✵TCM herbalism is also known as the pharmaceutics of Traditional Chinese Medicine or Chinese pharmaceutics. It is the branch of health science dealing with the preparation, dispensing, and proper utilization of Chinese herbs. It is primarily composed of Introduction to Chinese Medicinals, Classification of Chinese Herbs, Formulas, and Patent Medicines.
Asthenic heat-clearing herbs.
Introduction: Asthenic heat-clearing herbs are agents or substances that clear heat from deficiency conditions, commonly indicated for heat due to Yin deficiency. Typical symptoms include afternoon fever, heat sensation in the palms and soles, night sweats, a reddened tongue with scanty coating, and residual heat in the late stage of warm diseases.
Heat-clearing herbs are mostly cold or cool in nature; a few are neutral and cool. Most are bitter in flavor; some are sweet, pungent, or salty. Their functions include clearing heat, purging fire, cooling blood, detoxifying heat pathogens, relieving asthenic heat, drying dampness, draining dampness, nourishing Yin, and resolving exterior patterns. These herbs are primarily used for various interior-heat syndromes. Heat-clearing herbs are classified into several categories: (1) heat-clearing and fire-purging herbs; (2) heat-clearing and dampness-drying herbs; (3) heat-clearing and toxin-resolving herbs; (4) heat-clearing and blood-cooling herbs; and (5) asthenic heat-clearing herbs.
Asthenic heat-clearing herbs are mostly cold or cool in nature and bitter or pungent in flavor. Their main functions are cooling blood and relieving asthenic heat. They are primarily used for syndromes of asthenic heat, such as tidal fever (hectic fever due to Yin deficiency), persistent low-grade fever, afternoon fever, vexation with heat sensation in the chest, palms, and soles, deficient-type restlessness with insomnia, night sweats, a red tongue with scanty coating, and residual heat in the late stage of seasonal febrile diseases. Representative herbs include Cortex Lycii (Dì Gǔ Pí), Herba Artemisiae Annuae (Qīnɡ Hāo), Rhizoma Picrorhizae (Hú Huánɡ Lián), Radix Stellariae (Yín Chái Hú), and Radix Cynanchi Atrati (Bái Wēi).
✵As of January 1, 2024, a total of [5] commonly used TCM herbs and [8] related plant species are recorded in this category. These asthenic heat-clearing herbs are introduced individually below:
Cortex Lycii (Chinese Wolfberry Bark)
Brief Introduction:Cortex Lycii is the dried root bark of Lycium chinense Mill. or Lycium barbarum L., used for treating chronic fever and hemoptysis in consumptive diseases, as well as wasting thirst. It is commonly known as Cortex Lycii, Chinese Wolfberry Bark, or Dì Gǔ Pí.
Radix Stellariae (Starwort Root)
Brief Introduction:Radix Stellariae is the dried root of Stellaria dichotoma L. var. lanceolata Bunge., used for clearing deficiency-heat and treating malnutrition-related fever in children. It is commonly known as Radix Stellariae, Starwort Root, or Yín Chái Hú.
Herba Artemisiae Annuae (Sweet Wormwood Herb)
Brief Introduction:Herba Artemisiae Annuae is the dried aerial part of Artemisia annua L. It clears deficiency-type heat to relieve consumptive fever and is used to treat malaria. The herb is commonly known as Herba Artemisiae Annuae, Sweet Wormwood Herb, or Qīnɡ Hāo.
Brief Introduction:Radix Cynanchi Atrati is the dried root and rhizome of Cynanchum atratum Bunge. or Cynanchum versicolor Bunge. It is used: (1) to clear heat and cool the blood in febrile conditions associated with consumptive diseases or Yin deficiency; (2) to promote diuresis in heat-induced stranguria and hematuric stranguria; and (3) to detoxify and resolve sores in cases of boils and carbuncles. The herb is commonly known as Blackened Swallowwort Root, Root of Blackened Swallowwort, Root of Versicolored Swallowwort, or Bái Wēi.
Brief Introduction:Rhizoma Picrorhizae is the dried rhizome of Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora Pennell. It is used (1) to clear damp-heat for the treatment of acute dysentery and jaundice, and (2) to relieve consumptive fever in cases of phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis) and infantile malnutrition. The herb is commonly known as Rhizoma Picrorhizae, Figwortflower Picrorhiza Rhizome, or Hu Huang Lian.
✵TCM herbalism is also known as the pharmaceutics of Traditional Chinese Medicine or Chinese pharmaceutics. It is the branch of health science dealing with the preparation, dispensing, and proper utilization of Chinese herbs. It is primarily composed of Introduction to Chinese Medicinals, Classification of Chinese Herbs, Formulas, and Patent Medicines.
Introduction: Asthenic heat-clearing herbs are agents or substances that clear heat from deficiency conditions, commonly indicated for heat due to Yin deficiency. Typical symptoms include afternoon fever, heat sensation in the palms and soles, night sweats, a reddened tongue with scanty coating, and residual heat in the late stage of warm diseases.
Brief Introduction: Cortex Lycii is the dried root bark of Lycium chinense Mill. or Lycium barbarum L., used for treating chronic fever and hemoptysis in consumptive diseases, as well as wasting thirst. It is commonly known as Cortex Lycii, Chinese Wolfberry Bark, or Dì Gǔ Pí.
Brief Introduction: Radix Stellariae is the dried root of Stellaria dichotoma L. var. lanceolata Bunge., used for clearing deficiency-heat and treating malnutrition-related fever in children. It is commonly known as Radix Stellariae, Starwort Root, or Yín Chái Hú.
Brief Introduction: Herba Artemisiae Annuae is the dried aerial part of Artemisia annua L. It clears deficiency-type heat to relieve consumptive fever and is used to treat malaria. The herb is commonly known as Herba Artemisiae Annuae, Sweet Wormwood Herb, or Qīnɡ Hāo.
Brief Introduction: Radix Cynanchi Atrati is the dried root and rhizome of Cynanchum atratum Bunge. or Cynanchum versicolor Bunge. It is used: (1) to clear heat and cool the blood in febrile conditions associated with consumptive diseases or Yin deficiency; (2) to promote diuresis in heat-induced stranguria and hematuric stranguria; and (3) to detoxify and resolve sores in cases of boils and carbuncles. The herb is commonly known as Blackened Swallowwort Root, Root of Blackened Swallowwort, Root of Versicolored Swallowwort, or Bái Wēi.
Brief Introduction: Rhizoma Picrorhizae is the dried rhizome of Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora Pennell. It is used (1) to clear damp-heat for the treatment of acute dysentery and jaundice, and (2) to relieve consumptive fever in cases of phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis) and infantile malnutrition. The herb is commonly known as Rhizoma Picrorhizae, Figwortflower Picrorhiza Rhizome, or Hu Huang Lian.