Herbs that Clear the Heat and Dry Dampness

Channels: HT, LI, LIV, ST

Properties: Bitter, Cold

Common: Coptis Rhizome

Latin: Rhizoma Coptidis

Actions:

• Drains fire and relieves toxins: for fire symptoms such as high fever, irritability, delirium, red tongue, and full and rapid pulse. Also for heat with toxicity causing painful red eyes, sore throat, and for toxic skin lesions.
• Drains dampness and clears heat: for damp heat in the stomach with vomiting or acid regurgitation, or stomach fire with bad breath and belching with a foul smell, and for damp heat in the intestines with diarrhea or dysentery.
• Calms heart fire: for insomnia due to the heart and kidneys miscommunicating.
• Clears heat, stops bleeding: for epistaxis, blood in the stool, urine, or vomit.
• Used topically to clear heat in the eyes, tongue, and mouth.

Contraindications:

• Caution in cases of yin or blood deficiency, stomach cold, or diarrhea from spleen and kidney deficiency. Long term use may injure the spleen and stomach. Some traditional sources say this herb should not be taken with pork, and may xuan shen, ju hua, jiang can, bai xian pi, and niu xi.

• Dosage: 1.5-9g.