Cx. Dictamni |
Fr. Gardeniae |
Damp-Heat skin rashes |
Externally or Internally for Damp-Heat rashes and sores |
Strongly relieves Damp-Heat jaundice |
Rx. Lateralis Aconiti Preparata |
Rx. et Rz. Rhei |
Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria |
Yin Jaundice Spleen Yang Deficiency leading to Dampness |
Early-Stage Damp-Heat Jaundice when Heat is stronger than Dampness |
Jaundice caused more by Dampness with dysuria |
Rx. Scutellariae |
Hb. Hedyotis Diffusae |
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Hepatitis |
Liver cirrhosis |
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- This herb survives the winter and the sprout grows from the old dry stem.
- This is the primary herb for treating jaundice, either due to Cold-Dampness or Damp-Heat. It is called “the sacred herb for jaundice”.
- This herb and Rx. Bupleuri Chai Hu both enter the Liver/Gallbladder channels and drain Liver/Gallbladder Fire. This herb is less drying and is very useful for Yin Deficient or Excess Fire patients who cannot tolerate the Dryness of Rx. Bupleuri Chai Hu.
- Both Yin Chen and Hb. Lysimachiae Jin Qian Cao cool heat, remove Dampness, clear Liver Heat, benefit the Gallbladder and are often combined to treat Damp-Heat in the Liver/Gallbladder. Yin Chen is bitter, cold descending and draining and much more fragrant than Jin Qian Cao, which makes it better able to break up turbid Dampness, reduce jaundice and promote urination. It assists the Liver more that the Gallbladder. Jin Qian Cao is sweet, salty, slightly cold, softens hardnesses, expels stones and assists the Gallbladder.
- Both Yin Chen and Hb. Artemisiae Qing Hao 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.