Return to flip book view

Huang Qin Article

Page 1

Discussion of Huang Qin Scuttellaria baicalensis As is our custom in this publication we will be gin by discussing the origin of the issue s herb and then outline the historical evolution of its clinical applications concluding with modern usage Our goal is to provide a multidimensional view of the herb by presenting the views of various thinkers through the ages Formulae and Herbs Huang Qin Huang Qin is the root of Scutellaria baicalensis 1 Mature roots have yellow flesh that is fibrous with holes in the flesh and hollow in the center they are termed Ku Qin or Pian Qin The young root or newer growth on an older root has flesh that is green and firm and not hollow in the center it is called Zi Qin or Tiao Qin 2 Ku Qin being light and hollow is said to float to the upper body and clear lung heat Zi Qin is firm and heavy and thus sinks to the lower body and drains heat from the lower burner While many modern practitioners do not differentiate between the two kinds of Huang Qin most classical literature and some modern texts as well record the different functions of these two forms of the herb 3 The Qing dynasty mate ria medica De Pei Ben Cao sums up the difference between the two forms of Huang Qin as follows Pian Qin drains lung stomach and upper burner fire and Zi Qin drains large intestine and lower burner fire First discussed in the Shen Nong Ben Cao 4 Huang Qin is grouped in the intermediate category 5 this is a group of herbs that are considered assistant agents and can either directly treat diseases or supplement and boost The Shen Nong Ben Cao says the following about Huang Qin Huang Qin its sapor is bitter and balanced It governs heat patterns 6jaundice intestinal afflux and dysentery It expels water pre cipitates blood block and treats malign sores deep lying abscesses erosion and fire sores Zhang Zhong Jing used Huang Qin in a large number of formulas Of the herbs used in the Shang Han Lun and the Jin Gui Yao L e Huang Qin ranks fourteenth in frequency of use This puts it ahead of agents such as Dang Gui Tangkuei Chai Hu Bupleurum and Ze Xie Alisma The functions of Zhang Zhong Jing s Huang Qin containing formulas can be classified into the following four categories 1 Clear heat and drain glomus 2 Relieve diarrhea and vomiting by draining damp heat 3 Clear heat and quiet the fetus 4 Open clear and resolve exterior pathogens also expressed as draining heat from the qi and blood aspects The approach of this article is to examine the uses of Huang Qin as they developed over time from the uses and functions listed in the Shen Nong Ben Cao and implied in the works of Zhang Zhong Jing Our method is to discuss each of the func tions mentioned above and to explore how these root functions gave rise to branch uses Lastly we include a translation of a section of the Huang Qin entry in a modern herbology textbook from the People s Republic of China It is hoped that this approach will give the reader a well rounded view of the herb that goes beyond that offered by any single perspective

