Lian Qiao - 连翘 - Fructus Forsythiae
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Fructus Forsythiae |
| Common English: | Forsythia Fruit Weeping Forsythia Capsule |
Category
Herbs That Clean Heat and Purge Fire: Herbs That Clean Heat and Detoxify; Target Warm and Heat DiseasesProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Bitter Slightly Acrid (Astringent ) | Slightly Cold (Cool) | Heart Lung Gallbladder (Liver) (San Jiao) | 6-30g Tincture: 2-5ml |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Clears Heat (especially in the Upper Jiao) and relieves toxicity | Wind-Heat with high fever, slight chills and sore throat |
Reduces abscesses and dissipates clumps | Toxic Heat sores and swellings (Chuang Yung), carbuncles, erysipelas, pustules under the skin, Lung abscess, scrofula and throat Bi |
Clears Blood Heat | Blood Heat |
Promotes urination | Acute nephritis, Dysuria, Hematuria, Lin syndrome |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Major Combinations
| Rx. Isatidis | Rx. Isatidis | Rx. Isatidis |
| Any externally contracted Heat disorder. | Wind-Heat common cold or influenza. | Mumps and erysipelas. |
| Rx. Isatidis | Rx. Isatidis | Flos Chrysanthemi Indici |
| Tonsillitis. | Acute infectious diseases such as dysentery. | Initial stage warm febrile disease. |
| Hb. Ephedrae | Sp. Prunellae | Fr. Arctii |
| Allergic rashes. | Scrofula and tuberculosis adenitis. | Wei Stage Heat. |
| Cornu Bubali Or Cornu Bubali | Flos Lonicerae | Flos Chrysanthemi Indici |
| Heat Attacking the Pericardium. | Initial-stage Wind-Heat. | External sores and internal abscesses. (boils, carbuncles and furuncles) |
| Sm. Phaseoli | Fr. Gardeniae | Rx. Paeoniae Rubra |
| Fire in the Heart Channel with Damp-Heat pouring downward with painful urinary dribbling or gynecological pain. Jaundice and gynecological disorders such as pelvic inflammatory disease or postpartum fever. | Heat entering the Pericardium. Heat remaining in the Heart channel with sores in the mouth, or on the tongue, dark and scanty urine, or urinary discomfort. | Rashes due to Blood Heat. |
| Hb. Lophatheri Or Hb. Lophatheri | Rx. Sophorae Tonkinensis | Rx. Rehmanniae |
| Heat or bloody painful urinary dysfunction (Lin). | Throat Bi. Lumps and nodules. | Heart Fire. |
Notes
- Fr. Forsythiae Lian Qiao and Flos Lonicerae Jin Yin Hua are both cooling and relieve toxicity, and each guides Heat to the surface while cooling the Interior. Lian Qiao cools Heart Fire, disperses stagnant Qi at the Blood level, treats Lin syndrome and acts against shigella and staphylococcus, whereas Jin Yin Hua disperses surface Heat, is sweet and Cold and therefore gentler on the Stomach, and acts against salmonella and streptococcus.
- It ranks among the most important herbs for purging Heart Fire.
- Most formulas for inflammation include it.
- It acts much like Jin Yin Hua, and the two are usually prescribed together.
- The plant is reputed to cure cancer.
- It is excellent for acute or long-standing skin conditions.
- It is generally combined with Rx. Glycyrrhizae Gan Cao.
- It treats microbial toxicosis.
- It treats externally contracted Wind-Heat, or a Warm pathogen entering the Pericardium with irritability, fever, delirium, or rashes from Blood Heat.
- It also promotes urination and drains Heart Fire out through the urine.
- It is reported to treat tuberculosis, herpes simplex and hepatitis.
- It is used for gangrene of the extremities.
- It eliminates Phlegm.
- It is helpful in any case where Lung Heat or Heart Fire obstructs the fluids.
- It is also used for morphine toxicity.
- For cooling and resolving toxicity, Green Forsythia Qing Lian Qiao or Forsythia with Seeds Dai Xin Lian Qiao is the best choice.
- For reducing boils and dispersing clumps, Yellow Forsythia Huang Lian Qiao or Clean Forsythia Jing Lian Qiao is the best choice.
- Forsythia Seeds Lian Qiao Xin are used when Heat has entered the Pericardium, causing impaired consciousness and delirious speech.
- Dosage: 6-15g (Secondary source)
- Dui Yao pair with Niu Bang Zi: for mouth and tongue ulcers, swollen gums and sore throat from Heat, and for red swellings, carbuncles, erythema, mumps and acute febrile maculopapular rashes. Used together in Yin Qiao San.