Heart-blood Deficiency Therapeutic aim: to replenish the blood and qi (vital energy), soothe the heart and calm the spirit. Basic prescription: Decoction of Nourishing the Heart and Spirit (甘麥大棗湯合養心湯) Radix Glycyrrhizae gan cao Liquorice root Fructus Tritici Levis xiao mai Wheat Fructus Ziziphi Jujubae da zao Common jujube fruit Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae dan shen Red sage root Poria preparated with cinnabar fu shen Poria processed by cinnabar Semen Ziziphi Spinosae suan zao ren Spine date seed Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae dan shen Red sage root Fructus Schisandrae wu wai zi Schisandra Radix Polygalae yuan zhi Chinese senega Medulla junci deng xin cao Common rush

Heart Nourishing Decoction: liquorice root, wheat and common jujube.

In the prescription, bupleurum root serves as the monarch herb, which soothes the liver to relieve the stagnation. The angelica and white peony assist the monarch herb's work. atractylodes rhizome, Indian bread and liquorice fortify spleen to replenish qi. The peony root bark clears away heat in the blood; Cape jasmine fruit expels the liver heat. The whole combination regulates the menses by dispersing liver stagnation, fortifying the spleen and harmonizing the blood.

In the prescription, pinellia tuber brings downward the reversed flow of qi in the stomach and dries dampness to resolve phlegm. They serve as monarch herbs together. Bamboo shavings clear heat in the gallbladder and harmonize the stomach; the two herbs act as the minister herbs. The bitter orange and tangerine peel regulate the movement of qi to resolve phlegm. Indian bread fortifies the spleen to eliminate dampness and stops further phlegm production. The ginger promotes the spleen and stomach while also counteracts the side effects of pinellia tuber. Liquorice serves as buffer.

In the prescription, bupleurum root soothes the liver to disperse the stagnation, which serves as the monarch herb. The tangerine peel, bitter orange, lovage and nutgrass rhizome activate the qi (vital energy) and blood, which are the minister herbs. The white peony assists to smooth the liver; liquorice roots acts as buffer.

In the prescription, the tangerine peel, pinellia tuber and Indian bread fortify the stomach to expel the phlegm. Angelica, red peony, lovage and safflower activate the blood, remove blockages and smooth the meridians; Rhemannia and peony root bark cool the blood and relieve the stagnation. Nutgrass rhizome soothes the liver and regulates the flow of qi; seeweed resolves the accumulation. The whole formula has the effect of fortifying the stomach, expelling phlegm, activating qi and blood circulation, smoothing the meridian system and resolving accumulations inside the body.

In the prescription, ginseng and rhemannia root invigorate the qi and nourish the blood; both of them are the monarch herbs. The Indian bread and atractylodes root fortify the spleen to eliminate the dampness; angelica and peony nourish the blood so as to harmonize the organs. The lovage activates the blood and qi flows; liquorice acts as buffer.

In the prescription, the monarch herbs, rhemannia rhizome and wolfberry fruit nourish the kidney yin and tonifies the essence to engender the blood. The Dogwood's sour and warm properties help to arrest excessive consumption of yin; Chinese yam replenishes the spleen yin. All four ingredients exert tonifying effects that may produce extra endogenous pathogens, thus water plantain is used for expelling the turbid in the kidneys, peony bark and chrysanthemum are used for eliminating the liver-fire and Indian bread helps to diffuse the dampness. The whole formula exerts both tonification and reduction actions, which serve as a mild tonic for general weakness especially for the liver-yin and kidney-yin deficiencies.

In the prescription, kernel and safflower are the monarch herbs for activatng blood circulation. The peony, lovage and dates assist to nourish the blood; spring onion, ginger and musk remove the blockages in the orifices so as to relieve the pain.

This is a common formula for dizziness and headache due to wind or phlegm influences. In the prescription, pinella tuber dries the dampness and resolves the phlegm. Gastrodia tuber soothes the liver. Both herbs are monarch herbs. Atractylodes root and Indian bread fortify the spleen to expel dampness while tangerine peel regulates the qi movement to facilitate phlegm dissolving. Liquorice acts as buffer.

In the prescription, the Atractylodes root invigorates the spleen to eliminate the dampness; lovage activates the blood and qi to ease pain; pepper warms the middle burner and stops pain, oyster shell soothes the liver, Indian bread and cassia twig warms the yang to facilitate diuresis. Liquorice acts as buffer.

This is a classic formula for warming the yang to excrete water. Being extremely pungent and hot in nature, the aconite acts as the monarch herb to warm the kidneys and strongly enhance its vaporization. The atractylodes root and Indian bread promote the spleen to expel dampness; fresh ginger disperses the lung energy to other parts of the body and warms the middle burner; these three herbs serve as minister herbs to ensure the effect of the aconite. White peony works as buffer.

In the prescription, the first four ingredients nourish and activate blood circulation. Corydalis tube removes the stagnation of blood, bugleweed herb activates the blood to relieve edema while Sichuan chinaberry, costus root and areca seed soothe the liver to regulate the movement of qi.

In the prescription, a high dosage of rhemannia is used to nourish the kidney yin and replenish the essence. The dogwood fruit and anemanrrhena invigorate the liver and kidney to arrest further essence exhaustion. The Chinese yam promotes the spleen to ensure nourishing sources. The water plantain dispels the turbid dampness; peony bark and phellodendron eliminate excessive fire; Indian bread promotes diursis; these four herbs also counteract the side effects of the main ingredients.

In the prescription, forsythia is used in high dosage to clear heat and counteract toxics. The bacial skullcap disperses the heat in the chest; cape jasmine fruit induces the heat throughout the triple burner downwards while rhubarb and sodium sulfate promote bowel movement to expel the heat. Bamboo leaf and peppermint disperse the heat in an upward direction.

This formula is for heat accumulation due to blood deficiency with a simultaneous attack by wind evils. The first three ingredients act as a blood tonic. Others like fleece flower root, schizonepeta and ledebouriella root expel wind evils; the caltrop disperses the wind in the liver; astragalus and liquorice replenish qi and consolidate the bodily surface to facilitate the elimination of evils.

This is a common formula for dealing with skin rashes and eczema. In the prescription, schizonepeta, ledebouriella root, cicada slough and arctium fruit are the monarch herbs, which dispel the wind evils in the skin to stop itching. The atractylodes rhizome expels wind and dries dampness; sophora root clears away heat and removes dampness; akebia stem induces urination to eliminate damp-heat. Gypsum and anemrrhena rhizome clear away heat and purge fire. Angelica, sesame seed and rehmannia root nourish and activate the blood. Liquorice root acts as buffer. The whole combination focuses on dispelling wind, but also helps to remove dampness, clear heat and nourish the blood.