Hey, I'm back to continue on today's topic which is on the selection and reason why they are the minister's herbs in the decoction:
- Bo He
- Jing Jie Sui
- Dan Dou Chi
This is how to analyse the therapeutic functions of the various decoctions(part 17).
Minister's herbs - Bo He, Jing Jie Sui and Dan Dou Chi
Let's start with the threshold established so far:
Association to a specific Meridian Channel
Bo He is also better known as Mentha Haplocalyx Briq.
It is associated with the:
- Lung
- Liver - Meridian Channels respectively
Therefore Bo He has a direct link to the Lung and travels there to supplement and fuel the power of the monarch's herbs in combating the flu invasion.
As a rule of thumb, it is very appropriate to apply:
- (Xin Liang Tou Zhen Li Yan)
whenever Bo He is used.
This means the combined application of:
- the pungent or spicy taste
- cooling effect
to vent through the hot wind flu invasion from the interior to the surface and out of the body in the TCM perspective.
Jing Jie Sui is better known as the Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Briq. The Sui is the flowery part of the plant and the rest is the twigs and stem, called Jing Jie. Both parts can be used and Jing Jie Sui is more easily identified than the chopped up stem and twigs.
It is associated with:
- Lung
- Liver - Meridian Channels respectively.
Again as a rule of thumb, apply:
- (Xin Wen Tou Zhen Jie Du)
whenever Jing Jie Sui is used.
Dan Dou Chi is better known as Glycine Max (L) Merr., commonly called fermented soybean belongs to the family of Fabaceae.
It is associated with:
- Lung
- Stomach - Meridian Channels respectively
Again as a rule of thumb, apply:
- (Xin Gan Jie Biao Chu Fan)
whenever Dan Dou Chi is used.
Specific Taste
Bo He possesses a pungent or spicy taste. It would reconcile with the heat caused by the hot virus infection.
Jing Jie Sui possesses a pungent or spicy taste.
Dan Dou Chi possesses a pungent, sweet inclined to a little bitter taste.
Specific Properties
Next, I'll touch on the specific property of
- Bo He
which is slightly cold. This cooling effect is capable of:
- dispelling heat
- reconciling the heat in the lung directly
- to reduce swelling.
The Specific Property of:
- Jing Jie Sui
is lukewarm.
The Specific Property of:
- Dan Dou Chi
is cold.
This cooling effect would complement the monarch's herbs to strengthen the healing power above. Although there is a lukewarm property in one of the 3 minister's herbs, it isn't 2 cold plus one lukewarm make the whole effect cold. This specific choice of using (lukewarm) Jing Jie Sui has in-depth discussion under the topic:
- YANG ZHONG QIU YIN; YIN ZHONG QIU YANG
Obviously lukewarm and all warm fall under the Yang category and all cold categorise in Yin. I'll come across the above and would discuss it more in detail as and when necessary.
Preparation methods
Bo He and Jing Jie Sui have to be added last pegged at about 5 minutes before serving the decoction. The reason is the essence of both herbs would be released in the volatile oil which you can observe floating on the surface of the decoction.
Excessive boiling would evaporate this vital essence of both herbs.
I'll leave you time to digest this blog and be back very soon to discuss the next topic.