Page 2

2 Notes from Cinnabar Creek Huang Qin its sapor is bitter and balanced Bitter herbs drain and downbear thus this herb is said to downbear fire Also since bitter herbs dry damp Huang Qin is used to treat damp dis orders Note that though the Shen Nong Ben Cao deems Huang Qin s qi to be balanced this was amended in later dynasties first to greatly cold Tang and then to simply cold post Tang These changes were most likely a concession made to reflect the usage of the herb to treat heat disorders and bring the herb s properties in line with the principle of using cold to treat heat as stated in the Inner Classic It governs heat patterns Through the centuries the definition of Huang Qin s function of governing heat was expanded by new uses as the treatment scope of Huang Qin grew These new expressions of this herb s ability to treat heat disorders can be sorted into four categories as follows 1 Phlegm heat stomach heat and strangury7 The Xin Xiu Ben Cao a materia medica of the Tang dynasty states that Huang Qin treats phlegmheat and heat in the stomach Gan Lu Yin Sweet Combination is an example of a formula that uses Huang Qin to clear stomach heat The Xin Xiu Ben Cao also mentions this herb s ability to disinhibit the small intestine and treat strangury disorders 2 Lung heat lung fire and phlegm heat in the lung By the end of the Yuan dynasty 1368 A D Li Dong Yuan and others had credited Huang Qin with treating damp heat in the lung upper burner heat and fire in the lung This emphasis on using Huang Qin to treat lung heat disorders was a very important expansion of this herb s treatment scope as neither Zhang Zhong Jing nor the Sheng Nong Ben Cao directly suggests this use From the Yuan dynasty on Huang Qin is found in many formulas that treat phlegm heat in the lung 8 By the Qing dynasty 1644 1911 A D most formulas designed to treat heat or phlegm heat in the lung included Huang Qin Examples of Qing dynasty formulas that use Huang Qin in this manner are Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan Wan Bing Hui Chun and Xing Su Yin pediatric version Yi Zong Jin Jian 3 Deep lying heat vacuity heat Huang Qin s use in treating deep lying heat was first noted just prior to the Tang dynasty The Ming Yi Bie Lu credits Huang Qin with dispelling deep lying heat Around the same time Sun Si Miao used Huang Qin in San Wu Huang Qin Tang9for treatment of post partum yin and blood damage that allows a wind pathogen to enter deeply into the body and transform into heat which in turn manifests as heat vexation of the four limbs Later possibly based on this usage Huang Qin was employed to treat a variety of deep lying pathogens Because Huang Qin is bitter and drying and deep lying pathogens usually damage yin when using it for this purpose it should be combined with agents such as Zhi Mu Anemarrhena and Sheng Di Huang Rehmannia to protect yin while clearing heat While this herb is primarily utilized to treat re pletion heat it also lends its heat clearing capability to formulas that treat vacuity fire Dang Gui Liu Huang Tang Tangkuei Six Yellow Combination is an example of Huang Qin used in this way 4 Cool the heart and dispel heat The bitter sapor is associated with the fire phase and thus the heart While we generally think of Huang Lian Coptis for treatment of heat in the heart Huang Qin is also used for this purpose For example Li Dong Yuan in his formula to treat eye disorders Zi Yin Di Huang Wan Rehmannia Bupleurum Scute Formula included Huang Qin and not Huang Lian Its function of clearing the heart explains the use of Huang Qin in formulas that treat heart heat such as Huang Qin San Tai Ping Sheng Hui Fang which treats vexation heat in the heart and chest headache astringent eyes and incessant vexa tion thirst For heat disorders in which vexation insomnia mouth sores red eyes or dark urine are present one can consider Huang Qin as a means of addressing those symptoms This is especially true if the root cause or main disorder is one that Huang Qin normally addresses such as heat in the lungs shao yang patterns strangury liver gallblad der heat hot or toxic sores damp heat diarrhea blood heat bleeding particularly uterine rectal or nasal summerheat damp or heat trapped in the fleshy exterior

