The green variety tonifies the Liver and brightens the eyes. The gallbladder (referring to the bitter center of the chrysanthemum or its bitter-cold nature in this context) is bitter and cold; applying it to the eyes yields good results.

See Lung for tonification.

See Kidney for tonification.

Salty and cold, belonging to Yin, enters the Liver channel to tonify Yin and eliminate heat, dissipates nodules and softens hardness, treats diseases of the blood aspect of the Liver channel, and is an essential herb for treating malaria. Turtle meat cools blood and tonifies Yin, treats malaria and dysentery; avoid consuming with Amaranthus vegetables.

Sweet, sour, salty, and cold, tonifies the Liver and Kidney, and benefits essence and marrow.

See Stomach for harmonization.

See Gallbladder for harmonization.

See Spleen for harmonization.

See Lung for harmonization.

See Sanjiao for harmonization.

Pungent, bitter, and warm, enters the Lung, Spleen, Pericardium, and Liver channels. It can move Qi stagnation within Blood and Blood stagnation within Qi, invigorates Blood and promotes Qi flow, treats various pains. Used raw to break Blood; stir-fried with wine to regulate Blood.

Bitter, cold, and aromatic, enters the blood aspect of the Liver and Gallbladder. Eliminates steaming bone fever and latent heat in the Yin aspect, clears summerheat, resolves turbidity, brightens the eyes, and treats "Gui Zhu" (wandering pestilence) using its seeds.

Flavor and aroma are sweet and neutral, fragrant but not dispersing. Highly effective for Liver diseases; steam-distilled dew is especially good.

See Kidney for harmonization.

Sweet, bitter, and slightly cold. Benefits the Lung and Kidney to control Heart Fire and pacify Liver Wood. Disperses wind, eliminates heat, brightens the eyes, and disperses damp-bi. Flowers that are small and bitter are called Ku Yi (Bitter Buckwheat), which is not true Chrysanthemum.

See Pericardium for harmonization.

See Stomach for harmonization.

Sweet, slightly bitter, and slightly cold. Eliminates Heart heat. Mainly treats diseases of Liver Wind and Ministerial Fire. When wind calms and fire subsides, symptoms such as convulsions, epilepsy, dizziness, vertigo, and maculopapular rashes naturally subside. Disperses wind without drying, a balanced substance; prolonged decoction renders it ineffective.

See Pericardium for harmonization.

Pungent, bitter, and warm. Disperses Liver Wind and drains Lung Qi. Overcomes dampness, cools blood, and breaks blood. Stir-fried until cooked and thorns removed, it can also tonify Yin.

Pungent, bitter, and slightly cold. Disperses stagnant fire in the Liver channel, resolves internal heat, dissipates nodules, reduces goiter, and treats night pain in the eyeballs. Long-term use damages the Stomach.

Treatment of Liver Qi is not recorded in ancient texts but is widely used recently, likely taking the meaning that Wood likes dispersion and butterflies like movement.

See Heart for harmonization.

See Mingmen for harmonization.

Pungent, bitter, and warm. Smooths Qi and transforms phlegm, fortifies the Kidney, benefits essence, nourishes the Liver, dispels wind, overcomes dampness, drives out stasis from the skin, treats spasms of sinews and bones. Those with fire should not take it.

See Heart for harmonization.

Sweet and neutral. Enters the blood aspect of the Heart and Liver. It can also cause Lung Qi to descend from above and unblock the Bladder. Combined with heavy/sedating herbs, it calms the Spirit; combined with pungent-warm herbs, it breaks blood and generates flesh; combined with bland-draining herbs, it opens orifices and promotes water metabolism. It also treats eye diseases.

Contents