Brief Introduction

Herbs with dispersing pathogenic factors from the superficies of the body and relieving exterior syndromes as their main effects are called herbs for relieving exterior syndromes.

Mainly pungent in flavor for dispersion, light in quality for lifting and floating effects, and chiefly acting on the lung meridian and the superficies of the body, this type of herbs can expel pathogenic factors from the superficies or relieve exterior syndromes by diaphoresis. They are indicated for exterior syndromes due to affection by exogenous pathogenic factors. With their effects of relieving cough, relieving asthma, inducing diuresis, removing edema, alleviating pain and promoting eruption, etc., some herbs can be used to treat cough, asthma, edema, arthralgia, German measles and measles.

According to their different properties and indications, herbs for relieving exterior syndromes are divided into two groups: herbs with pungent in flavor and warm in nature for relieving exterior syndromes and herbs with pungent in flavor and cool in nature for relieving exterior syndromes. They should be chosen according to different syndromes, and used in compatibility with herbs for resolving phlegm, promoting the flow of qi, dispersing cold, alleviating pain, inducing diuresis, removing edema, clearing heat, removing toxic substances, restoring qi and strengthening the body resistance according to accompanying syndromes and the patient's constitution.

Herbs, which are pungent and dispersing, damage Yin and deplete qi. Therefore, this type of herbs should be used until the patient gets better. They should not be excessively used in order to avoid damaging vital qi. In addition, patients with spontaneous perspiration, night sweating, debility after illness, chronic skin and external diseases, lingering stranguria and hemorrhage should be careful or prohibited to use herbs for relieving exterior syndromes.
Largely aromatic in smell, light in quality and containing volatile oil herbs for relieving exterior syndromes should not be decocted for a long time in order to avoid reducing effective ingredients.

Section 1
Herbs Pungent in Flavor and Warm in Nature for Relieving Exterior Syndromes

Herbs in this section with dispersing pathogenic wind-cold as their main effects have relatively strong potency. They are indicated for exterior syndromes affected by pathogenic wind-cold with symptoms of aversion to cold, anhidrosis, fever, headache, tasteless tongue with white fur, and floating and tense pulse. Some herbs can also be used to treat wind-cold type of cough, arthralgia due to wind-cold, and edema accompanied by exterior syndromes.

Ephedra (Ma Huang, Herba Ephedrae )

This herb is the herbaceous stem of the herbaceous shrublets Ephedra Sinica Stapf., or E. equisetina Bunge., and E. intermidia Schrenk et Mey of familyEphedraceae. The herb is collected in the period between the beginning
of autumn and winter, dried in the shade, cut into sections and used in raw, stir-baked with honey or pounded to fine hair.

Properties: Ephedra is pungent and slightly bitter in flavor, warm in nature and acting on the lung and urinary bladder meridians. The pungent and the warm is dispersing cold. Ephedra has main effects of facilitating the circulation of the lung-qi, relieving exterior syndromes, alleviating asthma and inducing diuresis, with the strongest dispersing power.
It is indicated for exterior syndromes of excess type affected by pathogenic wind-cold, dyspnea of excess type due to obstruction of the lung-qi, wind edema and anhidrosis.

Effects: Inducing sweating to dispel exogenous pathogenic factors, facilitating the circulation of the lung-qi to relieve asthma, and inducing diuresis to remove edema.

Indications:
1. For treatment of exterior syndromes of excess type affected by pathogenic wind-cold with symptoms of wind-cold type of common cold, aversion to cold, anhidrosis, fever and headache, the herb is often used in combination with cinnamom twig for strengthening the effect of dispersing wind-cold.
2. Ephedra is often used in combination with apricot kernel to strengthen the effects of arresting cough and relieving asthma for treatment of dyspnea of excess type due to wind-cold attacked on the lung and impairment of ventilating and descending function of the lung.
3. When combined with pinellia tuber, dried ginger, asarum herb and other herbs to remove dampness, resolve phlegm, warm the lung and eliminate fluid retention, it is used for treatment of cold fluid retention in the lung, stagnation of phlegm and qi with abundant thin sputum. And with raw gypsum to clear heat from the lung, arrest cough and relieve asthma for treatment of heat of excess type in the lung, high fever and dyspnea.
4. For treatment of initial edema mainly facial, with exogenous pathogenic syndromes, that is, wind edema, the herb is always used in combination with white atractylodes rhizome for strengthening the effect of diuresis to remove edema.

