Herbs that Cool the Blood

Overview of Herbs that Cool the Blood

  • General Profile:     * Temperature: Cold     * Taste: Either bitter and sweet, or salty     * Main Channels Entered: Liver (LV) and Heart (HT)     * Primary Action: Clear heat from the ying (nutritive) level or the xue (blood) level

  • Sources and Reference Material:     * Bensky, D. (2004). Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica. Seattle, WA: Eastland Press. pp. 118-130     * Chen, J. and Chen, T. (2004). Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology. Art of Medicine Press. pp. 153-169

  • Clinical Manifestations and Indications:     * General Symptoms: Irritability, restlessness, insomnia, and delirium.     * Bleeding Pathologies: Heat at the blood level may cause nosebleeds, vomiting blood, coughing blood, or blood in the urine or stool.     * Skin Manifestations: Maculopapular rashes, characterized as flat red areas with small bumps.     * Tongue Presentation: Scarlet tongue, which may be dry or have prickles.

  • Secondary Functions and Physiological Mechanisms:     * Fluid Management: Because heat at the blood level tends to damage yin and exhaust fluids, many of these herbs are sweet and serve to generate fluids or nourish fluids as they clear heat.     * Safety and Precautions:         * Spleen Damage: Due to their cold and bitter nature, these herbs have the potential to damage the Spleen.         * Pregnancy/Menses: Caution is advised when using certain blood-cooling herbs (like Mu Dan Pi) during pregnancy or for excessive menstrual bleeding that is not caused by heat and stasis.

Detailed Herb Profiles

Xi Jiao (Rhinocerotis Cornu)

  • Translation: Rhinoceros horn
  • Temperature: Cold
  • Taste: Bitter, Salty
  • Channels: HT, LV, ST
  • Dosage:     * Standard decoction: 1.5−6 g1.5-6\,g     * As a powder swallowed with decoction: 0.5−2 g0.5-2\,g
  • Primary Actions:     * Clears Heat and Cools Blood: Specifically for heat at the ying (nutritive) or xue (blood) levels.     * Clears Heart Heat: Used for shen (spirit) disturbance caused by severe heat, resulting in delirium, mania, or loss of consciousness.     * Clears Heat and Stops Tremors: Indicated for convulsions resulting from heat.
  • Usage Note: Xi Jiao is no longer used. Shui Niu Jiao is the standard substitute.

Shui Niu Jiao (Bubali Cornu)

  • Translation: Water buffalo horn
  • Temperature: Cold
  • Taste: Bitter, Salty
  • Channels: HT, LV, ST
  • Dosage:     * Standard decoction: 30−120 g30-120\,g     * As a powder swallowed with decoction: 6−15 g6-15\,g
  • Primary Actions:     * Clears Heat and Cools Blood: Indicated for heat in the ying or xue levels.     * Clears Heart Heat: Addresses shen disturbances like delirium, mania, and loss of consciousness.     * Clears Heat and Stops Tremors: treats convulsions due to heat.
  • Usage Note: This is the substitute for Xi Jiao, though the required dosage is significantly higher.

Sheng Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix)

  • Temperature: Cold
  • Taste: Bitter, Sweet
  • Channels: HT, KI, LV
  • Dosage: 9−15 g9-15\,g
  • Primary Actions:     * Clears Heat and Cools Blood: Used for heat in the ying or xue levels presenting with high fever, thirst, scarlet tongue, and bleeding.     * Nourishes Yin and Generates Fluids: Indicated for thirst, dry mouth, and constipation.
  • Side Effects and Preparation:     * Digestive Upset: Sheng Di Huang is categorized as very sticky and cloying. It can cause middle-jiao (digestive) upset, including nausea, diarrhea, or abdominal pain.     * Combinations: To avoid cloying side effects, it is frequently combined with Chen Pi or Sha Ren.

Xuan Shen (Scrophulariae Radix)

  • Temperature: Cold
  • Taste: Salty, Sweet, Bitter
  • Channels: KI, LU, ST
  • Dosage: 9−15 g9-15\,g
  • Primary Actions:     * Clears Heat and Cools Blood: Addresses systemic heat in the blood.     * Nourishes Yin and Generates Fluids: Especially effective for the aftermath of warm diseases characterized by dry cough, constipation, and irritability.     * Softens Hardness and Dissipates Nodules: Specifically used for throat pain, throat swelling, and lumps in the neck such as goiters and scrofula.

Mu Dan Pi (Moutan Cortex)

  • Temperature: Slightly cold
  • Taste: Acrid, Bitter
  • Channels: HT, LV, KI
  • Dosage: 6−12 g6-12\,g
  • Primary Actions:     * Clears Heat and Cools Blood: Indicated for bleeding due to heat at the xue level and for frequent or profuse menstruation caused by blood heat.     * Invigorates Blood: Effective for amenorrhea, fibroids, and abdominal masses caused by blood stasis.     * Clears Heat (General and Particular):         * Ascending Liver Heat: Treats headaches, eye pain, flank pain, and dysmenorrhea.         * Deficiency Heat: Addresses lingering heat after febrile disease and steaming bone disorder.         * Drains Pus and Reduces Swelling: Used for non-draining sores (topical) and Large Intestine (LI) abscesses.
  • Comparative Advantage: Mu Dan Pi is unique because it is cool while simultaneously invigorating the blood; most traditional blood-moving herbs are warm.

Zi Cao (Arnebiee/Lithospermi Radix)

  • Temperature: Cold
  • Taste: Sweet, (Salty)
  • Channels: HT, LV
  • Dosage: 3−9 g3-9\,g
  • Primary Actions:     * Cools and Invigorates Blood: Indicated for skin eruptions and rashes due to fire toxin (specifically dark purple rashes). It is noted as being less potent than Mu Dan Pi in this regard.     * Moistens Large Intestine and Promotes Urination: Assists in metabolic clearance and bowel movement.     * Treats Damp-Heat Skin Problems: Applied topically for damp-heat related lesions, burns, sores, diaper rash, and vaginal itching.
  • Topical Application: Can be soaked in oil for several weeks; the resulting oil is then applied using a cotton ball.
  • Shiunko (Purple Cloud Ointment / Zi Yun Gao):     * Context: A burn cream used commonly in Japanese moxibustion.     * Composition: A mixture of Zi Cao and Dang Gui combined with sesame oil and beeswax.

Summary of Comparative Functions

  • Shui Niu Jiao: Primary focus is clearing heat and cooling blood in the ying and xue levels.
  • Sheng Di Huang: Clears heat and cools blood (ying/xue); additionally nourishes yin and generates fluids.
  • Xuan Shen: Clears heat and cools blood (ying/xue); nourishes yin and generates fluids; softens hardness (e.g., scrofula).
  • Mu Dan Pi: Clears heat and cools blood (xue level); excellent for OB/GYN conditions; unique property of cooling while invigorating blood; also clears deficiency heat and Liver heat.
  • Zi Cao: Clears heat and cools blood; primary focus is on skin problems and dermatological damp-heat.