Examples of Herbs for Warming the Interior

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The good news is that a lot of the substances in this category are available

in the spice section of the supermarket - cloves, fennel seeds, dry ginger,

and black pepper.

 

Fl (Flos - flower of) Caryophylli, aka Ding Xiang, is cloves. It's Warm

with a spicy taste and targets the Stomach, Spleen, and Kidneys. In

addition to warming the Kidneys and restoring Yang, it also warms the Middle

Burner (Spleen and Stomach) and lowers rebellious Stomach Qi. When Stomach

Qi is rebelling - ascending instead of descending like it's suppose to -

this can result in problems like nausea, burping, and vomiting. Cloves are

contraindicated in febrile (feverish) conditions and in Deficiency of Yin.

You're also not supposed to combine cloves with Tuber Curcumae.

 

Fr (Fructus - fruit of) Foeniculi, aka Xiao Hui Xiang, is fennel seed. It's

warm, has a spicy taste, and targets the Spleen, Stomach, Liver, and Kidney.

Like cloves it warms the Middle Burner and promotes the proper flow of

Stomach Qi. Like cloves it also warms the Lower Burner (Kidneys). But

because it also targets the Liver, it warms the Liver meridian. Fennel

seeds also are good for helping Qi to circulate. Fennel seeds should be

used cautiously in cases of Yin Deficiency with Heat. Even though fennel

seeds do not specifically target the Small and Large Intestines, it promotes

normal intestinal peristalsis in the intestines and can relieve spasms of

the intestines. It has a beneficial effect on the Lower Burner in general,

the Intestines as well as the Kidneys. Fennel seeds also are used in both

Western and TCM herbalism to treat allergies. When combined with thyme it

can be especially effective for nightmares due to Cold in the digestive

tract. Fennel seeds also are used in cases of Cold hernia pain or other

Cold abdominal pain. (Wicke, vol. 2, p. 113) Fennel seeds can be decocted

in tea or chewed.

 

Rz (Rhizoma - rhizome of) Zingiberis, aka Gan Jiang, is dried ginger. Fresh

ginger will warm the Interior some, but fresh ginger is much better used to

Relieve Wind Chill in the Exterior. Dried ginger is hot, has a spicy taste,

and targets the Spleen, Stomach, Lungs, and Kidney. It warms the Middle

Burner and expels Cold. It restores Yang. This is a particularly good herb

for Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency. It warms the Lungs and transforms

Cold Phlegm. This can be especially important. Keep in mind that one of

the jobs of the Spleen is to transport and transform fluids in the body.

When the Spleen is Deficient, Dampness accumulates. If that Dampness sticks

around too long, it congeals into Phlegm. Phlegm can show up anywhere in

the body, but it has a special affinity for the Lungs. There are different

types of Phlegm due to different co-factors in its formation. Ginger is a

particularly good herb for transforming Cold Phlegm. It also warms the

meridians and " stops chronic bleeding associated with Deficiency Cold. "

Wicke, vol 2, p. 113) (Not all cases of chronic bleeding are due to Heat

though most usually are.) Ginger is used to treat nausea in people who are

too Cold. It's contraindicated in Yin Deficiency and in Hot Blood. It also

can raise blood pressure slightly.

 

Fr (Fructus - fruit of) Piperis Nigri, aka Hu Jiao, is black pepper. It is

very Hot, has a spicy taste, and targets the Stomach and Large Intestine.

This is one of the few Herbs for Warming the Interior that doesn't target

the Kidney or Spleen. It's recommended that when one cooks with black

pepper that one decoct the black pepper and use the liquid for seasoning

food. This way one gets the benefits without the risk of pieces of the

pepper irritating the intestinal lining. Black pepper " Warms Middle Burner

and disperses Cold. " (Wicke, vol 2, p. 114) It's contraindicated in

Deficiency of Yin with Heat.