Dosage and Administration: 1.5-10g. Raw herb is strong for inducing sweating, and stir-baked is mild for inducing sweating but better at relieving asthma.

Precautions: Patients with debility, hyperhidrosis and asthma of deficiency type should be prohibited to use Ephedra.

Modern Researches: Ephedra can induce sweats, clear heat and alleviate spasm of bronchial smooth muscle to relieve asthma. It has the effects of inhibiting bacteria and virus, inducing diuresis, elevating blood pressure and exciting central nerves.

Cinnamom Twig (Gui Zhi, Ramulus Cinnamomi )

This herb is the tender twig of the evergreen tree Cinnamomum cassia Presl., of family Lauraceae. Tender twigs are usually cut off in spring, dried in the sun or in the shade, and cut into slices or sections.

Properties: The herb is pungent and sweet in flavor, warm in nature and acting on heart, lung and urinary bladder meridians. Pungent and warm for dispersion and sweet for mild potency, without the shortcomings of hyperhidrosis damaging Yang, the herb is often used to treat exterior syndromes of both deficiency and excess types caused by pathogenic wind-cold. In addition, the herb can warm blood, invigorate pulse, reinforce Yang and promote qi flow. It is an important herb to treat pains due to cold, deficiency of Yang and water retention.

Effects: Inducing sweats to dispel exogenous pathogenic factors, warming the meridians to clear obstruction and reinforcing Yang to promote qi flow.

Indications:
1. To treat exterior syndromes of deficiency type with symptoms of wind-cold, perspiration, aversion to wind, floating and slow pulse, the herb is used in combination with white peony root, to regulate Ying and Wei qi, inducing sweats and expelling pathogenic factors from muscles and skin.
2. To treat exterior syndromes of excess type with symptoms of wind-cold, aversion to cold, anhidrosis and floating and tense pulse, the herb can help ephedra induce sweats and dispel exogenous pathogenic factors.
3. The herb is often used in combination with notopterygium root, ledetouriella root and other herbs for dispelling wind, dampness, cold and alleviating pain, to treat arthralgia and pain in the limbs due to wind-cold.
4. Combined with evodia fruit, chuanxiong rhizome, Chinese angelica root and other herbs, it may treat women's illness of cold, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea and amenia. And with unripened bitter orange and macrostem onion for activating Yang, resolving lumps, and alleviating arthralgia and pain, it may treat insufficiency of chest-yang and chest pain due to qi blockage.
5. It is also used in combination with malt extract for warming the middle-jiao, restoring qi, dispersing cold and alleviating pain, to treat cold of deficiency type in the middle-jiao, cold pain in the stomach and abdomen, anorexia and loose bowel. When with white atractylodes rhizome and poria for warming Yang, promoting qi flow, strengthening the spleen and removing fluid retention, it may treat deficiency of the spleen-Yang, phlegm retention, dizziness and palpitation. And with umbellate pore fungus, poria, white atractylodes rhitome for reinforcing yang, promoting qi flow, inducing diuresis and removing edema to treat deficiency of Yang, disturbance in qi transformation, water retention, edema and difficulty in urination.

Dosage and Administration: 3-10g.
Precautions: Patients with Yin deficiency and excessive fire should be prohibited to use this herb, and women in pregnancy or with profuse menstruation should be careful to use it.

Modern Researches: Cinnamon twig has the effects of anti-bacteria, clearing heat, relieving pain, tranquilizing and anti-convulsion. It can relax gastro-intestinal spasm to relieve pain and has the effect of strengthening the digestive function. In addition, it also has the effects of inhibiting influenza virus, arresting cough and inducing diuresis, etc.