Page 3

Notes from Cinnabar Creek 3 In a more general sense since the heart is a fire organ Huang Qin s ability to clear heat in general and in the blood in specific is related to its five phase connection through its bitter sapor with the heart jaundice Zhu Dan Xi stated in the Dan Xi Xin Fa that There is no need to discriminate between the five jaundices they all are damp heat Though this is generally considered an over simplifica tion of the nature of jaundice it clearly points out the dominant role of damp heat in this disorder Huang Qin being bitter and cold is a natural choice to address jaundice It generally plays the assistant role in formulas populated with herbs such as Chai Hu Yin Chen Hao Capillaris and Da Huang Rhubarb Chai Hu Qing Gan Tang Bupleurum Rehman nia Combination employ Huang Qin in this way Further Zhang Zhong Jing s use of Huang Qin in shao yang disorder formulas such as Xiao Chai Hu Tang Minor Bupleurum Combination can be at tributed to symptoms shared by jaundice disorders and the shao yang gallbladder channel such as bitter taste flank pain and bitter fullness In modern times Huang Qin is found in formu las that treat a variety of liver gallbladder disorders such as hepatitis or inflammation of the bile duct regardless of whether or not they present with jaun dice Very often variations of Xiao Chai Hu Tang form the basis of treatment for these disorders intestinal afflux and dysentery The use of Huang Qin to treat intestinal afflux and dysentery has remained constant through the centuries It is often coupled with Huang Lian be cause the two Though the use of Huang Qin to treat jaundice is herbs together are thought to provide a more complete approach to treating damp heat The mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Zhang Zhong Jing seems to prefer Shan Zhi Zi Gardenia reasoning behind this belief is expressed in the Ming to drain damp heat from the liver gallbladder in dynasty herbal Ben Cao Jing Shu the treatment of that disorder Sun Si Miao on the Huang Lian can treat heat engendered by damp other hand used Huang Qin in a great number of but cannot treat damp engendered by heat jaundice abating formulas An example is his Jia thus Huang Qin aids Huang Lian by treating Wei Yin Chen Hao Tang intended for the treatment damp engendered by heat of chronic jaundice 10 Huang Qin s use in formulas that treat dysentery Zhu Dan Xi also favored Huang Qin as a main and diarrhea are best exemplified in two of Zhang herb in his jaundice formulas This is especially Zhong Jing s well known formulas Ge Gen Huang true regarding jaundice that is strongly damp An Qin Huang Lian Tang Pueraria Coptis Scute example is his formula Fu Ling Sheng Shi Tang 11 Combination and Huang Qin Tang Scute Lico rice Combination Of interest is the explanation Ye Tian Shi posits for the reason Huang Qin is effective at treating Ye Tian Shi in his text Ben Cao Jing Jie calls on jaundice The following quote is from the Ben Cao the interior exterior relationship between the large Jing Jie intestine and lung to explain Huang Qin s function Jaundice is a pattern where damp heat domi nates the spleen The spleen is associated with tai yin damp and earth When earth suffers from damp heat its natural color yellow is revealed and jaundice ensues Huang Qin is bit ter and balanced and it clears the lung The lung is also tai yin When damp heat abates from the tai yin jaundice subsides It is not surprising that Huang Qin s ability to clear damp and heat from the liver and gallblad der led to its use in treating other liver gallblad der damp heat disorders Formulas such as Long Dan Xie Gan Tang Gentiana Combination and in treating diarrhea and dysentery The lung and the large intestine sit in interior exterior relationship When the large intestine is encumbered by damp heat there is intestinal afflux and dysentery Huang Qin clears the lung If the lung is clear the water path is unhindered free flowing and harmonious and damp heat is precipitated and expelled When damp heat is not obstructing the water path fluids can flow normally out of the body through urination and the lung and large intestine recover their dry metal qi Thus afflux and dysentery are naturally resolved

Page 4

4 Notes from Cinnabar Creek It expels water Most scholars believe that the phrase expels water refers to Huang Qin s function of draining damp clearing heat and freeing the water path The mechanism is not dissimilar from that described by Ye Tian Shi as stated above in the discussion of intestinal afflux and dysentery Later practitioners have applied this function to the treatment of strangury lin disorders As mentioned above this practice began in the Tang dynasty when the Xin Xiu Ben Cao listed the function of disinhibiting the small intestine and treating strangury disorders A good example is found in the Yuan dynasty 1271 1368 A D writings of Zhu Dan Xi where he suggests adding Huang Qin to Wu Lin San from the He Ji Ju Fang for the treatment of strangury Of interest is that he chose Huang Qin instead of Huang Bai Phellodendron which is traditionally associated with treating the lower burner Another example is the Sheng Ji Zong Lu which suggests Niu Xi Tang Chuan Niu Xi Huang Qin and Dang Gui for the treatment of inhibited urine and pain in the penis as well as female blood bind abdominal pain see precipitates blood block below The formula Qing Xin Lian Zi Yin from the He Ji Ju Fang addresses strangury that is owing to heart heat pouring into the small intestine In this for mula the role of Huang Qin is to both expel water and clear heart heat precipitates blood block Blood block is equivalent to menstrual block amenorrhea When blood construction heat gives rise to blood block Huang Qin can be part of a formula to clear heat and cool blood Usually it is combined with blood moving agents such as Chi Shao Red Peony or Chuan Niu Xi Cyathula The Ben Cao Shu Jing says the following about Huang Qin s ability to treat blood block Repletion heat in the blood aspect leads heat to enter the blood chamber uterus This gives rise to menstrual block If damp heat is resolved the construction ying qi is cleared and can move freely This function is related to bitter herbs facil ity for discharging stasis This ability is also partly responsible for Huang Qin s use in treating glomus as discussed below in the section on Zhang Zhong Jing s heart draining decoctions Ye Tian Shi explains this function of Huang Qin in the follow ing quote from the Ben Cao Jing Jie Repletion heat in the blood aspect leads to men strual block The heart governs blood The bitter sapor of Huang Qin clears the heart and thus the heart can precipitate and discharge Thus Huang Qin governs blood block The implied capability of Huang Qin to enter the blood aspect and clear heat in the treatment of blood block may be what led later practitioners to consider using the herb for blood heat bleed ing disorders Huang Qin s use in the treatment of bleeding disorders was omitted or peripherally mentioned in the major materia medicae of the Tang Song and Yuan dynasties However when Li Shi Zhen published the Ben Cao Gang Mu in the Ming dynasty 1590 A D he listed Huang Qin as useful for treating bloody strangury blood in the stool nosebleed and vomiting of blood Interest ingly the use of Huang Qin for this purpose can be seen in formulas beginning in the Tang dynasty but the function was not comprehensively included in a materia medica until the Ming about one thou sand years later In the Yuan dynasty 1291 A D Wang Hao Gu recorded a formula called Huang Qin Liu He Tang that added Huang Qin and Bai Zhu to Si Wu Tang for the purpose of treating excessive menstrual flow presumably owing to blood vacuity blood heat Around the same time Zhu Dan Xi proposed a formula containing just Sheng Di Huang Bai Zhu and Huang Qin for spotting during pregnancy ow ing to blood vacuity with heat 12 Further in the Dan Xi Xin Fa Zhu Dan Xi suggests a decoction unnamed for blood heat nosebleed that contains only Huang Qin Bai Shao White Peony and Gan Cao Licorice Several authors in the Song and Yuan dynas ties cite Huang Qin as a single herb treatment for blood heat flooding and spotting The Ben Shi Fang for example addresses this disorder with a one qian 3g dose of Huang Qin powder to be washed down with wine and treats malign sores deep lying abscesses erosion and fire sores Heat in the blood can accumulate at specific locations to produce toxic sores of various sorts

