Some Yin tonic herbs

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Rx (Radix - root of) Glehniae, aka Sha Shen. Slightly Cold thermal energy,

sweet to bland taste, and targets Lungs and Stomach. This one can be

especially useful in cases of dry, unproductive cough. Contraindicated in

cases of Wind Cold and in Cold Deficiency of Spleen (Spleen Yang

Deficiency). Note that this one enters the Lungs and Stomach.

 

Tuber Asparagi, aka asparagus root (Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.)

Merr.), aka Tian Men Dong. Cold, sweet and bitter, and enters Lungs and

Kidneys. Contraindicated in Deficiency Cold diarrhea. This probably is one

of the safest Yin tonic herbs to use by itself when a person suffers from

predominate Kidney Yang Deficiency and milder Kidney Yin Deficiency. In TCM

herbs rarely are administered by themselves but in a formula in which there

are herbs to take care of other conditions which also are present. However,

sometimes a person may need a little extra of a specific type of herb.

 

Tuber Lphiopogonis, aka Mai Men Dong. Slightly Cold, sweet and slightly

bitter, and targets Heart, Lungs, and Stomach. Note that it targets the

Stomach and Lungs which makes it a good one to use in cases of dry,

unproductive cough. Because it also targets the Heart, it's a good one to

use when both Heart and Lung Deficiency Heat. Deficiency Heat in both the

Heart and Lungs (Upper Burner) is fairly common. It's contraindicated in

cases of Deficiency Cold diarrhea and in Stagnant Fluids. This makes sense

because some Heart imbalances can manifest with Fluid Stagnation.

 

Hb (Herba) Dendrobii, aka Shi Hu. It's Cold, slightly salty and bland, and

targets the Lungs, Stomach, and Kidneys. This is a good one if the Stomach

and Lung Yin Deficiency has gone on so long that Kidney Yin has been

damaged. It's also good in cases of intractable fevers because of Fluid

injury, It's contraindicated in Deficiency Without Heat signs and in Excess

Heat conditions and in Dampness of the Middle (Liver, Spleen, Stomach) and

Lower (Kidneys, Bladder, Intestines) Burners. This one can really generate

Fluids so what makes it so good for cases of intractable fevers due to Fluid

injury makes it bad for Dampness accumulation. Note: Salty-tasting herbs

frequently have an affinity for the Kidneys. Bland-tasting herbs frequently

will leach Dampness, but this one is an exception.

 

Carapax Amydae, aka Bie Jia, aka tortoise shell. (Not everything in the TCM

materia medica is a plant.) It's neutral to slightly Cold in its thermal

energy, salty-tasting, and targets the Liver, Kidney, and Spleen. Note that

it targets the Liver and Kidney. This is one of the heavy-duty Yin tonics

for when Yin Deficiency has become deeper and more severe and affects a lot

of the body. It will lower ascending Yang (as in Liver Yang Rising) so when

a person is both Liver Yin Deficient and has Liver Yang Rising, this can be

a good choice of a Yin tonic. It invigorates Blood (used for Blood Stasis

problems) and can treat palable masses in the abdomen. (One of the possible

symptoms of Stagnant or Congealed Blood is tumors, growths, and masses which

are hard on palpation. Phlegm can also have this symptom. Lumps under the

skin or in the abdomen also can be a manifestation of Qi Stagnation, though,

in the case of Qi Stagnation, the lumps will wax and wane in size and move

around (as in lumps in the breast right before a woman's period.) It also

can be effective for hepatomegaly or splenomegaly. (The liver (hepa-) or

the spleen are abnormally enlarged (as sometimes happens in hepatitis,

mononucleosis, etc.) The contraindications are Exterior conditions and

instructions are to use cautiously during pregnancy, in Spleen and Stomach

Deficiency diarrhea, and in cases of impotence. Note: When you hear

impotence, suspect significant Kidney Yang Deficiency, Kidney Qi Deficiency,

and/or Kidney Jing Deficiency. Impotence is not one of the symptoms of

Kidney Yin Deficiency, and this is a Yin tonic. However, when you find

Kidney Yin Deficiency, you almost always find Kidney Yang Deficiency. If

the Kidney Yang Deficiency or Kidney Qi Deficiency is severe enough that

impotence is a symptom, use this Yin tonic cautiously. Kidney Deficiency is

not the only possible Root of impotence. Also consider Liver weakness and

Liver Qi Stagnation. But a Kidney Root is the most probable.

 

Rx (Radix - root of) Rehmanniae Glutinosae Conquitae (cooked), aka Shu Di

Huang, aka cooked rehmannia. Main function: BLOOD TONIC. It's energy is

slightly warm, its taste is sweet, and it targets the Heart, Liver, and

Kidneys. This is a Blood tonic but it's also a Yin tonic. It's a good one

when both Yin Deficiency and Blood Deficiency are present. It's

particularly good for Kidney Yin Deficiency. But this one has to be used

cautiously in Deficiency of the Spleen and/or Stomach, in cases of Stagnant

Qi, and in cases of Phlegm. It can aggravate these conditions. Remember

that one of the functions of the Spleen is to transport and transform water

in the body. If the Spleen is Deficient, it's having a hard time doing this,

and Dampness can accumulate. If Dampness sticks around too long it can

congeal into Phlegm. Also, a lot of American Caucasians are more intolerant

of this herb than Asians are. It's believed this is due in large part to a

high proportion of American whites being Spleen Qi Deficient due to factors

like lousy diet, eating on the run and at irregular hours, overwork, lack of

use of techniques to control stress, etc.

 

Victoria

 

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