Class 2~5: Herbs That Tonify Qi, Blood, Yang and Yin

1. Class 2~5: Herbs That Tonify Qi, Blood, Yang and Yin Xianhui Li

2. Introduction of Tonifying Herbs • Definition: • These are the herbs that can supplement the substances of the body, improve functional activities, enhance the resistance ability of the human body and relieve the syndromes of deficiency types • Classification: • Qi tonics, yang tonics, blood tonics and yin tonics • Attention: • Due to the mutual supplementary effect between yin and yang, qi and blood, their tonics are often used together • Not suggested for patients with excess pattern • Improper use of these herbs may cause damage • Take care of the spleen and stomach or use the herbs that can promote digestion

3. Qi Tonics • Qi deficiency: • Mainly related to the spleen and the lung • Applications: • Qi deficiency • Used as assistance for blood deficiency • Herbs that can promote flow of qi should be used properly when there are the symptoms of stagnation of qi due to qi tonics

4. Herbs that tonify qi Ren Shen (Radix Ginseng) Xi Yang Shen (American Ginseng) Dang Shen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) Tai Zi Shen (Pseudostellariae Radix) Huang Qi (Radix Astragalus) Bai Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodes Microcephone) Shan Yao (Rhizoma Dioscoreae) Bian Dou (Semen Dolichoris Lablab) Gan Cao (Radix Glycyrrhiziae) Da Zao (Fructus Ziziphi Jujubae) Yi Tang (Saccharum Granorum) Feng Mi (Honey)Huang Jing (Rhizoma Plygonati)

5. Ren Shen (Radix Ginseng)(Bai Shen, Hong Shen, Ye Shan Shen, Ji Lin Shen) • Taste and property: sweet, slightly bitter, slightly warm • Meridian Tropism: Lung and spleen • Actions: Drastically tonify the primordial qi, supplement the spleen and the lung, promote production of body fluid to quench thirst, calm the mind and improve intelligence • Applications: • Collapse of qi: Du Shen Tang or Shen Fu Tang • Spleen qi deficiency: Si Jun Zi Tang • Lung qi deficiency: Short breath, lassitude, asthma on slight movement, weak pulse and spontaneous sweating, Ren Shen Hu Tao Tang • Thirst and diabetes due to impairment of body fluid: Bai Hu Jia Ren Shen Tang, Sheng Mai San (for deficiency of both qi and yin) • Restlessness of the heart spirit marked by insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep caused by qi deficiency, i.e. Gui Pi Tang (Spleen Heart Tonics) • Blood deficiency or impotence • Dosage: 5-10g. It should be decocted with soft fire separately. Powder 1-2g • Attention: • Not suggested for excess or heat pattern • Incompatible with Li Lu, Wu Ling Zhi, Lai fu zi • Avoid taking tea and radish

6. Xi Yang Shen (American Ginseng) • Taste and property: Bitter, slightly sweet and cold • Meridian Tropism: Heart, lung and kidney • Actions: Tonify qi and nourish yin, clear heat and promote production of body fluid • Applications: • Cough, asthma with phlegm and blood due to yin deficiency and flaring up of fire, often used with Mai Dong, E Jiao, Zhi Mu and Bei Mu • Impairment of both qi and yin in febrile diseases marked by restlessness, lassitude and thirst, used with Sheng Di, Xian Shi Hu and Mai Dong • Dry mouth and tongue due to deficiency of body fluid. It can be used alone • Hematemesis due to intestinal heat when used with Long Yan Rou • Dosage: 3-6g • Attention: • Being cold in nature, this herb may impair the spleen yang and assist in dampness • It can not be stirred fried in iron pots • Incompatible to Li Lu

7. Dang Shen (Radix Codonopsis) • Taste and Property: Sweet and neutral • Meridian tropism: Lung and spleen • Actions: Tonify the middle jiao, supplement qi and promote production of body fluid and nourish blood • Applications: • Deficiency of qi of middle jiao: Often used with Bai Zhu, Fu Ling and Gan cao • Lung qi deficiency: Used with Huang Qi and Wu Wei Zi, i.e. Bu Fei tang • Short breath with thirst due to impairment of body fluid in febrile diseases • Sallow complexion, dizziness and palpitation due to blood deficiency” It works by tonifying qi to nourish blood, i.e. Ba Zhen tang • Dosage: 10-30g • Attentions: Incompatible with Li Lu

8. Pseudostellariae, Radix (Tai Zi Shen) • Taste and property: sweet, slightly bitter and neutral • Meridian Tropism: Lung and spleen • Actions: strengthens the spleen and augments the qi, generates the fluids • Applications: • Fatigue, lack of appetite, spontaneous sweating, used with shan yao, bai bian dou • Thirsty and injury to fluids after a febrile disease, used with sheng di huang, zhi mu • Dosage: 9-30g