Page 5

Notes from Cinnabar Creek 5 Huang Qin can clear blood heat and discharge stasis and thus is appropriate for use in treating these types of dermal sores It can be applied ex ternally or internally for this purpose As an external application Huang Qin can be ground with equal parts of Da Huang and mixed with an adjuvant such as sesame oil to treat damp heat eczema It is also an important ingredient in Jin Huang San Golden Yellow Powder a staple formula for external treatment of hot red swollen skin eruptions Another example of an external use of Huang Qin comes from the Yi Zong Jin Jian That text records a powder made from equal parts of the following herbs for the treatment of damp heat mouth sores Huang Qin Huang Bai Huang Lian Shan Zhi Zi Gan Jiang Dried Ginger and Xi Xin Asarum Formulas like Huang Lian Jie Du Tang Coptis Scute Combination and San Huang Xie Xin Tang Coptis Rhubarb Combination illustrate Huang Qin s use in internal formulas for treating hot skin lesions When treating these types of lesions herbs such as Chi Shao and Zao Jiao Ci Gleditsia Spine are often included to move blood and out thrust pus Ye Tian Shi says the following about Huang Qin s treatment of these types of toxic sores These are all owing to excess heart fire eroding the skin and hair which are related to the lung Huang Qin is bitter and balanced and clears the heart and lung therefore it governs painful and itching sores There is some disagreement among scholars in the field as to the meaning of the term fire sores Some agree with Ye Tian Shi who posits that this is a burn of the skin while others suggest that it refers to an eye disorder that resembles a serious sort of conjunctivitis The latter seems to be how authors in older texts interpreted the symptom be cause one finds red painful and astringent eyes as an indication for Huang Qin in many earlier materia medicae Functions of Huang Qin implied by Zhang Zhong Jing s usage 1 Clear heat and drain glomus Huang Qin is in all of Zhang s heart draining decoctions These formulas Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang Sheng Jiang Xie Xin Tang etc treat glomus below the heart epigastria that results from heat bind in some cases accompanied by cold Thus the Song dynasty herb manual Yao Wei says Huang Qin governs treatment of disorders below the heart if there is glomus below the heart using Huang Qin will exact a cure This usage most likely contributed to Huang Qin s application in treating lung heat disorders as mentioned above in the section on governing heat patterns 2 Relieve diarrhea and vomiting by draining damp heat Interior heat disrupts the earth s ability to send the pure upward and precipitate the turbid While diarrhea is mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao as an indication for Huang Qin there is no mention of the upper body symptoms of nausea and vomit ing Since Zhang mentions vomiting and nausea in almost all these cases along with the glomus just discussed we can assume that heat bind is again the cause and that Huang Qin s role in these for mulas is to clear and dissipate heat bind In this case Huang Qin s ability to dry damp also aids the recovery of the spleen which can then resume its function of transporting and transforming In this fashion stagnation in the central burner is spontaneously resolved 3 Clear heat and quiet the fetus The application of Huang Qin to clear heat and quiet the fetus is thought to be based on its presence in Zhang Zhong Jing s formula Dang Gui San Tangkuei Formula In the Jin Gui Yao L e Zhang simply recommends the formula for all pregnant women but later practitioners most notably Zhu Dan Xi cite that formula and especially Huang Qin and Bai Zhu as particularly useful for quiet ing the fetus An often quoted statement from Zhu Dan Xi is Bai Zhu and Huang Qin are miraculous herbs for quieting the fetus Many formulas for treating pregnant women were based on Dang Gui San An example is An Tai Wan literally Fetus Calming Pills from the Wan Bing Hui Chun Qing dynasty This formula is identical to Dang Gui San but in pill form The accompanying instructions however are more re vealing than those in the Jin Gui Yao L e The pills are said to be useful for thin women with heat

