INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Herba Moslae Herba Elscholtsiae |
| Common English: | Mosla Aromatic Madder |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Acrid Aromatic |
Slightly Warm |
Lung Stomach |
3-10g Tincture: 1-3ml |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Induces sweating, releases the Exterior, expels Summeheat, transforms Dampness and harmonizes the Spleen and Stomach |
Wind-Cold during the summer, especially when accompanied by Dampness with chills, fever, headache, anhidrosis, body aches, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting Externally contracted Summerheat or Dampness |
Promotes urination and reduces swelling |
Edema and urinary difficulty especially if associated with external invasion |
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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INCOMPATIBILITIES |
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Sm. Lablab Album |
Sm. Lablab Album |
Flos Lonicerae |
Sudden turmoil disorder due to externally contracted Cold in the summertime |
Exterior Cold and Interior Dampness presenting with fever, anhidrosis, headache, thirst, vomiting and diarrhea (frequently found in Summerheat-stroke) |
Early stage Summerheat with superimposed contraction of Cold with fever, chills, anhidrosis, headache and a flushed face |
Hb. Agastaches/Pogostemonis |
Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae |
Rz. Imperatae |
Damp Summerheat with fever and chills, a feeling of constriction in the chest, vomiting and abdominal pain |
Sudden turmoil disorder due to Spleen Dampness with Exterior Cold due to excessive intake of Cold or raw food and drinks Edema and dysuria due to accumulation of Cold-Damp General edema resulting from Wind invading the Lungs Summerheat affects the Spleen with nausea and anorexia |
Edema with fever, anhidrosis, and dark, scanty urine |
Flos Lonicerae |
Cx. Magnoliae Officinalis |
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Reduces the vomiting if taken hot |
Exterior Wind-Cold syndrome in the summer with fever, chills, thirst and no perspiration |
Nausea and vomiting |
Sm. Lablab Album |
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Diarrhea |
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- This herb simultaneously Expels Summer Heat (external) and Resolves Dampness (internal).
- Do not store near fire.
- It treats superficial ailments especially which affect the Spleen and Stomach.
- It benefits stomach aches due to indulgence in Cold drinks and alcohol.
- Xiang Ru and Hb. Pogostemonis/Agastaches Huo Xiang are both used in treating Summer Heat, diarrhea, bloating etc. Huo Xiang is more for harmonizing the Middle while Xiang Ru is more for relieving the surface.
- Some sources say that this herb is an astringent, stops diarrhea and moves Qi.
- This herb is primarily for Cold damage in the Heat of summer, either by too much cold food and drink or by seeking shelter in overly air-conditioned spaces. It also treats Yin-type summerheat which is the combined exposure to external Cold with over-consumption of cold food and drinks leading to fever without sweating, headaches, vomiting and diarrhea.
- It has the ability to ascend or descend with equal strength to make clear Qi rise up and turbid filth descend.
- It should be taken in small doses.
- Other symptoms that should be treated by Xiang Ru are steamy hot skin, aversion to Cold, headache, a heavy head, spontaneous sweating, restless thirst and possibly abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. If there is already sweating, it must be used with caution.
- Xiang Ru is sometimes called the "Rx. Ephedrae Ma Huang of summer" because it is acrid, warm, and induces sweating for Wind-Cold invasion and facilitates the flow of urine. Xiang Ru helps the Yang Qi throw off the pathogenic Cold which traps it within while harmonizing the Spleen and transforming Dampness. Ma Huang disperses and disseminates Lung Qi to alleviate cough, Its sweat-inducing and Cold-dispersing properties are stronger and it directly vents the exterior through sweating rather than assisting the Yang Qi to throw off or discharge the pathogenic Cold.