INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Semen Plantaginis |
| Common English: | Plantago Seeds Asian Plantain Seeds |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Sweet (Bland) |
Cold |
Bladder Kidney Liver Lung |
4-15g Tincture: 2-4ml |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Promotes urination and clears Damp-Heat |
Damp-Heat, generally Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao with edema, painful urinary dysfunction |
Promotes urination to solidify the stool |
Diarrhea due to Damp-Heat Summerheat with Dampness |
Clears Liver Heat and clears the eyes |
Eye problems due to Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency with dry eyes and diminished visual acuity Heat in the Liver Channel with red, painful, swollen eyes and sensitivity to light |
Clears the Lungs, expels Phlegm and stops coughing |
Lung Heat induced cough with yellow copious Phlegm |
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
|
INCOMPATIBILITIES |
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
|
Rz. Alismatis |
Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae |
|
Lin Syndrome, edema and distention. |
Edema. |
Kidney Deficiency edema. |
Rx. Ephedrae |
Spora Lygodii |
Rz. Imperatae |
Edema in the limbs due to con-strained Lungs and Kidneys. Acute edema in the face with External Wind Invasion signs. Calms wheezing and coughs due to Phlegm Obstructing Lung Qi or externally contracted Wind blocking Lung Qi to generate Phlegm. |
Dribbling, painful urination due to Lower Jiao Heat or Stone Lin. |
Unblocks Lin, cools the Blood and stops bleeding for Damp-Heat clumping to cause scanty urination with pain and hematuria. Edema in the lower limbs due to accumulation of water and Dampness. |
Hb. Ecliptae |
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Blood Heat or Yin Deficiency with urinary difficulty, pain and hematuria. |
Lin Syndrome. |
Chronic vaginal discharge due to Spleen Deficiency with Damp-Heat. |
Rz. Atractylodis |
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Damp-Heat vaginal discharge with Spleen Deficiency. |
Summerheat with Dampness or Spleen Deficiency causing diarrhea with scanty urine. |
Diarrhea from Summerheat with Dampness. |
Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata |
Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata |
Rx. Scutellariae |
Liver and Kidney Deficiency causing cataracts with diminished vision. |
Liver and Kidney Deficiency causing cataracts with diminished vision and dizziness. |
Heat in the Liver channel with red, painful, swollen eyes. |
Rx. Scutellariae |
Rx. Stemonae |
Rx. Stemonae |
Lung Heat coughs with copious yellow sputum. |
Pediatric chronic cough. |
Pediatric chronic cough with Excess sputum. |
Rx. Codonopsis |
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Re Lin. (Damp-Heat dysuria) |
Diarrhea with dysuria. |
Summer diarrhea in children. |
Rz. Coptidis |
Concha Haliotidis |
Rx. Ophiopogonis |
Eye redness, swelling and pain from Liver Fire. |
Headache due to Liver Yang Rising. |
Lung Yin Deficiency cough. |
- This herb is often used for pelvic inflammations, especially urinary tract infections.
- The whole plant, Hb. Plantaginis Che Qian Cao is less effective at promoting urination but better at clearing Heat. It also detoxifies. It is sweet and cold and treats abscesses and swellings (internally and topically). The dosage is 9-30g or 2-5ml as a tincture.
- The seed contains mucilage and soothes the vagina, colon and urinary tract.
- This herb is important for promoting urination, clearing Damp-Heat and clearing Heat from the Liver and Lung.
- The seeds are very small so to prevent them from making the decoction too gelatinous, decoct them in a separate cloth bag.
- Both Che Qian Zi and Rz. Alismatis Ze Xie facilitate water, reduce edema, clear Heat, enter the Kidney channel and drain Dampness. They are often used together to treat abdominal distention due to edema, Lin Syndrome and Summerheat-Damp diarrhea. Che Qian Zi benefits the Kidneys by removing pathogenic Dampness, clears the Liver and eyes and transforms Phlegm in the Lungs to treat pathogenic Heat leading to red eyes and Lung Heat transforming into Phlegm. Ze Xie clears and drains ministerial Fire to treat Blazing Fire due to Yin Deficiency.
- Unprepared Plantago Seeds Sheng Che Qian Zi are slippery and heavy and direct Heat and Dampness downward and out through the urine.
- Dry-fried Plantago Seeds Chao Che Qian Zi are less cold and are able to expel water and Dampness without injuring Spleen Qi. They are used for diarrhea and/or vaginal discharge due to Spleen Deficiency.
- Salt-processed Plantago Seeds Yan Zhi Che Qian Zi directs downward and facilitate urination to treat overflow of water and Dampness due to Kidney and Spleen Yang Deficiency.