INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Semen Coicis |
| Common English: | Job’s Tears Seed Coix Seed False Pearly Barley Adlay |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Sweet Bland |
Slightly Cold (Cool) |
Spleen Stomach Lung Kidney (Large Intestine) |
9-30g May use up to 60-90g Tincture: 2-4ml |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Strengthens the Spleen and resolves Dampness |
Dampness Stagnation Spleen Deficiency Dampness with diarrhea, leg Qi, painful urinary dribbling Damp-Warmth (treats root and manifestations) |
Expels Wind-Dampness and relieves pain |
Wind-Damp Bi (increases joint mobility and decreases spasms in chronic cases) for stiffness of the muscles, severe arthralgia and joint immobility |
Clears Heat and expels pus |
Soft, pustulated carbuncles, Lung and Intestinal abscess |
Clears Damp-Heat |
Any Damp-Heat condition at any level with a greasy, white tongue coat and digestive problems |
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
|
INCOMPATIBILITIES |
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Semen Benincasae |
Exocarpium Benincasae |
|
Scanty urine and edema due Damp Obstruction. Lung or Large Intestinal abscess that has formed pus. (large doses) |
Dampness Obstructing the Channels with dark, scanty urine and fever. |
Spleen Deficient diarrhea. |
Fr. Chaenomelis |
Rice Congee |
|
| Summerheat-Dampness with vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, painful, heavy legs, softened sinews, leg Qi, and Damp painful obstruction. |
Powder and cook as a daily food for Damp predominant Bi with swelling and hypertonicity. |
Generalized body aches due to Wind-Dampness. |
Cx. Moutan |
Sm. Benincasae
|
Sm. Trichosanthis |
| Intestinal abscess. | Intestinal abscess with a stronger effect. |
Dampness with Blood Stasis causing Intestinal abscess. (early-stage) |
Sm. Armeniacae |
Poria |
|
Early-stage Damp-Warmth with Damp predominant. |
Damp-Heat pouring downward leading to atrophy and weakness of the lower extremities. Wei (atrophy) Syndrome with muscle weakness due to Damp-Heat. |
Spleen Deficiency with Excess Dampness and edema. |
Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae |
Sm. Pruni |
Sm. Plantaginis |
Accumulation of Dampness with Spleen Deficiency. |
Shortness of breath due to water accumulation. |
Re (Heat) Lin. |
Hb. Lygodii |
Rx. Ginseng |
Sm. Armeniacae |
Shi (Stone) Lin. |
Spleen and Stomach Deficiencies with loose stools and reduced appetite. |
Damp febrile disorders with feelings of oppression, in the chest, lack of appetite and a thick, greasy tongue coat. |
Hb. Ephedrae |
Flos Lonicerae |
Sm. Benincasae |
Wind-Damp Bi. |
Acute appendicitis. |
Lung abscess. |
Rz. Phragmitis |
||
Lung abscess with a stronger effect. |
Suppurated Lung abscess with profuse, thick, bloody sputum. |
- This herb mildly treats Spleen Deficient diarrhea, but Poria's Fu Ling’s tonic properties are stronger.
- This herb is very effective at reducing spasms and increasing the mobility of the joints in chronic cases.
- This herb may be used long-term.
- This herb is often use in formulas that treat Bi Syndrome, skin diseases and bloating.
- For Bi syndrome, use with rice as a porridge on a daily basis.
- This is a type of barley.
- This herb soothes numbness, nourishes the skin and treats plantar warts.
- This herb may inhibit ascites cancer and Yoshida's cancer.
- For Stomach and laryngeal cancer, Yoshida's sarcoma and malignant reticular cellular hyperplasia, decoct 30-60g with Semen Oryzae Geng Mi and drink all year round.
- One source says that this herb nourishes the Lungs.
- This herb treats cough due to pulmonary abscess, pathogenic Dryness and disorders of the thorax by decocting this herb with millet wine for oral administration. If there is Blood Stasis in the Lung, it will be vomited out immediately.
- Abscess during pregnancy can be treated by frequent ingestion of this herb in decoction.
- This herb expels Dampness but is not as drying as either type of Atractylodis, does not injure the Yin like Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin or Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian, and tonifies Qi, but does not increase Damp-Heat like Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen, or Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae Bai Zhu.
- Dry-fried Coix Chao Yi Yi Ren is better able to strengthen the Spleen and harmonize the Middle. With bran, it is better able to stop diarrhea. Scorched enables it to reduce Food Stagnation and harmonize the Stomach.
- Raw and cooked Coix dispensed together Shen Shu Yi Yi Ren is used for diarrhea due to Spleen Deficiency with over-abundant Dampness.
- Coix Root Yi YI Ren Gen is bitter, sweet and cold. it clears Heat, resolves Dampness and is used for Damp-Heat urinary dysfunction, urinary stones, jaundice, leukorrhea, edema and Lung abscesses. It also expels parasites. it's dosage is 6-18g. It is contraindicated in pregnancy.
- Both Yi Yi Ren and Poria Fu Ling strengthen the Spleen and remove Dampness. Yi Yi Ren is cold and can clear Heat and is used for Lung or Intestinal abscesses and Lung atrophy. It also removes Dampness at the level of the bones, muscles and sinews. Fu Ling is neutral, strengthens the Heart and Spleen and calms the Spirit.
- Both Yi Yi Ren and Sm. Benincasae Dong Gua Zi clear Heat and expel pus. Yi Yi Ren excels at strengthening the Spleen and removing Dampness and is used for diarrhea, Bi Syndrome or edema due to Dampness. Dong Gua Zi, is slippery and facilitates movement in the Large Intestine. It is more appropriate if Damp-Heat has accumulated in the Large Intestine and led to constipation or irregular bowel movements with tenesmus.