Asarum Herb (Xixin, Herba Asari )

This herb is the whole plant of the perennial herbaceous plants Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt var. mandshuricum (Maxim.) Kitag., A. sieboldii Miq. Var. seoulense Nakai or A. sieboldii Miq of family Aristolochiaceae. The herb is collected in summer and autumn when the fruit is ripe or in early autumn, cleared of mud and sand, dried in the shade, cut into sections and used in raw.

Properties: The herb is pungent in flavor, warm in nature and acts on the heart, lung and kidney meridians. Pungent for dispersion, warm for removing blockage, aromatic for moving from exterior to interior, it can disperse cold from exterior, dispel cold from interior, warm the lung, clear passages and relieve pain with good effect.
It is an important herb for treatment of Yang insufficiency caused by exogenous pathogenic factors, headache due to pathogenic wind, cold fluid retention, cough and asthma.
Effects: Expelling wind, dispersing cold, clearing passages, relieving pain, warming the lung and removing fluid retention.

Indications:
1. Asarum can be used in combination with prepared aconite root to treat yang deficiency caused by exogenous pathogenic factors with symptoms of wind-cold, aversion to cold, anhidrosis, and ectopic radial and deep pulse. And with ledebouriella root, notopterygium root and other herbs, it may treat wind-cold type of common cold, headache and nasal obstruction.
2. To treat headache due to rhinorrhea with turbid discharge and nasal obstruction, asarum is often used in combination with magnolia flower, peppermint and other herbs.
3. To treat cold fluid retention in the lung and cough with abundant white and thin phlegm, the herb can be used in combination with dried ginger, pinellia tuber and other herbs for warming the lung and removing fluid retention.
In addition, asarum can also be used to treat arthralgia due to wind-cold, headache caused by wind, toothache due to wind and fire, and other syndromes.

Dosage and Administration: 1-3g.

Precautions: Asarum antagonizes veratrum root. There is an old saying: "More than one qian of asarum should never be used." Therefore, it should not be used in excessive dosage.

Modern Researches: Asarum extract with water or alcohol can blockade impulse conduction of sciatic nerve in the frog, and has the effect of infiltration anesthesia in tests on the dermic cumulus of the guinea pig. The volatile oil has the effects of superficial anesthesia, clearing heat and alleviating pain in tests on animals, directly inhibiting cardiac muscle and smooth muscle. Its decoction has an effect of arresting cough.

Purple Perilla Leaf (Zi Su, Folium Perillae)

This herb is the leaf of the annual herbaceous plants Perilla frutescens (L. ) Britt. var Crispa (Tunb.) Hand-Mazz., and P. frutescens (L.) Brill var acuta (thunxb.) Kudo., of family Labiatea. The herb is collected in summer and autumn, dried in the shade and used in raw.

Properties: The herb is pungent in flavor, warm in nature and acts on the lung, spleen and stomach meridians. Pungent and warm for dispersion and aromatic for enlivening the spleen, it can disperse pathogenic wind-cold from the lung meridian, disperse the lung to arrest cough, and promote the qi flow in the spleen and stomach to regulate the function of the middle-jiao and arrest vomiting.
It is often used to treat wind-cold type of common cold. It is particularly suitable to treat common cold accompanied by cough or stagnation of qi.

Effects: Inducing sweat to dispel exogenous pathogenic factors, promoting the qi flow to alleviate stagnation in the middle-jiao, and detoxifying fish and crab.

Indications:
1. The herb is used in combination with apricot kernel and peucedanum root, to treat wind-cold due to exogenous pathogenic factors, aversion to cold and fever, or accompanied by cough. And with cyperus tuber and tangerine peel, it may treat exterior syndromes of wind-cold affected by exogenous pathogenic factors accompanied by qi stagnation, distention and fullness in the interior.
2. It can be used in combination with pinellia tuber, tangerine peel and other herbs to treat abdominal distention, anorexia, vomiting and other symptoms caused by qi stagnation in the spleen and stomach. And with amomum fruit and other herbs for promoting qi circulation and preventing miscarriage, It may treat upward flow of fetus-qi, pernicious vomiting, oppressed feeling in the chest and vomiting.
3. To treat abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea caused by stale fish and crab, the herb can be used in combination with fresh ginger, pinellia tuber and other herbs.

