INDIVIDUAL HERBS

Pharmaceutical Latin: Rhizoma Picrorhizae
Common English: Picrorhiza Rhizome
Figwort Flower Rhizome
Herbs that Clear Heat and Purge Fire: Herbs that Clear Deficiency Heat
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
  • Use caution for those with Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold.
INCOMPATIBILITIES
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

Cx. Lycii
Di Gu Pi
Rz. Anemarrhenae
Zhi Mu
(Rx. Stellariae)
(Yin Chai Hu)

Rx. Stellariae
Yin Chai Hu

Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae
Bai Zhu
Fr. Crataegi
Shan Zha
Fr. Quisqualis
Shi Jun Zi

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
Gan Jiang

Fr. Mume
Wu Mei
Terra Flava Usta
Zao Xin Tu

Goose Gall Bladder

Chronic diarrhea or dysenteric disorders with hemafecia

Incessant, bloody dysentery

Hemorrhoids

  1. 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.
  2. It reduces childhood nutritional impairment and is most appropriate when the disorder includes abdominal distention, afternoon fevers and dysenteric diarrhea.
  3. Some sources consider this to be a Damp-Heat clearing herb.
  4. Although this herb has been used in China for many centuries, it was and still is imported from India, Nepal, Indonesia and Tibet.
  5. Hu means foreign country implying Iran. Huang Lian means Coptis, therefore it means Coptis from a foreign country.
  6. It is often used for red, flushed eyes.
  7. It can treat Heat from Excess or Yin Deficiency but does not actually tonify Yin.
  8. 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.
  9. It is also used for hepatitis.
  10. Some sources say that this herb kills parasites.
  11. 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.
  12. Both Hu Huang Lian and Rx. Stellariae Yin Chai Hu have similar effects, however Hu Huang Lian is stronger.