Gua Lou Semen Trichosanthis 30 gExplanation
- Huang Lian is bitter, clears Heat and makes Qi descend.
- Ban Xia is pungent and resolves Phlegm. These two herbs are combined according to the
principle of using bitter herbs to make Qi descend and pungent ones to open. The
combination of these two flavours clears Heat at the Qi Level. - Gua Lou resolves Phlegm-Heat.
The main difference between these two formulae is that the former is better at resolving Phlegm
(and therefore used for profuse expectoration), while the latter is better to make Qi descend in
the chest (and therefore used for a feeling of oppression in the chest).
Gun Tan Wan
(Chasing away Phlegm Pill)
Da Huang Rhizoma Rhei 15 g
Mang Xiao Mirabilitum 3 g
Huang Qin Radix Scutellariae baicalensis 15 g
Chen Xiang Lignum Aquilariae 3 gExplanation
- Da Huang and Mang Xiao drain Fire by moving downwards.
- Huang Qin drains Lung-Fire.
- Chen Xiang has a strong sinking movement and makes Lung-Qi descend.
This is a strong formula for Lung-Fire as opposed to Lung-Heat. Although Heat and Fire are the
same in nature, there are differences between them, the main one being that Heat is more
superficial and less intense than Fire. This distinction is not very significant or important in
acupuncture but it is crucial when herbal medicine is used. For Heat, one uses pungent-cold
herbs (such as Shi Gao Gypsum fibrosum) to clear it by pushing it outwards. Fire is more intense
and is knotted deep inside in the Interior of the body: one therefore drains it with bitter-cold
herbs (such as Huang Qin Radix Scutellariae baicalensis or Long Dan Cao Radix Gentianae
scabrae) and, if the stools are dry, with moving-downward herbs such as Da Huang Rhizoma
Rhei. Some of the clinical manifestations of Heat and Fire overlap such as a feeling of heat,