Glossary
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Spina Date Seed 酸枣仁
Nature of herb: Neutral
Taste: Slightly sweet, sour
Category: Seed
Good for:
1. Neurasthenia, insomnia, forgetfulness2. Palpitations
3. For general debility with spontaneous sweating and night sweating
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Rhizoma Pinelliae 半夏
Nature of herb: Warm, slight toxicity
Taste: Spicy
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Productive cough, chest pain2. Vomiting
3. Subcutaneous nodule, goiter
4. Skin infections
5. Scrofula
6. Snake bites
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Liquorice Root 炙甘草
Nature of herb: Neutral
Taste: Sweet
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Sore throat, cough2. Gastric hyposecretion, gastroduodenal ulcer
3. Hysteria
4. Dermatitis and boils
5. Drug and food poisoning
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Bamboo Shavings 竹茹
Nature of herb: Cool
Taste: Slightly sweet
Category: Stem
Good for:
1. Cough with thick and yellow sputum2. Vexation, feeling of oppression in the chest, insomnia, palpitation
3. Vomiting, bitter taste in the mouth
4. Bleeding
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Tuber Fleeceflower Stem 夜交藤
Nature of herb: Neutral
Taste: Slightly bitter
Category: Stem
Good for:
1. Vexation, insomnia, excessive dreams, insanity and mania2. Rheumatism
3. Urticaria (external use)
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White Peony Root 白芍
Nature of herb: Cool
Taste: Slightly bitter, sour
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Menstrual disorders, dysfunctional uterine bleeding2. Hypochondriac pain, abdominal pain and spasmodic pain of the limbs
3. Headache and dizziness
4. Sweating
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Chinese Thorowax Root 柴胡
Nature of herb: Cool
Taste: Slightly bitter
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Common cold2. Fever
3. Cholecystitis
4. Menstrual disorders
3. Headache and dizziness
4. Sweating
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Villous Amomum 砂仁
Nature of herb: Warm
Taste: Acrid but fresh, slightly bitter
Category: Seed
Good for:
1. Feeling of fullness and distending pain in the chest and upper abdomen, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain2. Prevent miscarriage
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Pilose Asiabell Root 党参
Nature of herb: Neutral
Taste: Slightly sweet
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Anorexia, loose stool2. Weakness, lassitude
3. Cough and dyspnoea, feeble voice
4. Dehydration
5. Rectal prolapse, uterine prolapse
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Ginger 姜
Nature of herb: Warm
Taste: Spicy
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Pain and cold feeling in the lower abdomen, diarrhoea, vomiting2. Cough with thin sputum
3. Shock
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Chinese Angelica 当归
Nature of herb: Warm
Taste: Sweet, acrid & slightly bitter
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Anaemia2. Menstrual disorders
3. Headache, abdominal pain, chest pain, coronary heart disease, rheumatism, trauma
4. Constipation
5. Carbuncles and sores
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Szechwan Lovage Rhizome 川芎
Nature of herb: Warm
Taste: Bitter, acrid, slightly tongue-numbing and then slightly sweet
Category: Rhizome
Good for:
1. Menstrual disorders2. Dizziness, headache, chest pain
3. Aversion to cold
4. Abdominal pain with mass formation, post traumatic swelling and pain
5. Rheumatic arthralgia
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Largehead Atractylodes Rhizome 白术
Nature of herb: Warm
Taste: Sweet and slightly acrid, slightly sticky when chewed
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Anorexia, abdominal distension, chronic diarrhoea, weakness2. Oedema, oliguria
3. Spontaneous sweating
4. Threatened abortion and morning sickness
5. Arthralgia
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Rehmannia Root 生地黄
Nature of herb: Cold
Taste: Slightly sweet
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Haemoptysis, epistaxis, menorrhagia2. Menstrual disorders, constipation
Processed:
1. Anaemia, weakness
2. Nocturnal emission
3. Low-grade afternoon fever
4. Night sweating, menorrhagia
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Poria 茯苓
Nature of herb: Neutral
Taste: Mild
Category: Fungi
Good for:
1. Oedema, dysuria2. Leukorrhagia
3. Cough
4. Diarrhoea, jaundice
5. Palpitaton, insomnia, dizziness, chronic schizophrenia
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Dried Ginger 干姜
Nature of herb: Warm
Taste: Spicy
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Pain and cold feeling in the lower abdomen, diarrhoea, vomiting2. Cough with thin sputum
3. Shock
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Oriental Waterplantain Rhizome 泽泻
Nature of herb: Cold
Taste: Slightly bitter
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Nephritic oedema, pyelitis, dysuria2. Enteritis, diarrhoea
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Polyporus 猪苓
Nature of herb: Neutral
Taste: Mild
Category: Mycorrhiza
Good for:
1. Odema, dysuria, stranguria, renal stone2. Jaundice, chronic hepatitis
3. Leukorrhagia
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Kudzuvine Root 葛根
Nature of herb: Cool
Taste: Slightly sweet
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Common cold with fever2. Thirst
3. Acute gastro-enteritis, diarrhoea
4. Palpitation
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Incised Notopterygium Rhizome 羌活
Nature of herb: Warm
Taste: Slightly bitter, acrid
Category: Rhizome
Good for:
1. Common cold, headache, generalized pain2. Rheumatism
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Cassia Twig 桂枝
Nature of herb: Warm
Taste: Sweet and slightly acrid, cortex with a stronger taste
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Common cold, cough, dizziness2. Palpitation, precordial pain
3. Arthralgia
4. Amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea
5. Dysuria, oedema
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Danshen Root 丹参
Nature of herb: Cool
Taste: Slightly bitter-astringent
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Menstrual disorders, lochiorrhoea, lochiostasis2. Abdominal pain, pricking pain in the chest, trauma, rheumatism
3. Irritability, palpitations and insomnia
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Common Monkshood Daughter Root 附子
Nature of herb: Hot
Taste: Numbing, tongue-pricking
Category: Root
Good for:
1. Shock2. Impotence, emission
3. Urinary frequency, oedema
4. Diarrhoea, constipation
5. Arthralgia, periarthritis of shoulder joint