9. Huang Qi (Radix Astragalus) • Taste and property: Sweet and slightly warm • Meridian tropism: spleen and lung • Actions: Tonify qi and ascending yang, supplement qi to consolidate the surface, promote outward discharge of toxin and generation of new tissues, induce diuresis to relieve edema • Applications • Deficiency of the spleen qi and lung qi or collapse of the qi in the middle jiao: This is an very important herb for qi deficiency • Spontaneous sweating due to deficiency of the defensive qi: Used with Mu Li, Fu Xiao Mai and Ma Huang Gen, Mu Li San. Night sweating due to yin deficiency can also be treated with this herb plus Sheng Di and Huang bai, i.e. Dang Gui Liu Huang tang • Failure of carbuncle to erupture or failure of the wound to heal: Often used with Dang Gui, Chuan Shan Jia and Zao Jiao Ci, Shi Quan Da Bu Tang • Edema with oliguria: Applicable to water retention due to failure of the deficient qi to move water, i.e. Fang Ji Huang Qi Tang • Numbness of the limbs: Huang Qi Gui Zhi Wu Wu Tang • Arthralgia marked by pain in the shoulder and arms: Juan Bi Tang • Hemiplegia in stroke: Bu Yang Huan Wu tang (Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, di long, Tao Ren and Hong Hua) • Diabetes: Used with Sheng Di, Mai Dong and Tian Hua Fen • Dosage: 10-15g, or up to 30-60g. Used after stir-fried for tonifying qi and yang • Attentions: Not suggested for patients with excess pathogen in the exterior, stagnation of qi and dampness, food retention, hyperactivity of yang due to yin defiicency, etc.

10. Bai Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodes Microcephone) • Taste and property: Bitter, sweet and warm • Meridian tropism: Spleen and stomach • Actions: Tonify qi, strengthen the spleen, dry dampness, stop sweating and calm the fetus • Applications: • Spleen deficiency • Spleen qi deficiency: Used with Ren Shen, Fu Ling and Gan Cao, i.e. Si Jun Zi Tang • Spleen deficiency cold: Used with Dang Shen, Gan Jiang and Zhi Gan Cao: Li Zhong Wan • Spleen deficiency with retained food: Used with Zhi Shi, Zhi Zhu Wan • Spleen defiicency with retention of dampness marked by phlegm and retained water: Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang for phlegm, used with Chen Pi, Da Fu Pi and Fu Ling Pi for edema • Spleen qi deficiency marked by spontaneous sweating, used with Huang Qi, and Fu Xiao Mai • Restlessness of fetus due to spleen deficiency: Used with different herbs for different types • Dosage: 5-15g. Used raw for dry dampness and inducing diuresis, stir-fried for supplementing spleen qi and stir-fried to yellow for diarrhea due to spleen deficiency • Attentions: This herb tends to impair yin because it has a dry property, so it is applicable only to the spleen deficiency with dampness

11. Shan Yao (Rhizoma Dioscoreae) • Taste and Property: Sweet and neutral • Meridian tropism: Spleen, lung and kidney • Actions: supplement qi, nourish yin, tonify the spleen, the lung and the kidney • Applications: • Deficiency of the spleen qi marked by poor appetite and diarrhea: Often used with Ren Shen, bai Zhu and Fu Ling, Shen Ling Bai Zhu San • Cough or asthma due to lung deficiency: With Dang Shen, mai Dong and Wu Wei Zi • Kidney deficiency marked by emission, frequent urination and leukorrhea: This herb can both tonify the kidney and astringe • Emission due to kidney deficiency: Used with Shu Di and Shan Yu Rou, Liu Wei Di Huang Wan • Frequent urination due to kidney deficiency: Used with Yi Zhi Ren and Wu yao, Suo Quan Wan • Leukorrhea • Diabetes: Used at a large dosage (250g/day), to be taken as tea • Dosage: 10-30g, or up to 60-250g • Attention: This herb can not be used for patients with abdominal fullness due to dampness or retention of food

12. Bian Dou (Semen Dolichoris Lablab) • Taste and Property: Sweet and slightly warm • Meridian Tropism: Spleen and stomach • Actions: Strengthen the spleen to remove dampness • Applications: • Spleen deficiency with dampness marked by loose stools, diarrhea or leukorrhea, i.e. Shen Ling Bai Zhu San • Vomiting or diarrhea due to invasion of summer heat and dampness, used with Xiang Ru and Hou Po, i.e. Xiang Ru San • Dosage: 10-20g

