INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Rhizoma Picrorhizae |
| Common English: | Picrorhiza Rhizome Figwort Flower Rhizome |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Bitter |
Cold |
Liver Stomach Large Intestine Heart |
1.5-10g Tincture: 1-4ml |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Clears Deficiency Heat |
Yin Deficiency with Heat signs |
Clears Heat and reduces childhood nutritional impairment |
Childhood nutritional impairment with abdominal distention, afternoon fevers, hemorrhoids and dysenteric diarrhea |
Drains Damp-Heat |
Damp-Heat dysenteric disorder or sores |
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
|
INCOMPATIBILITIES |
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Cx. Lycii |
Rx. Stellariae |
Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae |
Yin Deficient Heat with recurring afternoon fevers from steaming bone disorder or fever associated with childhood nutritional impairment |
Heat and night sweats associated with childhood nutritional impairment Alternating fever and chills or Heat at night followed by morning chills |
Childhood nutritional impairment with abdominal distention, fever and anorexia |
Rz. Zingiberis |
Fr. Mume |
Goose Gall Bladder |
Chronic diarrhea or dysenteric disorders with hemafecia |
Incessant, bloody dysentery |
Hemorrhoids |
- This herb is considered pure Yin. It clears Heat from both Excess and Deficiency, cools the Blood, dries Dampness and is especially indicated for cooling steaming bones and reducing childhood nutritional impairment.
- It reduces childhood nutritional impairment and is most appropriate when the disorder includes abdominal distention, afternoon fevers and dysenteric diarrhea.
- Some sources consider this to be a Damp-Heat clearing herb.
- Although this herb has been used in China for many centuries, it was and still is imported from India, Nepal, Indonesia and Tibet.
- Hu means foreign country implying Iran. Huang Lian means Coptis, therefore it means Coptis from a foreign country.
- It is often used for red, flushed eyes.
- It can treat Heat from Excess or Yin Deficiency but does not actually tonify Yin.
- This herb is listed under the Endangered Species Act and requires a permit to export and import from China and may be difficult to obtain.
- It is also used for hepatitis.
- Some sources say that this herb kills parasites.
- Both Hu Huang Lian and Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian are considered pure Yin. They can cool Heat, drain Fire, dry Dampness and cool the Blood. Hu Huang Lian is more intensely bitter and cold heavier and black with an ability to rapidly direct downward. It clears and guides out Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao. It can guide directly to the location of the illness when Dampness and Fire accumulate and cause hot dysenteric disorder, anal prolapse, bleeding hemorrhoids, bleeding dysenteric disorders, painful , bloody urinary dysfunction, turbid Blood, and syphilitic sores. It is used for Excess disorders related to childhood nutritional impairment.
- Both Hu Huang Lian and Rx. Stellariae Yin Chai Hu have similar effects, however Hu Huang Lian is stronger.