✵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.
Heat-Clearing and Blood-Cooling Herbs
Introduction: Heat-Clearing and Blood-Cooling Herbs: agents or substances—typically herbs—that eliminate pathological heat from the nutrient (Ying) and blood systems in warm diseases characterized by fever accompanied by delirium, skin eruptions, and bleeding symptoms, as well as in other conditions involving bleeding due to heat in the blood.
Heat-clearing herbs are mostly cold or cool in nature; a few are neutral and cool. Most are bitter in flavor, while some are sweet, pungent, or salty. Their functions include clearing heat, purging fire, cooling the blood, detoxifying heat pathogens, clearing deficient (asthenic) heat, drying dampness, draining dampness, nourishing Yin, and relieving the exterior. 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 counteracting-toxins herbs, (4) heat-clearing and blood-cooling herbs, and (5) asthenic heat-clearing herbs.
Heat-clearing and blood-cooling herbs are mostly cold, slightly cold, or cool in nature, and are typically sweet and bitter—or bitter and salty—in flavor. They dispel pathogenic heat from the Ying and blood phases. These herbs are mainly used for excess-heat syndromes of the Ying and blood phases; for invasion of the Ying and blood systems by heat in warm diseases and febrile diseases; for blood-heat-induced bleeding (e.g., macular eruptions, coma, and delirious speech); and for bleeding syndromes caused by other diseases. Some herbs in this category also nourish Yin and are commonly used for Yin deficiency generating interior heat. Representative herbs include Radix Rehmanniae (Dì Huáng), Radix Paeoniae Rubra (Chì Sháo), and other herbs include Cortex Moutan (Mǔ Dān Pí), Radix Scrophulariae (Xuán Shēn), and Radix Arnebiae seu Lithospermi (Zǐ Cǎo).
✵As of January 1, 2024, there are a total of [6] commonly used TCM herbs and [11] related plant species recorded in this category. These heat-clearing and blood-cooling herbs are briefly introduced individually below:
Radix Rehmanniae (Rehmannia Root)
Brief Introduction:Radix Rehmanniae is the fresh or dried tuberous root of Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. It is used to clear heat, cool the blood, nourish yin, and promote fluid production, primarily for treating febrile diseases at the nutrient and blood stages, bleeding due to blood-heat, and thirst in diabetes mellitus. The herb is commonly known as Radix Rehmanniae, Rehmannia Root, or Dì Huáng.
Radix Paeoniae Rubra (Red Peony Root)
Brief Introduction:Radix Paeoniae Rubra is the dried root of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. or Paeonia veitchii Lynch. It is used to dispel blood stasis, clear heat from the blood, and cool the blood. It is indicated for epidemic febrile diseases with maculopapular eruptions, pain due to blood stasis, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, traumatic injuries, boils, and sores. The herb is commonly known as Radix Paeoniae Rubra, Red Peony Root, or Chì Sháo.
Cortex Moutan (Tree Peony Bark)
Brief Introduction:Cortex Moutan is the dried root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. It is used to (1) clear heat and cool the blood—indicated for febrile diseases with maculopapular eruptions and hemorrhagic manifestations—and (2) invigorate blood and dispel stasis—indicated for amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, traumatic injuries, boils, sores, and appendicitis. The herb is commonly known as Cortex Moutan, Tree Peony Bark, or Mǔ Dān Pí.
Radix Scrophulariae (Figwort Root)
Brief Introduction:Radix Scrophulariae is the dried root of Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. It clears heat, cools the blood, nourishes Yin, and resolves toxins. It is used to treat warm diseases at the nutrient stage—characterized by high fever, delirium, or skin eruptions—as well as pharyngeal inflammation, boils, and sores. Common names include Radix Scrophulariae, Figwort Root, and Xuán Shēn.
Radix Arnebiae seu Lithospermi (Arnebia Root or Gromwell Root)
Brief Introduction:Radix Arnebiae seu Lithospermi is the dried root of Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnst. or Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb.et Zucc., used clinically to promote eruption in measles and applied externally for burns, frostbite, dermatitis, and eczema. It is commonly known as Radix Arnebiae seu Lithospermi, Arnebia Root, Gromwell Root, or Zǐ Cǎo.
✵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: Heat-Clearing and Blood-Cooling Herbs: agents or substances—typically herbs—that eliminate pathological heat from the nutrient (Ying) and blood systems in warm diseases characterized by fever accompanied by delirium, skin eruptions, and bleeding symptoms, as well as in other conditions involving bleeding due to heat in the blood.
Brief Introduction: Radix Rehmanniae is the fresh or dried tuberous root of Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. It is used to clear heat, cool the blood, nourish yin, and promote fluid production, primarily for treating febrile diseases at the nutrient and blood stages, bleeding due to blood-heat, and thirst in diabetes mellitus. The herb is commonly known as Radix Rehmanniae, Rehmannia Root, or Dì Huáng.
Brief Introduction: Radix Paeoniae Rubra is the dried root of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. or Paeonia veitchii Lynch. It is used to dispel blood stasis, clear heat from the blood, and cool the blood. It is indicated for epidemic febrile diseases with maculopapular eruptions, pain due to blood stasis, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, traumatic injuries, boils, and sores. The herb is commonly known as Radix Paeoniae Rubra, Red Peony Root, or Chì Sháo.
Brief Introduction: Cortex Moutan is the dried root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. It is used to (1) clear heat and cool the blood—indicated for febrile diseases with maculopapular eruptions and hemorrhagic manifestations—and (2) invigorate blood and dispel stasis—indicated for amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, traumatic injuries, boils, sores, and appendicitis. The herb is commonly known as Cortex Moutan, Tree Peony Bark, or Mǔ Dān Pí.
Brief Introduction: Radix Scrophulariae is the dried root of Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. It clears heat, cools the blood, nourishes Yin, and resolves toxins. It is used to treat warm diseases at the nutrient stage—characterized by high fever, delirium, or skin eruptions—as well as pharyngeal inflammation, boils, and sores. Common names include Radix Scrophulariae, Figwort Root, and Xuán Shēn.
Brief Introduction: Radix Arnebiae seu Lithospermi is the dried root of Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnst. or Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb.et Zucc., used clinically to promote eruption in measles and applied externally for burns, frostbite, dermatitis, and eczema. It is commonly known as Radix Arnebiae seu Lithospermi, Arnebia Root, Gromwell Root, or Zǐ Cǎo.