13. Gan Cao (Radix Glycyrrhiziae) • Taste and Property: Sweet and neutral • Meridian Tropism: Heart, spleen, lung and stomach • Actions: Supplement the spleen qi, moisten the lung to relieve cough, relax spasm to relieve pain and harmonize functions of other herbs • Applications: • Weakness of the spleen and stomach marke by short breath, lassitude and loose stools: Used with ren Shen, Bai Zhu and Fu Ling, i.e. Si Jun Zi Tang • Cough and asthma: Used with Ma Huang and Xing Ren (San Ao Tang) for that caused by wind cold. Used with Sheng Shi gao (Ma Xing Shi gan Tang) for that caused by stagnated heat in the lung • Carbuncles or food or drug poisoning • Spasm of abdomen or limbs: • Harmonize functions of other herbs • Used with Fu Zi and Gan Jiang: Prevent yin impairment • Used with Shi Gao and Zhi Mu: Reduce the cold nature of these two herbs • Used with Da Huang and Mang Xiao: Slow the purging effect • Dosage: 2-10g. Used raw for clearing heat and removing toxic materials and after stir-fried for tonifying the middle jiao • Attention: Large dosage of gan Cao may cause edema

14. Da Zao (Fructus Ziziphi Jujubae) • Taste and Property: Sweet and warm • Meridian Tropism: Spleen and stomach • Actions: Supplement qi of middle jiao, nourish blood to calm the mind and harmonize the functions of other herbs • Applications: • Deficiency of qi in the middle jiao, used with Dang Shen, Bai Zhua nd Fu Ling • Sallow complexion or restlessness (hysteria) due to deficiency of zang fu organs: Used with Shu Di and Dang Gui for blood deficiency or Gan Cao and Xiao Mai for restlessness, i.e. Gan Mai Da Zao tang • Used with drastic herbs to harmonize the function: Used with Ting Li Zi to prevent impairment of vital qi, used with Da Ji, Gan Sui and Yuan Hua to prevent impairment of the stomach • This herb is often used together with Sheng Jiang • When used with other herbs relieving exterior pattern: Sheng jiang can help defensive qi to induce diuresis, while Da Zao can tonify ying blood to prevent impairment of ying • When used with tonics, Sheng Jiang can harmonize the function of the middle jiao, Da Zao can supplement the spleen qi to improve the appetite • Dosage: 3-12g or 10-30g • Attention: This herb can produce dampness and heat, causing abdominal fullness

15. Yi Tang (Saccharum Granorum) • Taste and property: Sweet and warm • Meridian Tropism: Spleen, stomach and lung • Actions: supplement the spleen qi, relax spasm to relieve pain and moisten the lung to relieve cough • Applications: • Overstrain impairing the spleen, i.e. Xiao Jiang Zhong Tang • Abdominal pain relieved by warmth and pressure and eating due to deficiency cold: Xiao Jiang Zhong Tang or Da Jiang Zhong Tang • Lung deficiency with cough, dry cough without phlegm and shortness of breath • Dosage: 30-60g • Attention: This herb can also cause abdominal fullness

16. Feng Mi (Honey) • Taste and Property: Sweet and neutral • Meridian Tropism: Spleen, lung and large intestine • Actions: Tonify middle jiao, relax spasm, moisten the lung to relieve cough, moisten the intestine to promote bowel movement • Applications: • Weakness of the spleen and stomach: This herb can tonify the middle jiao, relieve spasm and pain • Strengthen the function of Gan cao and Huang Qi • Chronic cough due to lung deficiency or dry cough and throat due to lung dryness. Herbs dissolving phlegm to relieve cough are often prepared with honey to strengthen their therapeutic effect • Constipation due to intestinal dryness: More applicable for patients with a weak constitution, used alone at the dosage of 30-60g • Detoxicating: Reduce the poisoning of Fu Zi and Wu Tou • Dosage: 15-30g. Used with water or in the form of pills or paste • Attention • Causing abdominal fullness • Lubricating the intestine

17. Huang Jing (Rhizoma Plygonati) • Taste and Property: Sweet and neutral • Meridian Tropism: Spleen, lung and kidney • Actions: Tonify spleen, benefit qi, moisten the lung, and nourish yin • Applications: • Dry cough due to lung deficiency, used alone or with Sha Shen, Zhi Mu, Bei Mu • Kidney essence deficiency marked by soreness of loins, dizziness or weakness of foot • Weakness of the spleen and the stomach. It can both supplement spleen qi and tonify the spleen yin • Diabetes, with Huang Qi, Hua Fen and Sheng Di • Dosage: 15-20g.

18. Herbs Tonifying Blood • Definition: These are the herbs with the function of nourishing blood and taking blood deficiency as the main indication. • Manifestations of Blood Deficiency: Sallow complexion, pale lips and nails, dizziness, vertigo, palpitation, delayed menstruation with small amount and light-color blood or even amenorrhea. • Compatibility: • With yin tonics for accompanying yin deficiency • Many herbs can both tonify blood and yin • Often used with qi tonics to promote generation of blood

19. Herbs that tonify blood Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae) Shu DI Huang (Prepared Rehmanniae) He Shou Wu (Radix Polygoni Mutiflori) Bai Shao (Radix Peoniae Alba) E Jiao (Colla, Corri Asini) Long Yan Rou (Fructus Longan) Gou Qi Zi (Fructus Lycii) Sang Shen (Fructus Mori Albae)

20. Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae) • Taste and Property: Sweet, pungent and warm • Meridian Tropism: Liver, heart and spleen • Actions: Tonify blood, activate blood flow, relieve pain and moisten intestine • Application: • Blood deficiency: Applicable to various kinds of blood deficiency, often used together with qi tonics, such as Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang • Irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea or amenorrhea: Being able to tonify blood, move blood and relieve pain, this herb serves as an important herb for menstrual disorders, i.e. Si Wu Tang • Abdominal pain due to yang deficiency, pain due to stagnation of blood, traumatic injury and arthralgia: • Abdominal pain due to yang deficiency: Dang Gui Sheng Jiang Yang Rou Tang • Pain of limbs due to stagnated blood: Huo Xue Xiao Ling Dan • Traumatic injury: Fu Yuan Huo Xue Tang • Carbuncles: This herb can move blood, tonify blood, relieve pain, drain pus and promote regeneration of new tissues, serving as a common herb for TCM surgery, i.e. Xian Fang Huo Ming Yin • Constipation due to blood deficiency: Used together with Rou Cong Rong, He Shou Wu and Huo Ma Ren • Dosage: 5-15g

21. Shu Di Huang (Prepared Rehmanniae) • Taste and Property: Sweet, slightly warm • Meridian Tropism: Liver and kidney • Actions: Tonify blood, nourish yin, supplement essence and marrow • Applications: • Blood deficiency marked by sallow complexion, dizziness, palpitation, insomnia, irregular menstruation and metrostaxis and metrorrhagia, i.e. Si Wu Tang • Kidney yin deficiency marked by night sweating, tidal fever, emission and diabetes, used as a main herb for tonifying yin, i.e. Liu Wei Di Huang Wan • Deficiency of both essence and blood marked by soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, deafness and early graying of hair can all be treated with this herb • Dosage: 10-30g. Often used with herbs strengthening the function of the spleen such as Chen Pi and Sha Ren • Attention: This herb is sticky and greasy and impair the digestion, so it is not applicable for patients with stagnation of qi, much phlegm, fullness in the abdomen or poor appetite and loose stool.

22. He Shou Wu (Radix Polygoni Mutiflori) • Taste and Property: Bitter, sweet, astringent and slightly warm • Meridian tropism: Liver and kidney • Actions: Tonify essence blood, treat malaria, detoxicate and moisten intestine to promote bowel movement • Application: • Essence-blood deficiency marked by dizziness, vertigo, early graying of hair. Soreness and weakness of lower back and knees, emission and metrostaxis or metrorrhagia. This herb can tonify kidney and liver, supplement essence blood, and astringe. It is not cold, dry or greasy, so it has been regarded as a good herb for nourishing yin. I.e. Qi Bao Mei Ran Dan. • Chronic malaria, carbuncles, scrofula and constipation due to intestinal dryness • Chronic malaria: Used with Ren Shen, Dang Gui, Chen Pi, Wei Jiang, i.e. He Ren Yin • Carbuncle of the whole body with itching and pain: Used with Fang Feng, Bo He, Ku Shen, i.e. He Shou Wu San • Constipation due to intestinal dryness: Used with Dang Gui, Huo Ma Ren and Hei Zhi Ma • Dosage: 10-30g. Used Zhi Shou Wu for tonifying essence blood. • Attention: Not suitable for patients with loose stool or severe phlegm dampness in the body

23. Bai Shao (Radix Peoniae Alba) • Taste and Property: Bitter, sour and slightly cold • Meridian Tropism: Liver and spleen • Actions: Nourish blood, astringe yin, soften liver to relieve pain and suppress liver yang • Application: • Irregular menstruation, abdominal pain in the period, metrostaxis and metrorrhagia, night sweating or spontaneous sweating • Menstrual disorders: SI Wu Tang • Sweating with aversion to wind: Gui Zhi Tang • Night sweating: Used with Mu Li, Long Gu, Bai Zi Ren, etc. • Pain in the hypochondrium, abdomen and epigastriac region due to disorder of liver qi or convulsion and pain of the limbs: Being able to soften the liver, nourish blood, this herb can relieve spasm and pain. • Pain in the hypochondrium: Used with Dang Gui, Bai Zhu, Chai Hu, i.e. Xiao Yao San • Abdominal pain or spasmatic pain due to blood deficiency: Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang • Abdominal pain with diarrhea: Used with Fang feng, Bai Zhu and Chen Pi, i.e. Tong Xie Yao Fang • Hyperactivity of liver yang marked by headache and dizzness: Often used together with Sheng Di, Dai Zhe Shi and Niu Xi. • Dosage: 5-10g, or 15-30g • Attention: Opposite to Li Lu