Page 6

6 Notes from Cinnabar Creek out that qi aspect heat patterns usually cause damage to and scant blood who suffer from excessive fetal lung yin Thus the sweet moistening nature of movement and a tendency to miscarry Sang Bai Pi offsets the potentially drying and bitter Unfortunately Zhu Dan Xi s statement that nature of Huang Qin allowing the pair to clear heat Huang Qin and Bai Zhu are useful for quieting the without causing further damage to lung yin Ding fetus is often taken out of context and used to Chuan Tang Ephedra Ginkgo Com bination justify the use of those herbs for this purpose in from the Zheng Zhi Zhun Sheng is an ex ample of a women of all constitutions 13 Study of Zhu Dan Xi s formula that uses Sang Bai Pi and Huang Qin this usage of this pair of herbs reveals however that he way as is Xing Su San pediatric version Apricot like the author of the Wan Bing Hui Chun uses Seed Perilla Pediatric Formula from the Yi Zong Huang Qin and Bai Zhu for fetal disquietude Jin Jian Xing Ren Apricot Seed and Mai Men threatened miscarriage and spotting during Dong Ophiopogon are other herbs that are pregnancy only when these symptoms are owing to frequently used to counteract Huang Qin s drying heat nature in the treatment of lung heat patterns When using Huang Qin for this disorder many A related role of Huang Qin is that of aiding the practitioners char it to reduce the herb s cold na ture and increase its ability to staunch bleeding and resolution of heat trapped in the fleshy exterior In secure the fetus For blood vacuity heat Huang Qin this case it assists herbs like Ge Gen Pueraria and and Bai Zhu can be combined with Sheng Di Chai Hu Bupleurum as in Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang Huang For damp heat a small dose of Huang Lian Bupleurum Pueraria Combination The Song Yuan materia medica the Ben Cao Huai Yan com is often included ments on this role of Huang Qin as an assistant to 4 Open clear and resolve exterior pathogens Chai Hu Chai Hu is unsurpassed for clearing the also expressed as draining heat from the qi flesh and abating fever however without Huang Qin it cannot cool the flesh and conduct heat to and blood aspects the exterior The Ben Jing Shu Zheng in a discussion about the In the Qing dynasty Huang Qin was applied to use of Huang Qin in Zhang Zhong Jing s works the theories of warmth disease that were develop states ing at the time According to the Wen Bing Tiao Bian Chai Hu can open qi aspect binds but is un able Huang Qin in the combination Huang Qin Hua Shi to drain qi aspect heat Shao Yao can open Tang Scute Talc Decoction 14 is applied to blood aspect binds but is unable to drive out middle burner damp warmth that appears as what blood heat Thus Huang Qin aids Chai Hu so it we would now label the flu with body aches inter can clear qi aspect heat and aids Shao Yao so that mittent fever that resolves with sweating only to it can drain blood heat reappear absence of thirst or thirst with no desire to drink and a glossy yellow tongue fur Jia Jian Both historically and in modern practice Huang Qin Shao Tang15 is an example of a formula also Qin and Chai Hu are paired to treat qi aspect heat from the Wen Bing Tiao Bian containing Huang Qin especially heat bind in the chest Chai Xian Tang in the treatment of a damp warmth pathogen Bupleurum Scute Combination exemplifies this affecting the large intestine with symptoms of diar usage Huang Qin s use in the treatment of qi as pect heat is exemplified by formulas as varied as Pu rhea and abdominal pain and distention Ji Xiao Du Yin Scute Cimicifuga Combination Functions of Huang Qin that did not Xin Yi Qing Fei Yin Magnolia Gypsum Combi nation and Gua Lou Zhi Shi Tang Trichosanthes evolve from those mentioned in the Shen Aurantium Combination Nong Ben Cao or the works of Zhang Often Sang Bai Pi Mulberry Bark is coupled with Huang Qin to treat qi aspect lung fire or phlegm fire The modern practitioner Gong Shi Cheng in his book Lin Zheng Yong Yao Jing Yan Clinically Verified Herb Use Experience points Zhong Jing In early mat eri a medicae there are several mentions of Huang Qin being used to treat pain of the eye socket In this case it is usually

