Herbs that Clear Heat and Dry Dampness
Huang Qin 黄芩
Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis Baical Skullcap Root
✓ CALE Exam ✓ National Exam
Materia Medica Data
- Temperature
- Cold
- Nature & Flavour
- Bitter, Cold
- Channels Entered
- GB, LI, LU, ST
- Latin (pharmaceutical)
- Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis
- Chinese
- 黄芩
- Tone Marks
- huáng qín
Chinese Herb Actions
- Clears Heat, Fire, and Drains Dampness Especially for heat and damp in the Upper Jiao, symptoms include high fever, thirst, cough, irritability, and sputum that is thick and yellow. Used topically or internally for hot sores and swellings.
- Clears Damp-Heat in the Stomach and Intestines For diarrhea or dysentery with high fever, thirst with inability to drink, or painful urination. Also used with other herbs for Damp-Heat jaundice.
- Clears Heat and Stops Bleeding For Blood in the stool, epistaxis, or vomiting with Blood.
- Calms the Fetus For threatened miscarriage when the fetus is restless due to heat.
- Calms Liver Yang Rising For headache, red eyes, bitter taste in the mouth, irritability, or hypertension.
Chinese Herb Dosage
- 6-15 grams.
- Part used: root.
Chinese Herb Contraindications & Cautions
- Contraindicated in heat in the lungs from deficiency, cold in the middle Jiao, and restless fetus due to cold. Some traditional sources say this herb counteracts Rhizoma et Radix Veratri (li lu), and Cortex Moutan Radicis (mu dan pi).
Chinese Herb Notes
- Dry-fried reduces its cooling nature and helps herb to enter the blood (for restless fetus and heat in lower Jiao), fried in wine to help the herb rise to the upper Jiao. More effective to stop bleeding in its charred form.
Sources & References
Compiled and edited by Thomas Dehli, Founder & Editor, Sacred Lotus
The information here is referenced from numerous sources — teachers, practitioners, class notes from Five Branches University, the books below, and the published research literature, with citations given as resolvable PubMed identifiers. Where sources disagree, I have flagged the discrepancies directly. If facts couldn't be verified, I have left them out. How we source our content.
Reference information for students and practitioners — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner. Terms of use.
Chinese Herbs Books & References
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