Herbs that Drain Fire

Lecture Summary

Introduction

Presenter: Lecture on single herbs that drain fire.
Resources: Website links for notes and flashcards.
Category Overview: Starts with the broader category of herbs that clear heat, which has many sub-categories, all aimed at treating different types of heat in various body parts.
Key Concept: These herbs are typically the coldest, used to treat intense, interior heat.

Cool Acrid Herbs: Promote sweating to push heat out (exterior heat).
Herbs That Drain Fire: Use cold, bitter herbs to drain intense interior heat.
Fire in Context: Intense form of heat; affects organs differently (lungs, stomach, heart, liver), presenting as various symptoms.

Qi Level Heat: Characterized by the Four Bigs (Big fever, Big sweat, Big thirst & vexation, Big pulse).
Yang Ming Channel Heat: Similar to Qi level heat with the Four Bigs.
Symptoms Differ by Organ: Lung (cough, phlegm), Stomach (hunger, bad breath), Heart (shen disturbances), Liver (eye disorders).

Functions: Clears Qi level heat, yang ming channel heat, lung heat (cough, thick phlegm), and stomach heat (hunger, bad breath, mouth sores, etc.).
Properties: Very cold, sweet and acrid.
Use: Effective in larger dosages (15-60g).
Precautions: Can damage the spleen; hence, careful monitoring is needed.

Functions: Clears Qi level heat, clears lung and stomach heat, clears deficiency heat (tidal fever, night sweats, etc.), tonifies yin.
Properties: Bitter and sweet.
Usage: Often used in combination with Shi Gao.

Functions: Clears heat from all three jiao, treats shen disorders due to heat, clears damp heat (especially for Lin syndrome and jaundice), cools the blood and stops bleeding, can be used topically.
Properties: Cold, bitter.

Functions: Clears heart heat (shen problems, urination problems due to heart heat pouring into the small intestine).
Properties: Sweet, bland; cold in temperature.

Functions: Clears liver heat, brightens eyes, dissipates nodules, lowers high blood pressure.
Properties: Cold, bitter, acrid.

Functions: Clears summer heat, generates body fluids, promotes urination, treats summer heat dampness.
Form: Food therapy (e.g., watermelon).

Functions: Clears lung and stomach heat, generates body fluids, resolves toxicity and expels pus.
Properties: Bitter, slightly sweet.

Functions: Clears lung and stomach heat, generates body fluids, promotes urination.
Properties: Sweet.

Functions: Clears liver heat, brightens eyes, moistens large intestine, lowers high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Properties: Sweet, slightly bitter.

Functions: Clears heart heat (shen problems, mouth sores, stops bleeding, secures essence), used for heart heat related insomnia.
Properties: Bitter, cold.
Form: Usually taken as a tea.

Main Themes: Knowing where the heat is located in the body guides the application of specific herbs.
Resources Reminder: Flashcards, slides, and practice tests available online.
Support Acknowledgement: Thanks to Patreon supporters.

Shi Gao: Representative herb for Qi level heat or yang ming channel heat.
Zhi Mu: Good for both excess and deficiency heat.
Zhi Zi: Clears heat from all three jiao.
Xia Ku Cao & Jue Ming Zi: Clear liver heat, good for eye problems.
Dan Zhu Ye: Focused on clearing heart heat.
Xi Gua: Best for summer heat along with fluid generation.
Tian Hua Fen & Lu Gen: For clearing lung and stomach heat; Tian Hua Fen also resolves heat toxicity.
Lian Zi Xin: Convenient for heart heat insomnia, taken as a tea.

Volunteer Work: Updates on the presenter’s community service activities.
Next Steps: Encouragement to review the material, take practice tests, and utilize all resources available.