Herbs That Drain Downward - Herbal Functional Grouping (11 herbs)
Herbs That Drain Downward General Introduction
- Purgatives - constipation from interior-heat or interior-cold (both are interior excesses).
- Moist laxatives - often nuts or seeds, lubricates the intestines; mild in nature - elderly or weakness from febrile disease or from child birth.
- Harsh expellants - induce diarrhea; only for severe cases - injures the yin and qi; due to stagnation of fluids in thoracic or abdominal cavities or poor water metabolism.
Herbs That Drain Downward Section Summary / Study Notes
- Da Huang, Mang Xiao, Fan Xie Ye - bitter, cold purgatives.
- Da Huang - drains heat and purges accumulations, fire; reduces heat toxicity; clears heat from the stomach and intestines and reduces heat toxicity at blood level.
- Mang Xiao - moistens dryness and softens hardness - hard and dry stool.
- Fan Xie Ye - similar to Da Huang, good for edema.
- Huo Ma Ren, Yu Li Ren - moistens intestines.
- Huo Ma Ren - more gentle in action, nourishes, used in deficient disorders.
- Yu Li Ren - stonger, promotes urination and treats edema; excessive disorders.
- Gan Sui, Da Ji, Yuan Hua - severe edema and fluids in the abdomen and chest; only for short term usage.
- Qian Niu Zi is more moderate in nature in this grouping; can be used for intestinal worms and food stagnation.