🌿 Folk Prescriptions

These herbs function to clear internal heat, eliminate heat toxins, cool blood, and reduce heat. They are primarily used for heat constitution and internal heat syndromes.① Scrophularia Root: Scrophularia root comes from the roots of Scrophularia ningpoensis or Scrophularia buergeriana (Scrophulariaceae). It contains scrophularin, cyclopentenoid glycosides, volatile oils, alkaloids, etc. Pharmacological studies show that aqueous and alcohol extracts, as well as decoctions of Scrophularia, lower blood pressure; Scrophularia also dilates blood vessels and strengthens heart function; multiple Scrophularia species extracts exhibit sedative and anticonvulsant effects. In traditional Chinese medicine, Scrophularia is cold in nature, sweet and bitter in taste, with functions of nourishing yin and reducing fire, cooling blood, and detoxifying. Used for fever due to heat illness, petechiae, bone-steaming fever, insomnia, spontaneous sweating, night sweats, dehydration, constipation, sore throat, etc. Dosage: 6–12 g. Contraindicated in cases of loose stools or excessive phlegm-dampness.② Cassia Seed: Cassia seed is the seed of Cassia tora or Cassia obtusifolia (Fabaceae). It contains anthraquinone esters and glycosides, cassiain, vitamin A, etc. Pharmacological tests confirm that cassia seed lowers blood pressure and serum cholesterol; has antibacterial action against various pathogens and mild laxative effects. In traditional Chinese medicine, cassia seed is slightly cold in nature, sweet and bitter in taste, with functions of clearing liver and improving eyesight, promoting urination and bowel movements. Used for eye redness, irritation, photophobia, excessive tearing caused by liver heat or wind-heat in the liver channel. Also effective for hypertension, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis with ascites, and habitual constipation. Dosage: 3–9 g, crushed and decocted.③ Lycium Bark: Lycium bark is the root bark of Lycium barbarum (Solanaceae). It contains cinnamic acid, various phenolic compounds, betaine, linoleic acid, etc. Lycium bark has significant antipyretic effects; its decoction reduces blood glucose levels, lowers serum cholesterol, and protects against fatty liver; its extract significantly lowers blood pressure in animals. In traditional Chinese medicine, lycium bark is cold in nature, sweet and bland in taste, with functions of cooling blood, reducing fever, clearing lung heat. Used for tidal fever, night sweats due to deficiency, cough and wheezing from lung heat, hemoptysis, epistaxis, boils, carbuncles, and hypertension. Dosage: generally 3–9 g.④ Reed Rhizome: Reed rhizome is the underground stem of Phragmites australis (Poaceae). It contains coixol, asparagine, etc. In traditional Chinese medicine, reed rhizome is cold in nature, sweet in taste, with functions of clearing heat, generating body fluids, relieving irritability, stopping vomiting, and promoting urination. Used for heat illness causing fluid depletion, irritability and thirst, stomach heat with vomiting, esophageal obstruction, regurgitation, and lung heat cough, lung abscess, etc. Dosage: 9–30 g for dried rhizomes; 15–40 g for fresh ones.⑤ Forsythia Fruit: Forsythia fruit is the fruit of Forsythia suspensa (Oleaceae). It contains essential oils, forsythoside, flavonoid glycosides, alkaloids, etc. Pharmacological studies show that forsythia has broad-spectrum antibacterial effects; forsythoside may be the main inhibitory component. It also has anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, diuretic, and cardiotonic actions; its flavonoid glycosides enhance capillary resistance, thus having hemostatic effects on capillary rupture, subcutaneous bleeding, etc. In traditional Chinese medicine, forsythia is slightly cold in nature, bitter in taste, with functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, dispersing nodules, and reducing swelling. Used for warm-heat diseases, erysipelas, rashes, carbuncles, abscesses, and allergic purpura. Dosage: generally 6–9 g.⑥ Peony Bark: Peony bark is the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa (Ranunculaceae). It contains paeonol, paeonol glycosides, essential oils, and phytosterols. Pharmacological studies confirm that peony bark lowers blood pressure; has analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic effects; strongly inhibits various pathogenic bacteria. In traditional Chinese medicine, peony bark is cool in nature, bitter and pungent in taste, with functions of clearing heat, cooling blood, harmonizing blood, and resolving stasis. Used for heat entering the blood, petechiae, convulsions, hematemesis, carbuncles, trauma, etc. Dosage: 5–9 g. Contraindicated in those with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold or diarrhea.