24. E Jiao (Colla, Corri Asini) • Taste and Property: Sweet and neutral • Meridian Tropism: Lung, liver and kidney • Actions: Tonify blood, stop bleeding, nourish yin and moisten the lung • Applications: • Blood deficiency marked by dizziness and palpitation: Often used with Dang Shen, Huang Qi, Dang Gui, Shu Di. • Hametemesis, epistaxis, hematochezia, and metrostaxis and metrorrhagia: This is a very important herb for stopping bleeding • Constant hametemesis: Used with Pu Huang and Sheng Di • Bleeding due to yang deficiency: Used with Zao Xin Tu, Sheng Di, Huang Qin, Fu ZI, i.e. Huang Tu Tang • Metrostaxis, etc.: Used with Sheng Di, Bai Shao, Ai Ye Tang, i.e. Jiao Ai Tang • Restlessness and insomnia due to yin deficiency: Huang Lian E Jiao Tang • Asthma or dry cough due to yin deficiency: This herb can nourish yin and moisten the lung • Lung deficiency with exuberance of fire: Used with Ma Dou Ling, Niu Bang Zi, Xing Ren, i.e. Bu Fei E Jiao Tang • Dry cough due to dry heat impairing the lung: Used with Sheng Shi Gao, Xing Ren, Sang Ye, Mai Dong, i.e. Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang • Dosage: 5-10g. Taken after melt in hot water or rice wine.

25. Long Yan Rou (Fructus Longan) • Taste and Property: Sweet and warm • Meridian Tropism: Heart and spleen • Actions: Tonify both the heart and the spleen, supplement both qi and blood • Applications: • Deficiency of both the heart and the spleen marked by palpitation, insomnia and forgetfulness: This can be used alone or with Huang Qi, Ren Shen, Dang Gui and Suan Zao Ren, i.e. Gui Pi Tang • Dosage: 10-15g • Attention: Not suggested for patient with accumulation of dampness in the middle jiao or with phlegm, retained water or fire.

26. Gou Qi Zi (Fructus Lycii) • Taste and Property: Sweet and neutral • Meridian Tropism: Liver, Kidney and Lung • Actions: Nourish liver and kidney, improve vision, and moisten the lung • Applications: • Deficiency of the liver blood and the kidney yin. This herb is a very good herb for this condition, i.e. Qi Ju Di Huang Wan • Cough due to yin deficiency, used with Zhi Mu, Mai Dong and Bei Mu • Dosage: 5-15g • Attention: Not suggested for patient with accumulation of dampness in the middle jiao or with phlegm, retained water or fire.

27. Sang Shen (Fructus Mori Albae) • Taste and Property: Sweet and cold • Meridian Tropism: Liver, Kidney and heart • Actions: Tonify liver and blood and enrich yin • Applications: • Gray hair due to liver and kidney deficiency, use with He shou wu, Nu zhen zi, Han lian cao. • Dizziness, blurred vision, insomnia use with Sheng di huang, Shu di huang. • Moistens the intestines: for constipation due to blood deficiency or insufficient fluids • Dosage: 5-15g • Attention: Not suggested for patient with diarrhea due to spleen deficiency.

28. Yang Tonics • Yang deficiency: Mainly involving the heart, the spleen and the kidney • Attentions: Most herbs of this kind are warm and dry, tending to impair yin and assist in fire

29. Herbs that tonify yang • Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum (Lu Rong) (also (Lu Jiao) (Lu Jiao Jiao) (Lu Jiao Shuang)) • Gecko (Ge Jie) • Cordyceps sinensis (Dong Chong Xia Cao) • Cistanches, Herba (Rou Cong Rong) • Cynomorii, Herba (Suo Yang) • Epimedii, Herba (Yin Yang Huo) • Morindae officinalis, Radix (Ba Ji Tian) • Trigonellae Foeni-graeci, Semen (Hu Lu Ba) • Juglandis, Semen (Hu Tao Ren) • Psoraleae, Fructus (Bu Gu Zhi) • Alpiniae oxyphyllae, Fructus (Yi Zhi Ren) • Curculiginis Rhizoma (Xian Mao) • Eucommiae, Cortex (Du Zhong) • Cibotii, Rhizoma (Gou Ji) • Dipsaci, Radix (Xu Duan) • Drynariae, Rhizoma (Gu Sui Bu) • Cuscutae, Semen (Tu Si Zi) • Astragali, Semen (Sha Yuan Ji Li) • Placenta Hominis (Zi He Che) • Allii tuberosi, Semen (Jiu Zi)

