Herbology Lecture Notes: Herbs That Cool the Blood
Introduction
Category: Herbs that Cool the Blood
Purpose: Treating heat in the blood or blood level heat
Main Symptom: Bleeding due to the chaotic movement of blood
Website for Slides and Flashcards: tcmstudy.net
Wen Bing Theory
Overview
Two Schools of Thought: Cold Damage School (Shanghan Lun) & Warm Disease School (Wen Bing) (Ye Tian-shi)
Four Levels: Wei Level, Qi Level, Ying Level, Xue Level
Wei Level Heat
Symptoms: Simultaneous fever and chills, more fever than chills, dry mouth, cough, sore throat, dry red itchy eyes, early-stage rashes, floating and rapid pulse
Treatment: Cool acrid herbs (e.g., Sang Ju Yin, yin qiao san)
Qi Level Heat
Symptoms: Four bigs (big fever, big sweat, big thirst, big pulse), Yangming channel heat
Treatment: Herbs that drain fire (e.g., Bai Hu Tang, Shi Gao, Zhi Mu)
Ying Level Heat (Nutritive Level)
Symptoms: High fever that worsens at night, irritability, restlessness, insomnia, faint rashes, dry scarlet tongue
Treatment: Herbs that cool the blood (e.g., Qing Ying Tang)
Xue Level Heat (Blood Level)
Symptoms: Fever, distinct rashes, bleeding (nosebleed, vomiting blood, blood in urine/stool), scarlet tongue with prickles, thin rapid pulse
Treatment: Herbs that cool the blood (e.g., Xi Jiao Di Huang Tang)
Herbs that Cool the Blood
Properties
Taste: Bitter and sweet (possibly salty)
Temperature: Cold
Channels: Liver and Heart
Cautions: Cold herbs can damage the spleen; use with care
Main Actions: Clear heat from ying and xue levels; tonify yin and generate fluids
Shi Jiao (Rhinoceros Horn)
Note: Obsolete due to endangerment, substitute with Shui Niu Jiao (Water Buffalo Horn)