Abalone shell (shi jue ming / Haliotidis diversicolor) is salty in taste and cold in action. It enters the lidney and liver meridians. It drains fire and causes the yang to descend. It suppresses liver wind and heat, and reduces blood pressure. Used for liver yang patterns with headache, red eyes and blurred vision.

Acanthopanax root bark (wu jia pi / A. senticocus) is pungent and bitter in taste, and warm. It enters the kidney and liver meridians. It dispels wind and dampness, and strenghtens the sinews, bones and muscles. It is a qi tonic, used to strengthen weakness of legs due to qi deficency. It is the southern form of Siberian Ginseng. It is especially useful when the smooth flow of qi and blood is obstructed. Used for the elderly. Commonly used soaked in wine.

Achyranthes root (huan niu xi root / Achyranthes bidentata) is bitter and sour in taste, and enters the liver and kidney channels. It tonifies the liver and kidney (yin and yang), guides the other herbs downward, and is used for low back pain, knee pain, swelling ankles, and lower body problems. It invigorates the blood, expels blood stasis, and strengthens the sinews and bones. Used for dysmenorrhea, and amenorrhea with blood stasis pattern.

Aconite tuber, purified (fu zi / Aconitum palmatum) is pungent and hot in taste, and enters the heart, lung, spleen and stomach channels.It tonifies kidney yang, esp. with symptoms of chills, cold, weak pulse, diarrhea, weak qi etc. It warms the channels, and alleviates pain, and disperses cold.

Agastaches herb (huo xiang / A. rugosa) is pungent in taste and slightly warm. It enters the lung, spleen, and stomach channels. Its aromatic quality transforms dampness in stomach. Used for nausea and vomiting due to obstruction of the middle burner. Also used for abdominal distension or stomachache.

Agrimony herb (xian he cao / Agrimonia pilosa) is bitter and pungent in taste. It enters the lung, spleen and liver meridians. It restrains leakage of blood and stops bleeding. Used for vomiting blood, coughing blood, nosebleed, bleeding gums, blood in the urine, or uterine bleeding. The herb can be used in combination with herbs for bleeding due to excess, deficiency, cold or heat.

Aloe leaf juice concentrate (lu hui / Aloe vera) is bitter in taste and cold. It enters the large intestine, liver and stomach meridians. It drains fire, purges the intestines and cools the liver.

American ginseng root (xi yang shen / Panax quinquefolius) is sweet and slightly bitter in taste, and cold in action. It enters the heart, kidney and lung channels. It strengthens the qi, generates fluids and nourishes the yin. Used for qi and yin deficiency with heat signs and unabating fever. Used to tonify after fever with symptoms of weakness, irritability and thirst. It nourishes the lung yin and clears fire from the lungs, with symptoms of wheezing and loss of voice.

Andrographis herb (chuan xin lian / A.paniculata) is bitter in taste and cold in action. It enters the large intestine, lung, small intestine and stomach meridians. It clears heat and relieves fire toxicity. A study done in Chile using 1 gram of Kan Jang per day showed a significant decrease in colds in the third month of the trial.

Anemarrhena rhizome (zhi mu / A. asphodeloides) is bitter in taste and cold in quality. It enters the lung, stomach and kidney channels. It reduces heat in lung and kidney and drains fire. Used for high fever, irritability, thirst and rapid flooding pulse. Enriches yin and moistens dryness for deficiency of lung and kidney with signs of heat such as night sweats, low-grade afternoon fever and bleeding gums. It generates fluids and can be used for oral ulcers.

Anemone root (bai tou weng / Pulsatilla chinensis) is bitter in taste and cold. It enters the large intestine, liver and stomach channels. It is used to stop diarrhea and dysentery, as it clears heat and fire toxicity and damp-heat in the stomach and intestines.

Angelica root (bai zhi / A. archangelica) is pungent in taste, and warm in quality. It expels wind, disperses cold and alleviates pain in the head. Used for headache and sinusitis. Reduces swelling and expels pus from carbuncles. It enters the lung and stomach channels.

Anteater scales (chuan shan jin / Manitis pentadactyla) is salty in taste, and cool in action. It enters the liver and stomach channels. It disperses blood stasis, unblocks menstruation, and moves the blood. It reduces swelling and promotes discharge of pus from toxic swollen organs.

Apricot seed (xing ren / Prunus armeniaca semen) is bitter in taste, slightly warm and slightly toxic. It enters the large intestine and lung channels. It stops coughing and reduces wheezing. It is moist and used for dry cough, but in combination may be used for any cough. It moistens the intestines and helps to move the bowels.

Arctium fruit (niu bang zi / A. lappa) is pungent and bitter in taste, and cold in quality. It enters the lung and stomach channels. It reduces lung and throat heat, and opens the lungs. Used for fever, cough, and a sore red, swollen throat. It relieves toxicity, and can be used for boils, rashes and early measles.