Dosage and Administration: 3-10g. The herb should not be decocted long.

Modern Researches: The herb has a mild effect of clearing heat. It can promote digestive secretion and has an effect of promoting gastro-intestinal peristalsis. Its decoction has inhibiting effects on Bacillus coli, Bacillusdysenteriae and staphylococcus.

Appendix: Purple Perilla Stem( Su Geng, Caulis Periltae)

This herb is the stem of purple perilla. Pungent in flavor and warm in nature, it can promote qi circulation and regulate the stomach and is particularly good at preventing miscarriage. It is indicated for qi stagnation, distention and fullness in the chest and abdomen, and threatened abortion and other syndromes. Its dosage is 5-10g.

Schizonepeta (Jing Jie, Herba Schizonepetae)

This herb is the whole plant with infloresence or spike of the annual herbaceous plant Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq., of family Labiatae. The herb is collected in summer and autumn, dried in the shade, cut into sections and used raw or stir-baked yellow or carbonized.

Properties: The herb is pungent in flavor, slightly warm in nature and acts on the lung and liver meridians. Pungent for dispersing wind with mild effect, it is often used to treat wind-cold and wind-heat due to exogenous pathogenic factors, itching from German measles and other syndromes. Stir-barked and carbonized herb for acting on blood, it has a hemostatic effect.

Effects: Inducing sweats, dispelling exogenous pathogenic factors, dispersing pathogenic wind and arresting bleeding.

Indications:
1. This herb is used in combination with ledebouriella root and notopterygium root to treat exterior syndromes by pathogenic wind-cold, aversion to cold and anhidrosis. And with honeysuckle flower, forsythia fruit and other diaphoretics pungent in taste and cool in nature, it may treat upward attack of wind-heat, swelling of pharynx, conjunctival congestion, headache and high fever.
2. It is often used in combination with ledebouriella root, red peony root, flavescent sophora root and other herbs, to treat itching from German measles; and with peppermint, reed rhizome and other herbs for promoting eruption, to treat infants' initial measles without smooth eruption.
In addition, The stir-baked and carbonized herb can arrest bleeding and treat many bleeding syndromes.

Dosage and Administration: 3-10g. Stir-baked and carbonized herb for arresting bleeding and used raw for relieving exterior syndromes.

Modern Researches: Schizonepeta decoction can increase hidropoiesis and slightly clear heat. It has a relatively strong effect of inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus diphtheriae, and a certain inhibiting effect on typhoid bacillus and Bacillus dysenteriae. The stir-baked and carbonized herb can shorten bleeding time.

Ledebouriella Root (Fang feng, Radix Ledebouriellae)

This herb is the root of the perennial herbaceous plant Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz. ) Schischk. (Ledebouriella seseloides Woff. ) of family Umbelliferae. The herb is collected in spring and autumn, cleared of hairy rootlets, dried in the sun, thoroughly moistened, sliced and used raw or stir-baked carbonized.

Properties: The herb is pungent and sweet in flavor, slightly warm in nature and acts on the urinary bladder, liver and spleen meridians. Slightly warm, not dry, sweet, mild and not drastic in effect, and pungent for dispersing wind, it is often used to treat pathogenic wind, wind-cold, wind-heat, wind-dampness, tetanus and other syndromes affected by exogenous pathogenic factors.

Effects: Expelling pathogenic wind, dispelling exogenous pathogenic factors, and relieving pain and spasm.