30. Lu Rong • Taste and property: Sweet, salty and warm • Meridian tropism: Liver and kidney • Actions: Tonify the kidney yang, supplement essence and blood and strengthen the tendons and bones • Applications: • Kidney yang deficiency and deficiency of essence and blood marked by aversion to cold, cold limbs, impotence and premature ejaculation, frequent urination, soreness of loins and knees, dizziness, deafness, and listlessness; Used alone in powder or with Ren Shen, Shu Di and Gou Qi, i.e. Shen Rong Gu Ben Wan • Deficiency of essence blood marked by weakness of tendons and bones or delayed development in children: Used with Shan Yao, Shu Di and Shan Yu Rou, i.e. Jia Wei Di Huang Wan • Metrostaxis and metrorrhagia due to deficiency cold of the Chong and ren Meridians, used with Dang Gui, Wu Zei Gu and Pu Huang • Dosage: 1-3g, ground into fine powder to be taken 3 times a day • Attention: This herb should be started at a small dosage to prevent endogenous wind or impairment of yin blood • Lu Jiao: Tonifying the kidney and assisting yang, mild in function and can also activate blood flow. Used for carbuncles, acute mastitis, pain due to blood stasis and pain in the lower back and tendons and bones • Lu Jiao Jiao: The gel of Lu Jiao, functioning to tonify the liver and kidney and supplementing essence and blood with a good effect of stopping bleeding, used for kidney yang deficiency and deficiency of essence and blood. • Lu Jiao Shuang: The residue to the deer horn after cooked, functioning to supplement kidney, assist yang. It is mild inf unction but has not the greasy nature. It can also astringe, so used for kidney yang deficiency, deficiency cold of the spleen and stomach marked by vomiting, poor appetite and loose stool, metrostaxis or metrorrhagia or leukorrhea due to deficiency cold

31. Ba Ji Tian (Morinda Root) • Taste and Property: Pungent, sweet and slightly warm • Meridian Tropism: The kidney • Actions: tonify the kidney yang, disperse wind dampness • Applications: • Impotence, frequent urination, sterility due to cold uterus, irregular menstrual flow, cold pain in the lower abdomen • Impotence or sterility: Used with Ren Shen, Shan yao and Fu Pen Zi • Incontinence of urine: Used with Yi Zhi Ren and Sang Piao Xiao • Cold pain and irregular menstrual flow: Used with Gao Liang Jiang, Rou Gui and Wu Zhu Yu • Soreness or weakness in the loins and knees: Suitable for that caused by both kidney yang deficiency and wind dampness, used with Bi Xie and Du Zhong, i.e. Jin Gang Wan • Dosage: 10-15g • Attentions: This herb tonifies the kidney yang with a soft and moisten nature, but it is only suitable for yang deficiency with cold dampness

32. Rou Cong Rong (Desertliving Cistanche) • Taste and Property: Sweet, salty and warm • Meridian Tropism: Kidney and large intestine • Actions: Tonify the kidney yang, moisten the large intestine to promote bowel movement • Applications: • Impotence, sterility, cold pain in the loins and knees and weakness of tendons and bones • Impotence: Used with Shu Di, Tu Si Zi, Wu Wei Zi, i.e. Rou Cong Rong Wan • Sterility due to deficiency of essence or blood: Used with Lu Jiao Jiao, Shu Di and Zi He Che • Cold pain in the loins and knees—Jin Gang Wan • Constipation due to intestinal dryness: Used with Huo Ma Ren, Chen Xiang, i.e. Ru Chang Wan • Dosage: 10-20g • Attention: • Dosage should be large • Not applied to patients with yin deficiency and exuberance of fire or diarrhea • Also not applied to constipation due to excessive heat in the gastrointestinal tract

33. Xian Mao (Curculigo Rhizome) • Taste and Property: Pungent, hot and toxic • Meridian Tropism: Kidney • Actions: Warm up the kidney yang, disperse cold dampness • Application: Impotence, incontinence of urine, cold pain in the chest and abdomen, coldness in the loins and knees, often used with Yin Yang Huo or used alone after soaked in wine • Dosage: 3-10g • Attention: Being dry and hot, this herb tends to impair yin

34. Yin Yang Huo (Epimedii, Herba) (Xian Ling Pi) • Taste and Property: Pungent, sweet and warm • Meridian Tropism: Liver and kidney • Actions: tonify the kidney, invigorate yang, disperse wind dampness • Application: • Impotence, sterility or weakness of loins and knees due to kidney yang deficiency • Arthralgia or numbness of limbs due to wind dampness: Used with Wei Ling Xian, Cang Er, i.e. Xian Ling Pi San • Dosage: 10-15g • Attention: Not applied to yin deficiency with exuberance of fire

35. Du Zhong (Eucommia Bark) • Taste and Property: Sweet and warm • Meridian Tropism: Liver and kidney • Actions: Tonify the liver and the kidney, strengthen the tendons and bones and calm the fetus • Applications: • Soreness or weakness of the knees and loins due to deficiency of the liver or the kidney, often used with Po Gu Zhi, Hu Tao Rou, etc., i.e. Qing E Wan • Impotence or frequent urination due to kidney yang deficiency • Excessive fetal movement or habitual abortion: Used alone or with Xu Duan, Shan Yao • Hyperactivity of liver yang: Used with Bai Shao, Shi Jue Ming, Xia Ku Cao and Huang Qin • Dosage: 10-15g. The stir-fried one has a better effect than the raw one

