Yu Xing Cao - 鱼腥草 - Herba Houttuyniae

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Herba Houttuyniae
Common English:	Fishwort Herb Houttuynia

Category

Herbs That Clean Heat and Purge Fire: Herbs That Clean Heat and Detoxify; Target Warm and Heat Diseases

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Acrid (Sweet) (Salty)	Cool	Lung Large Intestine	10-60g do not decoct longer than 5 minutes Tincture: 2-4ml

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Clears Heat, Expels pus (acts especially on the Lungs), Reduces swellings and abscesses, Relieves toxicity	Lung Abscess or Lung Heat cough with expectoration of thick, yellowish green sputum, pneumonia, acute and chronic bronchints Fire toxicity sores Chuang Yung (internal and topical)
Drains Damp-Heat and promotes urination	Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao with painful urinary dysfunction, enteritis Large Intestine Damp-Heat diarrhea

Contraindications And Incompatibilities

Major Combinations

Rx. Platycodi Jie Geng Rz. Phragmitis Lu Gen	Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu Cx. Mori Sang Bai Pi	Flos Chrysanthemi Ju Hua Flos Lonicerae Jin Yin Hua Hb. Taraxaci Pu Gong Ying
Lung abscess with fever and cough and the production of fetid, purulent sputum.	Cough due to Lung Heat.	Abscess and boils due to Heat Excess. (often used topically)
Sm. Plantaginis Che Qian Zi Rz. Imperatae Bai Mao Gen	Spora Lygodii Hai Jin Sha Fol. Pyrrosiae Shi Wei	Rx. Platycodi Jie Geng
Damp-Heat painful urinary dysfunction.	Rough, painful urination.	Lung abscess. Upper respiratory problems.

Notes

1. In recent years this herb has been used for pneumonia, bronchitis, colitis and urinary tract infections.
2. Clinically, it is given by injection for chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, chronic cervicitis and adnexitis.
3. It is reported to cure malaria and illnesses caused by Summerheat.
4. Research shows it inhibits cancer cell growth, and it has been used for Stomach cancer.
5. It effectively treats carbuncle from Toxic Heat, boils, hemorrhoids and Salmiacum Xi Sha poisoning.
6. Boil for no more than five minutes, as it evaporates easily and is air soluble.
7. Smashed and decocted with Hb. Brassicae Junceae, this herb is said to work well for carbuncle of the Lung.
8. For boils on the back, crush the herb and apply the juice to the swollen area
9. Crushed fresh herb applied to nail-like boils can ease the pain and heal them within one to two days.
10. For tooth decay, combine this herb with Per. Zanthoxyli, canola oil and a little mud, form bean-sized pills and insert one into the antrum auris on the same side as the decayed tooth.
11. Long-term use of this herb is said to cause asthenic fever, harm the vitality and weaken the bone marrow.
12. For scabies and boils, warm the fresh leaves and apply them to the lesions.
13. For swelling from scabies and boils, wash the area with a decoction of the herb.
14. Chewing the root is said to prevent angina pectoris.
15. In large doses, this herb is highly effective for the complicated infections of Lung cancer.
16. Yu Xing Cao and Hb. Patriniae Bai Jiang Cao both clear Heat, resolve toxicity, reduce sores and expel pus. Bai Jiang Cao is bitter, acrid and slightly cold, enters the Qi and Blood levels, and is excellent at clearing Heat from the Stomach and Intestines. It treats abscesses of the Lungs, Liver and Intestines and dispels Blood Stagnation to ease pain. It addresses pelvic Blood Stagnation and toxic accumulation such as can occur with postpartum lochia. Yu Xing Cao is acrid and cold and mainly enters the Lung channel. It is best for cooling Lung Heat, eliminating toxicity that presents as Lung abscess, and expelling pus. It also promotes urination and relieves painful urinary dysfunction.