Page 7

Notes from Cinnabar Creek 7 combined with Bai Zhi Angelica and Chuan Xiong Ligusticum For the treatment of deep source nasal conges tion and other nasal disorders Huang Qin is usually combined with Cang Er Zi Xanthium Xin Yi Hua Magnolia Flower Fang Feng Siler and Gan Cao One modern author suggests adding Bai Zhi Bo He Mint and Chi Shao Red Peony In modern applications that have no known histori cal precedent Huang Qin is used 1 as a preventative to scarlet fever 2 as an enema for the treatment of chronic pelvic inflammatory disorders16 3 as an ingredient in toothpaste to reduce inflammation in the gums A Modern Presentation of the Functions and Uses of Huang Qin17 SAPOR AND QI Bitter and cold Comment It is generally agreed that Huang Qin is considerably less bitter and cold than Huang Bai or Huang Lian CHANNELS OF ENTRY Lung gallbladder stomach and large intestine Comment The Ming dynasty materia medica Ben Cao Gang Mu assigns to Huang Qin entry into the channels of the hand shao yin and yang ming and the hand and foot tai yin and shao yang heart large intestine small intestine lung spleen and triple burner In the Qing dynasty when almost all ma teria medicae included channels of entry for each herb the channels of the heart lung large intestine gallbladder and bladder were the most commonly mentioned This reflects the main uses of the herb at that time for the treatment of fire disorders heart lung heat lung dysentery and diarrhea large intes tine jaundice and shao yang disorders gallbladder and strangury disorders bladder FUNCTIONS Clear heat dry damp drain fire resolve toxin staunch bleeding and quiet the fetus APPLICATIONS 1 Used to treat all manner of damp heat in cluding damp warmth jaundice diarrhea and dysentery heat strangury and toxic lesions 2 Treatment of strong damp heat fevers with vexation thirst yellow tongue fur and a rapid pulse Comment This is a reference to qi aspect repletion heat with damp 3 Treatment of lung heat cough 4 Used to treat effulgent internal heat that causes the blood to leave the vessels as in vomiting of blood coughing of blood nosebleed or spotting and flooding 5 Used to treat fetal disquietude owing to fetal heat Summary From its first recorded uses to the present time Huang Qin has been a major herb for clearing heat and drying damp These functions were put to a large range of new uses as the centuries passed The major disorders to which Huang Qin was ap plied did not stray far from the jaundice dysentery toxic sores and general heat patterns mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Several therapies sprang from those uses however such as the application of this herb to treat lung heat disorders qi aspect heat shao yang channel disorders and blood heat bleeding disorders Also applications of Huang Qin appeared that that were less directly related to previous uses such as its use with Bai Zhu in the treatment of heat induced fetal disquietude and the use of Huang Qin in the treatment of strangury disorders Whereas modern texts tend to take past uses of an herb and categorize them into function related groups older books usually emphasize specific uses and imply functions from them As a result modern references sometimes miss some uses of an herb and herbs of similar function can begin to look almost identical In the case of Huang Qin modern books fail to mention the herb s ability to treat eye socket pain and make no mention of its capacity to dispel deep lying heat and vacuity vexation heat Applica tion of this herb in the treatment of menstrual block blood bind abdominal pain stomach heat and heart fire is also missing from most modern texts It is hoped that the chronology of use presented here gives the reader insight into Huang Qin s specific character and applications

Page 8

8 Notes from Cinnabar Creek