Areca peel (da fu pi / A. catechu) is pungent in taste, and slightly warm. It enters the large intestine, small intestine, spleen and stomach channels. It unblocks and promotes the downward movement of qi, and reduces puffiness and stagnation. It is used for epigastric and abdominal distention, acid regurgitation, and belching. It expels dampness, is diuretic and reduces edema.

Areca seed (bing lang / A. catechu) is pungent and bitter in taste, and warm in quality. It enters the stomach and large intestine meridians. It opens the blockage of qi, and is used for abdominal bloating. It drains the qi downward, and kills parasites.

Arisaema rhizome (tian nan xing / A. consanguineum) is bitter and pungent in taste, and warm and toxic in property. It enters the liver, lung and spleen channels. This herb is very drying, and it reduces cold phlegm, dampness, asthma, and epilepsy due to mucous. It disperses wind-phlegm in the channels and stops spasms, including dizziness, numbness of the limbs, facial paralysis, spasms, stroke, seizures and lockjaw.

Aristolochia root (guang fang ji / A. fang ji) is bitter and pungent in taste, and cold in quality. It is used for wind, damp, heat. It stops cough and reduces heat in lungs. It promotes urination and can be used for edema with wheezing. Caution: toxic, and can cause kidney failure)

Asarum herb (xi xin / A. sieboldii) is pungent in taste and warm in quality. It removes pain and disperses coldness. It opens orifices, especially nasal. Used for externally contracted wind-cold with head and body ache. Used for coughs with copious watery mucus.

Asparagus root (tian men dong / Asparagus lucidis) is sweet and bitter in taste, and very cold. It enters the kidney and lung channels. It nourishes kidney yin and removes lung heat. Used for dryness of lung, throat, mouth etc. Used for sputum that is difficult to expectorate. Moistens the lungs, nourishes the kidneys, and good for wasting and thirsting disease, yin deficiency, and constipation due to dryness of the intestine. Contraindicated in cold from deficiency of spleen with loss of appetite, and wind-cold cough.

Aster root (zi wan / A. tataricus) is bitter in taste, and slightly warm in quality. It stops coughing. It expels phelgm, and is very important for various coughs, especially chronic cough, cold induced cough with copius difficult to get rid of sputum, and blood streaked sputum.

Astragalus root (huang qi / Astragalus membranicus) is sweet in taste and slightly warming. It enters thelung and spleen channels. It nourishes the qi and yin. It enters the lung and spleen meridians. Used for immune deficiency, fatigue, wound healing, and to reduce edema. It tones the spleen, useful in spleen deficiency problems such as poor appetite, fatigue and diarrhea. Increases WBC activity and phagocytosis. Also useful for prolapse syndromes such as prolapsed uterus, stomach or anus, and also for uterine bleeding. Is an effective diuretic and promotes the discharge of pus.Dose: 1-2 grams twice a day of powder extract. 35 drops TID for liquid extract.

Astragalus seed (sha yuan ji li / A. complanatus) is sweet in taste and warm in action. It enters the kidney and liver meridians. It fotifies the Yang and stabilizes the essence. Used for kidney yang deficiency, with low back pain, tinnitus, impotence, frequent urination, incontinence and reduced visual acuity due to deficiency of liver and kidneys.

Bakeri bulb (xie bai / Allium chinensis) is bitter and pungent in taste, and warm. It enters the large intestine, lung and stomach channels. It unblocks the yang qi in the lungs and heart, and disperses cold phlegm and mucous. Symptoms include chest, flank and upper back pain, dyspnea, turbid phlegm, coughing, wheezing and a stiffling sensation.

Bamboo sap (zhu li / Bambusa breviflora) is sweet in taste, and very cold. It enters the heart, lungs and stomach channels. It reduces hot mucous, and penetrates the channels. It is used for cough due to phlegm and heat, and hot phlegm obstructing the heart. Signs are fainting, paralysis of hands or feet and hemiplegia. In large doses, with ginger (sheng jiang) it can be used for coma and wind-stroke.

Bamboo skin (zhu ru / Bambusa breviflora) is sweet in taste, and slightly cold. It enters the gallbladder, lung and stomach meridians. It dissolves heat and mucus. Used for heat in the lungs with thick sputum, a stifling sensation in the chest, and coughing of blood. It stops vomiting due to heat in the stomach with sour breath.

Bamboo skin (zhu ru / Bambusa breviflora) is sweet in taste, and slightly cold. It enters the gallbladder, lung and stomach channels. It reduces hot mucous, heat dampness in the stomach and stops vomiting. It is used for cough, heat in the stomach, gastritis, nervousness, bad breath and a yellow greasy tongue coating.

