Different

Ma Huang

麻黄Gui Zhi

桂枝Induce

sweating Strong Mild

Acrid Strong Mild

Both can release the exterior

Exterior cold without sweating Exterior cold with little sweating

Both can treat the Edema

Through promotes urination Warms the urine bladder’s Yang Qi

Main action-- Disseminates Lung Qi;

-- Promotes urination;

-- Assists the Yang;

-- Warms & unblocks the channel

Indications-- Asthma;

-- Edema;

-- Amenorrhea;

-- joints or limbs pain;

Different

Ma Huang

麻黄Xiang Ru

香薷

Induce sweating

Disseminates lung Qi & open the skin;

Disseminates the oppressed Yang Qi

Release the exterior cold Expel the summer-damp

Reduce edema

Wind edema; Damp edema;

Exterior cold Got exterior cold in winter; Got exterior cold in summer;

Indication -- asthma; -- dampness in the middle jiao

Different

Gao Ben

藁本Qiang Huo

羌活Bai Zhi

白芷

Expel Wind-dampness & relieve pain

Vertex headacheOccipital headache; Wind-

damp in upper body or limbs;

Frontal headache;

Main action -- disperse wind

-- Unblocks painful obstruction

-- alleviates discharges;

-- opens nose;

-- reduces swelling;

Indica-tions

-- Joints pain;

-- Back pain;-- Joints pain;

-- Vaginal discharge ;

-- Congested sinuses;

Clinic Exterior cold disease with severe headache or body ache;

Different

Sang Ye

桑叶Ju Hua

菊花

Always using together for wind-heat disease

Clear Lung Heat Stronger Mild

Clear Liver Heat Mild Stronger

Indications-- lung dryness: cough with no sputum

-- liver yang rebellion: dizziness, red eyes,

Different

Da Huang

大黄Mang Xiao

芒硝Lu Hui

芦荟

Purges accumulation ： constipation

All types of constipation

Excess heat constipation

Chronic constipation

Clear Heat Clear heat in blood Clear excess heat Cool the liver

--Move blood stasis --Soften hardness --Kills parasites

Different

Du Huo

独活Qiang Huo

羌活

Expel wind-dampness

Shao yin meridian Tai Yang meridian

Pain obstruction in the lower body

Pain obstruction in the upper body

Headache Shao Yin headacheOccipital headache

Good at Pain obstructionGood at Inducing sweating, release

exterior disease

Always being used together to treat joints pain or whole body ache

Different

Wei Ling Xian

威灵仙Qin Jiao

秦艽Alleviate

Pain Stronger mild

Drains wind-dampness

Wind-dampness （ cold ）Wind-dampness ( moisten)

（ warm or all types ）Good at pain or stiff joints ， even

for paralysis patient. Good at dampness

Actions-- Focal distention & accumulation in middle jiao

-- soften fish bones

-- clears deficient fever;

-- Reduces jaundice;

-- moisten intestine;

Different

Gui Zhi

桂枝Sang Zhi

桑枝

unblocks the channels

and collaterals

Warm Yang to open the channesl

Expel wind-dampness to open the channels

Always being used together to treat upper limbs pain sym.

Better at wind-warm damp pain

Better at wind-cold damp pain

Actions

-- wildly used for warm up the yang qi in the meridian

-- also used for wind-damp itch skin

Both reduce edema

Different

Fu Ling

茯苓Yi Yi Ren

薏苡仁

Strengthen the Spleen & transform dampness

Clear Lung Heat Stronger Mild

Clear Liver Heat Mild Stronger

Indications-- lung dryness: cough with no sputum

-- liver yang rebellion: dizziness, red eyes,

Different

Huang Qin

黄芩Huang Lian

黄连Huang Bai

黄柏

Bitter & cold to clear the damp-heat

Good at clear lung heat

Good at clear heart fire and calm down the

irritability

Good at clear deficient kidney

fire

Actions Calm the restless

fetusClear Stomach heat &

stop vomitingClear damp-heat in

the lower burner

Different

Sha Ren

砂仁Bai Dou Kou

白豆蔻Cao Guo

草果Moving

Qi Strongest Strong Almost none

Dryness Mild Mild Strong

Main action

-- Promotes the flow of Qi;

-- warms the middle;

-- transform dampness;

-- improve appetite;

-- calms the fetus;

-- disseminates the lung Qi;

-- awakens the Spleen;

-- warms the middle;

-- transform dampness;

-- pierces through & disperse turbidity

-- treats constraint from cold-dampness in the middle burner;

-- checks malarial disorders;

Xuan Sheng Xuan Sheng 玄参玄参

Pharmaceutical Name Scrophulariae Radix

Actions

Clears heat & cools the blood

Nourish the Yin

Softens hardness & dissipates nodules

Indications

(Excess & Def.)

Warm-heat disease in blood level

Painful sores

Neck lumps

Constipation & irritability due to lack of fluid

Dosage 9 ~ 15 g

Cook

Toxicity

Xuan Shen Xuan Shen 玄参玄参 (cold) (cold)