 

The big gun of the Herbs for Warming the Interior is Rx (Radix - root of)

Aconiti Praeparata, aka Fu Zi, aka aconite, aka monkshood. This one you

will NOT find in the supermarket. This one you can't even buy in some

states unless you are a professional herbalist or a doctor. Aconite is

toxic and needs special preparation in order to reduce the toxicity.

Althought much of the aconite available commercially is prepared, to be on

the safe side it is advisable to pre-cook aconite for at least 4 hours

before decocting with other herbs. Adding ginger and licorice root to the

decoction further reduces the toxicity of aconite. Aconite is very Hot, has

a sweet, spicy taste, and targets the Heart, Spleen, and Kidney. This herb

not only Warms the Interior, it not only is used in cases of severe Kidney

and/or Spleen Yang Deficiency, it restores Collapsed Yang (a critical

condition). Because this is such a powerful herb, you want to be very, very

careful that you have the correct TCM accessment and aconite is indicated

for the particular problem. You especially want to make sure the person has

False Cold - True Heat because this herb can do some major damage in those

cases. You want to make sure it is true Cold and not just one or two Cold

symptoms when the real problem is Heat. According to Wicke (vol 2, p. 114),

intramuscular injections of prepared aconite are used by doctors in cases of

cardiogenic shock and congestive heart failure. I assume they're aware of

the contraindication of Deficiency of Yin and False Cold - True Heat. It's

also used by doctors in cases of acute hypothermia. (The body temperature

has dropped way below normal.) A freeze-dried powder or injectable form of

aconite is included in first aid kits for people in the artic or at very

high altitudes. (The higher one goes above sea level, the colder the

temperature gets. Temperature decreases about 7 degrees for every 1,000 ft.

above sea level. This is why you can find patches of snow in high areas of

the Rocky Mountains even in July and August. It never warms up enough to

melt all the snow from winter.) Wicke says that it is believed that aconite

acts on the pituitary-adrenal axis. Aconite most definitely is

contraindicated in pregnancy. Do NOT mix aconite (either unprepared (Wu Tou)

or prepared (Fu Zi)) with the following herbs because dangerous, toxic, and

bad side effects can result when mixed with aconite: Bulbus Fritillariae

(Bei Mu), Fr Trichosanthis (Gua Lou), Rz Pinelliae (Ban Xia - frequently

used for Phlegm problems), Rz Ampelopsis (Bai Lian), and Rz Bletillae (Bai

Ji). Also, do not mix aconite with Cornu Rhinoceri (Xi Jiao) because they

are mutually antagonistic. This means that they can neutralize each other

and you don't get the good effects of the herbs that one without the other

would give. The recommended dose is .5-3 qian (1.5-9 grams) over a two-day

period.

 

Fr (Fructus - fruit of) Evodiae, aka Wu Zhu Yu, aka evodia fruit, is another

herb for Warming the Interior. It is warm, has a spicy and bitter taste,

and targets the Stomach Spleen, Liver, and Kidney. This herb is poisonous,

but you can usually buy it in most states. You want to pay very careful

attention to the dosage on this one - 1-3 qian (3-9 grams) over a two-day

period.) (Not that you want to exceed the recommended dose on any herb, but

it's especially important not to with the toxic herbs.) This herb is

especially good for Cold or Phlegm Stagnation along the Liver or Stomach

meridians that is causing a person to have headaches, nausea, stomach pain,

and the lack of a sense of taste. This is another herb that can relieve

hernias due to Cold Stagnation in the Liver meridian. (Wicke, vol 2, p.

115). It not only warms the Kidney and Spleen, it expels Cold Damp. It's

contraindicated in Deficiency of Yin with Heat. Evodia also has some

external uses as well as being used in teas. A plaster of Evodia applied to

the Kidney 1 acupoint can relieve some cases of high blood pressure. A

plaster of evodia and vinegar appled to the navel can relieve Irritable

Bowel Syndrome (IBS). (Wicke, vol 2, p. 115)

 

Victoria

 

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