Barley sprout (mai ya / Hordeum vulgare) is sweet in taste and neutral in action. It goes to the liver, spleen and stomach channels. It is used to strengthen digestion (spleen qi) and reduce food stagnation, especially poor digestion of starchy foods. It is useful for poor digestion of milk in infants. It relaxes the liver qi.

Belamcanda rhizome (she gan / B. chinensis) is bitter in taste and cold. It enters the lung channel. It clears heat, removes toxicity and improves the throat. Used for sore throat, swollen throat due to fire excess, fire toxin or phlegm and heat. Used for cough, wheezing or infection with mucous obstruction. Its effect on phlegm is so strong that it is combined with warming herbs for obstruction due to cold phlegm.

Biota leaf (ce bai ye / B. orientalis) is bitter and astringent in taste, and slightly cold. It enters the heart, liver, and large intestine meridians. It cools the blood and stops bleeding. Used for vomiting blood, bleeding gums, blood in the stool or urine, and uterine bleeding. Stops cough and expels mucus.

Biota seed (bai zi ren / B. orientalis) is sweet in taste and neutral. It enters the heart, kidney, and large intestine channels. It nourishes the heart and calms the shen. It is sedative, and used for insomnia, irritability, and palpitations with anxiety. It moistens the intestines and unblocks the bowel.

Bitter mellon (ku gua / Momordica charanta) is bitter in taste, and cooling in action. It is used to reduces fire and for detoxification.

Bitter orange fruit, mature (chih ke / Citrus aurantium) is pungent and bitter in taste, and cool in property. It enters the spleen, stomach and liver meridians. It regulates the qi, strengthens digestion, unblocks the liver qi, disperses heat and relieves congestion. It reduces distention and pressure, and is appropriate when the patient is weak. It is milder than zhi shi.

Bitter orange, immature (zhi shi / Citrus aurantium) is bitter in taste and cold. It enters the large intestine, spleen and stomach channels. It breaks up stagnant qi and reduces accumulation and phlegm. It used for epigasric or abdominal pain, indigestion and gas. It directs the qi downward and opens the bowels. Used for constipation. Zhi shi is stronger than chih-ko

Black atractylodes rhizome (cang zhu / Atractylodes lancea) is pungent and bitter in taste, warm in property, and aromatic. It enters the spleen and stomach channels. It strongly dries up dampness and strengthens the spleen. Often combined with Mangolia bark (Hou po) for epigastric fullness, reduced appetite and vomiting. It clears dampness obstructing the middle burner, with symptoms of reduced appetite, diarrhea, gastric distension, nausea and vomiting, and a thick greasy coating of the tongue. Also used for damp heat in the lower jiao. Used for diabetes based on modern research.

Black cardamon fruit (yi zhi ren / Amomi amari) is pungent in taste and warm in property. It tonifies and warms the kidney, increases mental efficiency, retains the essence, and holds in urine. It is used for copius and frequent urination, urinary incontinence, diarrhea and excess salivation.

Black pepper (hu jiao / Piper nigrum) is pungent in taste and hot in action. It enters the large intesting and stomach meridians. It warms the middle and disperses cold. Used for stomach cold with vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Blue citrus peel (qing pi / Citrus reticulata) is bitter and pungent in taste, and warm. It enters the gallbladder, liver and stomach meridians. It unblocks the liver qi and breaks up stagnation. Used for constrained liver qi patterns with symptoms such as distention and pain in the chest, breast or hypochondriac regions. It dissipates lumps and is used for breast cysts.

Brucea fruit (ya dan zi / B. javanica) is bitter in taste, cold in action, and toxic. It enters the large intestine and liver meridians. It clears cold and stagnation. Used for dysentery, especially with waxing and waning, and alternating soft and hard stool. It is used for malarial fevers.
It kills amoebas and parasites. Used externally for warts.

Buddleia flower (mi meng hua / B. officinalis) is sweet in taste and cool in action. It enters the liver meridian. It reduces liver heat, and removes cataracts. It benefits the eyes, and is used for red, swollen painful eyes, excessive tearing, eye infections, superficial visual obstruction, or sensitivity to light. Used for both excessive and deficient patterns.

Burdock fruit (niu bang zi / Arctium lappa) is pungent and bitter in taste, and cold in quality. It enters the lung and stomach channels. Ir reduces lung and throat heat, and opens the lungs. Used for fever, cough, and a sore red, swollen throat. It relieves toxicity, and can be used for boils, rashes and early measles.

Bushy knotweed rhizome & root (hu zhang / Polygonum cuspidatum) is bitter in taste, and cold in action. It enters the liver, gallbladder and lung merididians. It invigorates the blood and breaks up blood stasis. It clears heat and toxins, and removes dampness. Used for amenorrhea, wind and damp painful obstruction, traumatic injury, jaundice, hepatitis, gallstones, cholecystitis, insect bites, snake bites. Contraindicated for pregnancy.

This TCM library is a work in progress. Please come back in the next few weeks as we add to it...