Anemone and Coptis Tea

Commentary

Anemarrhena (Zhi-mu) stands as the primary (chief) herb; cold and bitter, sweet in character, it enters the Lung, Stomach, Kidney meridians, working chiefly to clear heat and nourish yin. Coptis (Huang-lian) stand in the deputy (minister) seat; cold and bitter in character, it travels through the Heart, Spleen, Stomach, Liver, Gallbladder, Large Intestine meridians to clear heat, dry dampness, purge fire and remove toxins. Scutellaria (Huang-qin) adds further support, working to clear heat, dry dampness, purge fire, remove toxins and stop bleeding. Pueraria root (Ge-gen) (releases the exterior and generate fluids), joined by Wood Fragrance (Mu-xiang) (move qi, relieve pain and promote digestion), handle subsidiary symptoms and temper the main action. Finally, green tea (Lu-cha) functions as the harmonizing (envoy) ingredient; its role is to clear heat, resolve dampness and refresh the mind and coordinate the herbs. Working as one, the formula clear heat and transforms dampness, regulate qi and stop diarrhea, thereby targeting the damp-heat and heat pattern that underlies the complaint.