https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/A4PeQB2Vq1CW8xtc-5KQOA
Everyone is welcome to share their experiences with these herbs in the replies, to facilitate other students in searching and learning.
23. Vitex Fruit (Manjingzi)
Eating it directly has a noticeable powdery texture, which can cause throat irritation. Although bitter when brewed in water, the taste is relatively mellow and it slightly stimulates the throat.
Main effects: Reduces heat and inflammation, clears metabolic waste from interstitial tissues. Secondary effects: Treats autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis; clears and benefits the eyes and head, treats floaters; clears the lungs and transforms phlegm; lowers blood pressure.
Side effects: If used in large doses or taken long-term, the clearing can be too intense, leading to blood and qi vessels becoming deprived of nourishment, causing stagnation and blockage, which can result in tinnitus, dry throat, and weak stomach.
Whether the medicinal nature ascends is uncertain.
24. Bupleurum (Chaihu)
This time the provided herb is Northern Bupleurum. Eating it directly is basically tasteless; brewed in water it has a flavor similar to Astragalus water.
Still from the Apiaceae family, Bupleurum is specialized for the Gallbladder and Liver meridians. It first unblocks the Gallbladder meridian, producing a numb and tingling sensation on the side of the body, then unblocks the Liver meridian and the liver and gallbladder. If there is significant stagnation in the liver area, high doses of Bupleurum cause a “clearing” pain sensation lasting about 30 minutes.
Main effects: Stimulates defensive qi, unblocks the liver and gallbladder meridians. Secondary effects: Aids digestion and relieves stagnation, clears the triple burner (mainly middle and upper), opens the orifices and awakens the mind, raises yang qi (after meridians are unblocked, yang qi obstruction is reduced, macroscopically manifesting as an elevation of qi).
There is a theory that the “Treatise on Cold Damage” (Shang Han Lun) uses Southern Bupleurum, with roughly 20% credibility. Here is the article supporting this investigation. [1]
25. Cimicifuga (Shengma)
The coldest herb among exterior-releasing medicines; placing it in the mouth causes shivers, and chewing it induces chills. This cold sensation shoots from the nape of the neck directly to the back of the head.
Brewing it into water is also very cold, with two cold currents: one ascending to the entire head (gallbladder meridian, bladder meridian), and one descending passing through the two lungs, two livers, spleen and stomach, two kidneys, large intestine; as well as the spleen and stomach meridians.
Wherever it passes, damp turbidity is completely eliminated. It is commonly used in many detoxifying prescriptions and is truly a heat-clearing and detoxifying medicine, having nothing to do with exterior-releasing since it can treat solid headaches caused by external pathogens (treating symptoms), and thus is classified as an exterior-releasing herb.
The effect of “raising yang qi” relates to its name and is a simplistic interpretation, but it surprisingly hits the mark—like Bupleurum, it clears blockage in the head and facial meridians, which macroscopically presents as a raising of yang qi.
For specific research, see this article by Senior Brother Li Panfei, who is also in the group. [2]
Xue Ya, Zhu Weikang, Zhu Haiqing, et al. Research on the Materia Medica Application of Bupleurum in Shang Han Lun [J]. Shanghai Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2022, 56(04):42-45. DOI:10.16305/j.1007-1334.2022.2109118. ↩︎
Li Panfei, Liu Chenxiao. The Efficacy Origin, Transformation and Analysis of Cimicifuga [J]. Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae, 2022, 28(07):218-226. DOI:10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20220796. ↩︎