36. Xu Duan (Teasel root) • Taste and Property: Bitter, sweet, pungent and slightly warm • Meridian Tropism: liver and kidney • Actions: Tonify the liver and the kidney, promote flow of blood in the vessels, and treat fracture of bone and tendons • Applications: • Soreness of loins, weakness of feet, emission, metrostaxis and metrorrhagia: This herb is featured by its tonification without a sticky effect • Soreness and weakness of feet: Used with Du Zhong, Niu Xi and Bi Xie, i.e. Xuan Duan Wan • Metrostaxis and metrorrhagia: Used with Huang Qi, Shu Di and Chi Shi Zhi • Threatened abortion marked by vaginal bleeding: This herb can calm the fetus, used with Xu Duan, Sang Ji Sheng, Tu Si Zi and E Jiao • Traumatic injury, carbuncles and ulcer: This is a common herb used for traumatic injury, often used with Gu Sui Pu, Zi Ran Tong, Di Bie Chong and Xue Jie • Dosage: 10-20g

37. Gou Ji (Cibot rhizome) • Taste and Property: Bitter, sweet and warm • Meridian: Liver and kidney • Actions: Tonify the liver and kidney, strengthen the loins and knees and eliminate wind dampness • Applications: • Pain in the lower back and spine with weakness of feet, often used with Du Zhong, Xu Duan and Niu Xi, i.e. Gou Ji Yin • Incontinence of urine and excessive leukorrhea: For incontinence of urine, used with Mu Gua, Wu Jia Pi and Du Zhong; for excessive white leukorrhea, used with Lu Rong and Bai Lian • Dosage: 10-15g

38. Gu Sui Bu (Drynaria Rhizome) • Taste and Property: Bitter and warm • Meridian tropism: Liver and kidney • Actions: Tonify the kidney, activate blood flow, arrest bleeding and treat fracture of bones • Applications: • Kidney deficiency marked by low back pain, weakness of feet, tinnitus, deafness, toothache and prolonged diarrhea • Persistent lower back pain due to kidney deficiency: Use with Bu Gu Zhi, Niu Xi and Hu Tao Ren • Tinnitus, deafness and toothache: Used with Shu Di and Shan Yu Rou • Prolonged diarrhea: Used with pig’s kidney • Traumatic injury: Used with Gu Sui Bu, Zi Ran Tong, Hu Gu and Zhi Gui Ban • This herb is also effective for alopecia when used externally after soaked in wine. • Dosage: 10-20g

39. Bu Gu Zhi (Psoralia fruit)Po gu zhi • Taste and property: Bitter, pungent and hot • Meridian tropism: Kidney and spleen • Actions: Tonify the kidney yang, consolidate essence, astringe urination, warm up the spleen to relieve diarrhea • Application: • Impotence or cold pain in the lower back and knees: Used with Tu Si ZI, Chen Xiang for impotence, used with Du Zhong for cold pain in the lower back and knees • Emission, frequent urination or enuresis: Emission: Stir-fried with Bu Gu Zhi and Coarse salt for emission. • Diarrhea due to deficiency of both the spleen and kidney yang, used with Rou Dou Kou, Wu Wei ZI and Wu Zhu Yu, ie. Si Shen Wan • Dosage: 5—10g • Attention: Impairing yin and assisting fire, it can not be used for yin deficiency with exuberance of fire and constipation

40. Yi Zhi Ren (Alpinia Black Cardamom) • Taste and property: Pungent and warm • Meridian tropism: Spleen and kidney • Actions: • Warms the kidneys, retains the essence, and secures the urine; • Warms the spleen, stops diarrhea, and controls salivation • Applications: • Abdominal pain and diarrhea due to cold invading the spleen and the kidney, used with Dang Shen, Bai Zhu and gan Jiang • Poor appetite with much saliva due to deficiency cold of qi of middle jiao, used with Dang Shen, Bai Zhu and Chen Pi • Deficiency cold of the spleen and the kidney marked by emission, enuresis, dripping of urine, used with Shan yao, and Wu Yao, i.e. Suo Quan Wan • Dosage: 3-6g

41. Dong Chong Xia Cao (Cordyceps) • Taste and Property: Sweet and warm • Meridian tropism: kidney and lung • Actions: Supplement the kidney and tonify the lung, arrest bleeding and dissolve phlegm • Application: • Impotence, emission and soreness of lower back and knees: Used alone or with Du Zhong, Yin Yang Huo and Ba Ji Tian • Cough and asthma due to deficiency or coughing blood in tuberculosis, used with Sha Shen, Mai Dong, E Jiao, Chuan Bei • General weakness after diseases or spontaneous sweating or aversion to cold • Dosage: 5-10g • Attention: Not applicable for those with pathogens in the exterior