⑦ Anemarrhena Rhizome: Anemarrhena rhizome is the rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides (Liliaceae). It contains various saponins, flavonoids, mangiferin, etc. Tests show that anemarrhena has obvious antipyretic effects, effective for hemorrhagic fever, Japanese encephalitis, and pulmonary tuberculosis with tidal fever. In traditional Chinese medicine, anemarrhena is cold in nature, sweet and bitter in taste, with functions of clearing heat and fire, nourishing yin and moisturizing dryness. Used for lung heat cough, yin-deficiency cough, irritability, thirst, bone-steaming fever, difficulty urinating, constipation, etc. Dosage: generally 6–9 g. Contraindicated in kidney yang deficiency, weak pulse at the two cun positions, or loose stools.⑨ Isatis Root: Isatis root comes from the roots of Isatis indigotica or Stellaria media (Cruciferae). It contains isatindigotin, indican B, β-sitosterol, etc. Isatis root has significant antiviral activity; inhibits various pathogens; effective against leptospira. Clinically, oral or intramuscular administration of isatis root decoction shows remarkable efficacy in treating Japanese encephalitis; beneficial for both acute and chronic hepatitis, alleviating symptoms and improving liver function. Used for viral skin diseases such as herpes simplex, shingles, pityriasis rosea, and flat warts—with varying degrees of therapeutic effect. In traditional Chinese medicine, isatis root is cold in nature, bitter in taste, with functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling blood, and relieving sore throat. Used for influenza, encephalitis, pneumonia, erysipelas, heat-toxin rash, red eyes, herpes, etc. Dosage: generally 5–9 g. Not recommended for those with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold.⑨ Honeysuckle: Honeysuckle is the flower bud of Lonicera japonica (Caprifoliaceae), containing chlorogenic acid, inositol, flavonoids, etc. Pharmacological tests confirm honeysuckle has anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects; inhibits influenza virus and various pathogens, including dermatophytic fungi—reflecting its heat-clearing and detoxifying properties. In traditional Chinese medicine, honeysuckle is cold in nature, sweet in taste, with functions of clearing heat and detoxifying. Used for fever due to warm diseases, heat-toxin dysentery, boils, carbuncles, furuncles, etc. Dosage: generally 6–12 g. Contraindicated in cases of deficient-cold diarrhea or wounds discharging clear pus without heat-toxin.⑩ Prunella Herb: Prunella herb is the flower or whole plant of Prunella vulgaris (Lamiaceae). It contains triterpenoid saponins and their aglycones (oleanolic acid), essential oils, vitamins, potassium chloride, etc. Pharmacological research confirms that the whole herb of prunella lowers blood pressure; its decoction shows varying degrees of inhibition against common dermatophytes and various pathogens. In traditional Chinese medicine, prunella herb is cold in nature, bitter and pungent in taste, with functions of clearing liver fire, dispersing stagnation, lowering blood pressure. Used for eye redness, swelling, eye pain, photophobia, tearing, headache, vertigo due to liver fire ascending; also for goiter and lymphadenopathy due to phlegm-fire stagnation. Dosage: generally around 9 g.⑩ Gardenia Fruit: Gardenia fruit is the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides (Rubiaceae). It contains various bitter glycosides, mannitol, ursolic acid, etc. Gardenia has choleretic effects, increasing bile secretion; also has antipyretic, sedative, analgesic, and anticonvulsant actions; exhibits antimicrobial effects, inhibiting various pathogens and dermatophytes. In traditional Chinese medicine, gardenia is cold in nature, bitter in taste, with functions of clearing fire, relieving irritability, clearing heat and dampness, cooling blood, and detoxifying. Used for restlessness due to heat illness, jaundice, red eyes, epistaxis, heat-toxin sores, etc. Dosage: 3–9 g.⑩ Dandelion: Dandelion is the whole herb with roots of Taraxacum officinale (Asteraceae), containing taraxacerol, betaine, inulin, and organic acids. Its decoction has antimicrobial effects; also protects the liver, promotes bile secretion, and enhances immune function. In traditional Chinese medicine, dandelion is cold in nature, sweet and bitter in taste, with functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling, and dispersing nodules. Used for acute mastitis, lymphadenitis, parotitis, gastritis, hepatitis, cholecystitis, urinary tract infections, etc. Dosage: 9–15 g; crushed and applied externally for breast abscess, skin eruptions, carbuncles, etc.<Clearing Heat>