Ephedra, Daikon, and Honey Decoction，From *Proven Tea, Decoction, and Soup Recipes for Common Ailments*,Dispels wind and dispels cold; relieves cough and calms wheezing. Suitable for chronic bronchitis of the “wind-cold invading the lung” type, characterized by coughing and shortness of breath—to the point of being unable to lie flat—with copious, white, thin phlegm that is easily coughed up; or accompanied by a cold sensation in the back, aversion to cold, headache, and nasal congestion; a pale-yellow tongue with a thin white or white-slippery coating; and a floating and tight pulse. Episodes are often triggered by exposure to cold.
Ephedra, Daikon, and Honey Decoction
Herbal Tea Name: Ephedra, Daikon, and Honey Decoction
Chinese Name: 麻黄萝卜蜜饮
Formula
250 grams of white radish, 2 grams of ephedra powder, 1 gram of white pepper powder, and 30 grams of honey.Main Ingredients
How To Make
Wash the white radish, slice it, and place the slices in a large porcelain bowl. Add the honey, ephedra powder, and white pepper powder, then steam over boiling water for 30 minutes.
Efficacy
Dispels wind and dispels cold; relieves cough and calms wheezing. Suitable for chronic bronchitis of the “wind-cold invading the lung” type, characterized by coughing and shortness of breath—to the point of being unable to lie flat—with copious, white, thin phlegm that is easily coughed up; or accompanied by a cold sensation in the back, aversion to cold, headache, and nasal congestion; a pale-yellow tongue with a thin white or white-slippery coating; and a floating and tight pulse. Episodes are often triggered by exposure to cold.
Usage
Take one dose daily, divided into three servings, and drink while hot.
Commentary
Ephedra powder assumes the leading (chief) role. Pungent, slightly bitter-warm in property, it channels into the Lung, Bladder meridians, and works to disperse wind-cold and diffuse lung qi. White radish (Luo-bo) fills the deputy position, pungent, sweet-cool in property, acting through the Lung, Spleen meridians to move qi and dissolve phlegm. White pepper powder reinforces this deputy action, working to warm the middle, disperse cold and relieve pain. Honey (Feng-mi) serves as the envoy herb, harmonizing the whole, working to moisten the lung and harmonize the formula and unite the separate actions into one. The overall effect is to dispel wind and dispel cold, relieve cough and calm wheezing, restoring balance within the wind-cold and phlegm framework.