INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Rhizoma Phragmitis |
| Common English: | Reed Rhizome |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Sweet (Acrid) |
Cold |
Lung Stomach |
15-30g For promoting rashes: up to 60g Tincture: 2-5ml |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Clears Heat and irritability from the Lungs and Stomach and generates fluids |
Internal Heat patterns with high fever, irritability and thirst, dry mouth and throat. Lung Heat (especially when acute) , Lung carbuncle, Lung abscess |
Clears Stomach Heat, regulates Stomach Qi, relieves thirst and stops vomiting |
Stomach Heat (especially when accompanied by rebellious Qi) |
Clears Heat and promotes urination |
Dark, scanty urine and hematuria especially when accompanied by irritability and thirst |
| Vents rashes | Wind-Heat rashes that are not completely expressed |
| Relieves food poisoning | Relieves food poisoning due to ingestion of fish and crabs Alcohol poisoning |
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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INCOMPATIBILITIES |
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Rx. Trichosanthis |
Flos Chrysanthemi |
Caul. Bambusae in Taeniam |
Injury to fluids from febrile disease with irritability, thirst and Dryness. |
Wind-Heat Attacking the Lungs with cough and thirst. |
Irritability, thirst, nausea and vomiting due to Stomach Fire. |
Sm. Coicis |
Gypsum
|
Gypsum |
Lung abscesses with with purulent sputum striped with fetid blood. |
Dry mouth, severe bad breath, and toothache due to Stomach Fire. |
Fever, thirst and irritability. |
Flos Lonicerae |
Rz. Imperatae |
|
Lung Heat with cough, thick yellow sputum or lung abscess. |
Warm febrile disease with thirst and irritability. (can be used as a stand-alone pair or as the basis of a small prescription) |
Internal Heat with high fever. Thirst and perspiration. |
Fr. Gardeniae |
Rx. Platycodi |
Rx. Platycodi |
Irritability. |
Cough and thirst due to Lung Heat. |
Bronchitis with chest pain, congestion, no sweat, aversion to Cold and fever. |
Rz. Imperatae |
Sm. Coicis |
|
Alternating chills and fever, chest congestion and pain. |
Blood-streaked sputum. |
Lung abscess at the pus-forming stage with, chest congestion, pain, cough, fever, and copious, bloody, foul-smelling sputum. |
Rx. Adenophorae/Glehniae |
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Lung abscess during the suppuration stage. |
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- This herb treats Phlegm-Heat in the Lung and Bladder Damp-Heat equally well.
- It is especially good for hematuria, scanty urination and dangerous spiking fevers.
- Both Lu Gen and Rz. Imperatae Bai Mao Gen clear Heat, generate fluids and promote urination. Lu Gen focuses on the Lungs and Stomach and excels at clearing Qi level Heat. It cools the Lungs, drains the Stomach, guides out Phlegm-Heat and vents and disseminates external pathogens. It treats cough from Lung Heat externally contracted disorders and failure of measles to ex press. Bai Mao Gen is better for clearing Blood level Heat and cooling the Blood to stop bleeding. It focuses on the Heart, Lungs Stomach and Bladder and guides Heart Fire out through the urine. It treats epistaxis, hemoptysis, hematuria and jaundice due to Damp-Heat. The herbs are very close to each other and can substitute for each other if necessary.
- Fresh Reed Rhizome Xian Lu Gen is cool,sweet and very juicy. It is more potent than Dried Reed Rhizome for cooling Heat and generating fluids. It is used any time Heat from a warm pathogen disease causes Wei Level or Qi level disorders, or for any residual pathogenic influence remaining from a febrile disease as long as there is thirst from injury to Yin. Increase the dosage by a factor of three to five.
- Succus Phragmitis Rhizomatis (Fresh Reed Rhizome Juice) Xian Lu Gen Zhi has strong Yin-nourishing and Fluid-restoring properties and is good for febrile disorders with restless thirst and Stomach Heat with nausea and vomiting where decoctions are rejected.
- Reed Stalk Wei Jing enters the Heart and lungs to treat upper Jiao Deficiency Heat.