42. Ge Jie (Gecko) • Taste and Property: Salty and neutral • Meridian Tropism: Lung and kidney • Actions: Tonify lung qi, assist in the kidney yang, relieve cough, supplement essence and blood • Applications: • Cough or asthma due to kidney deficiency or lung deficiency: Specially effective for the pattern of failure of the deficient kidney to receive qi, used with Ren Shen, Xing Ren and Bei Mu, i.e. Ren Shen Ge Jie San • Impotence: Used with Ren Shen, Lu Rong and Yin Yang Huo • Dosage: 3-7g. 1-2g in powder

43. Hu Tao Rou (Walnut Seed) • Taste and Property: Sweet and warm • Meridian Tropism: Kidney, lung and large intestine • Actions: Tonify the kidney, warm the lung and moisten the intestine • Applications: • Pain in the lower back and weakness of feet: This herb can tonify the kidney yang and strengthen the lower back and the knees. • Cough or asthma due to deficiency cold: use with Ren Shen and Sheng Jiang, i.e. Ren Shen Hu Tao tang; or with honey • Constipation due to intestinal dryness: Mainly applicable to aged people or constipation due to intestinal dryness after disease: Used alone or with Huo Ma Ren, Rou Cong Rong and Dang Gui • Dosage: 10-30g. • Attentions: Not applicable for exuberance of fire due to yin deficiency, cough due to phlegm heat or diarrhea

44. Zi He Che (Placentum Humoris) • Taste and Property: Sweet, salt, warm • Meridian Tropism: Kidney, lung and Liver • Actions: Supplement essence, nourish blood and benefit qi • Applications: • Deficiency of qi and blood • Asthma due to deficiency of both the lung and the kidney: He Che Da Zao Wan • Sterility, impotence, emission, soreness of loins, dizziness and tinnitus • Epilepsy due to deficiency of both qi and blood • Dosage: 1.5-3g

45. Tu Si Zi (Cuscutae, Semen) • Taste and Property: Sweet and warm • Meridian tropism: Liver and kidney • Actions: Tonify the kidney, consolidate the essence, nourish the liver and improve vision • Applications: • Pain in the lumbar region, impotence, emission, frequent urination, excessive leukorrhea: Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan • Blurred vision, dizziness or vertigo caused by deficiency of both the liver and the kidney • For blurred vision: Sha Yuan Zi, Chong Wei Zi, Qing Xiang Zi • Dizziness and vertigo: Shu Di, Ju Hua, Tu Si Zi • Dosage: 10-20g • Attention: This herb is a warm tonics, not applicable to exuberance of fire with difficult urination

46. Sha Yuan Ji Li (Semen Astragali Complanati) • Taste and Property: Sweet and warm • Meridian tropism: Liver and kidney • Actions: Tonify kidney yang and secure essence, tonify liver and kidney and improve vision. • Applications: • Impotence, premature ejaculation, frequent urination, leukorrhagia, use with Fu pen zi, Lian zi, Qian shi • Blurred vision due to liver and kidney deficiency, use with gou qi zi, shen di huang, jue ming zi, ju hua. • Dosage: 6-15g • Attention: This herb is a warm tonics, not applicable to damp heat or deficient heat.

47. Jiu Zi (Semen Allii Tuberosi, allium seeds, chinese leek seeds) • Taste and Property: Acrid, sweet and warm • Meridian tropism: Liver and kidney • Actions: Tonify kidney yang and secure essence • Applications: • Frequent urination, use with bu gu zhi, yi zhi ren • Impotence, emission, excessive leucorrhea, spermatorrhea: use with Long gu, Sang piao xiao • Dosage: 3-9g

48. Trigonellae Foeni-graeci, Semen (Hu Lu Ba) • Taste and Property: bitter and warm • Meridian Tropism: kidney • Actions: tonify the kidney yang, disperse dampness from the lower burner • Applications: • For patterns of kidney yang deficiency accompanied by accumulation of cold dampness. Also used for cold damp leg qi. • Dosage: 5-9g

49. Cynomorii, Herba (Suo Yang) • Taste and Property: sweet and warm • Meridian Tropism: Large intestine, kidney, liver • Actions: tonify the kidney yang, nourish liver blood and kidney yin, moisten large intestine • Applications: • For kidney yang deficiency leading to impotence, infertility, urinary frequency, and spermatorrhea, also for atrophy disorder from liver and kidney deficiency • For constipation from yang, qi or blood deficiency • Dosage: 5-15g

50. Herbs that tonify yin • Herbs in this group are used for either body fluid deficiency or yin deficiency • Body fluid mainly distributes in the lung and stomach, and corresponding to white color. While yin deficiency mostly happens to the liver and kidney, and takes black as the color in accordance with five elements. • Most of the herbs for body fluid deficiency have a white color and they look juicy, while most of the herbs for yin deficiency are black in color and they are greasy and thick.