Indications:
l. It is used in combination with schizonepeta to treat wind-cold type of common cold, headache, and pain in the body and hyperactivity of pathogenic wind. Combined with notopterygium root for strengthening the effects of expelling wind, dampness and relieving pain, it may treat wind-dampness type of common cold, headache and heaviness of the body. And with peppermint and other diaphoretics pungent in flavor and cool in nature, to treat wind-heat type of common cold.
2. To treat arthralgia due to wind-cold-dampness with difficulty in movement, the herb is used in combination with cinnamom twig and notopterygium root for expelling wind and dampness, warming the meridians and relieving arthralgia.
3. It is used in combination with gastrodia tuber and giant typhonium tuber to treat tetanus with symptoms of trismus and opisthotonus. And with cow-bezoare, hooked uncaria and other herbs for removing heat from the liver, and expelling wind and relieving spasm. It is also used to treat acute infantile convulsion with high fever.
In Addition, the Stir-baked carbonized herb can be used to stop bleeding, arrest diarrhea and treat hematochezia or abdominal pain and diarrhea of patients with sound liver but weak spleen.

Dosage and Administration: 3-10g. Stir-baked herb for arresting diarrhea.
Precautions: The herb should not be used for patients with endopathic wind due to blood deficiency.

Modern Researches: The herb has the effects of clearing heat, anti-inflammation, relieving pain, and infantile convulsion, and inhibiting Bacillus dysenteriae of many types and hemolytic streptococcus in some extents.

Dahurian Angelica Root (Bai Zhi, Radix Angelicae Dahuricae)

This herb is the root of the perennial herbaceous plants Angelica dahurica Benth., and Hook., or A. anomala Lallem., and A. taiwaniana Boiss. of family Umbelliferae. The herb is dug out in summer and autumn when the leaf turns yellow, cleared of hairy rootlets, dried in the sun, thoroughly moistened, sliced and prevented from borers.

Properties: The herb is pungent in flavor, warm in nature and acts on the lung and stomach meridians. Pungent, warm and aromatic for dispersion, the herb is good at dispersing pathogenic wind-cold from the lung meridian, and particularly good at removing pathogenic wind-dampness from the yangming meridians to relieve pain effectively.
Therefore, it is an important herb to treat headache due to wind-cold, yangming headache and headache with rhinorrhea of turbid discharge.

Effects: Expelling wind, dispelling exogenous pathogenic factors, clearing passages, relieving pain, removing dampness, arresting leukorrhea, eliminating swelling, and draining pus.

Indications:
1. To treat exterior syndromes affected by pathogenic wind-cold, headache and nasal obstruction, it is often used in combination with ledebouriella root, notopterygium root and other herbs, etc.
2. To treat headache belonging to wind-cold due to exogenous pathogenic factors with pain in the forehead as the main symptom, the herb is often used in combination with chuanxiong rhizome, ledebouriella root and other herbs for expelling wind, dispersing cold and relieving pain.
3. To treat headache with rhinorrhea of turbid discharge, nasal obstruction and distending pain in the forehead, the herb is used in combination with xanthium and magnolia flower and so on.
In addition, it is often used to treat women's leukorrhagia, swelling pain of sore and carbuncle, and other syndromes.

Dosage and Administration: 3-10g.

Modern Researches: Its decoction has certain inhibiting effects on Bacillus coli, Bacillus dysenteriae, typhoid bacillus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus proteus.

Magnolia Flower (Xin Yi, Flos Magnoliae)

This herb is the bud of the machaka magnolia liliflora Desr., of family Magnoliaceae. The herb is collected in early spring when the bud is not in blossom, dried in the sun and cleared of stalks.

Properties: The herb is pungent in flavor, warm in nature and acts on the lung and stomach meridians. Pungent and warm for dispersion and aromatic for moving about, with its floating effect, the herb is good at dispersing pathogenic wind and clearing nasal passage. It is an important herb to treat rhinorrhea with turbid discharge.
Effects: Dispersing wind-cold and clearing nasal passage.

Indications:
1. The herb is used in combination with dahurian angelica root, xanthium and other herbs to treat wind-cold type of rhinorrhea with turbid discharge, headache and nasal obstruction. And with peppermint, xanthium and other herbs for dispersing wind-heat, clearing passage and relieving pain, it may treat wind-heat type of rhinorrhea with turbid discharge and headache.
2. To treat wind-cold affected by exogenous pathogenic factors, headache and nasal obstruction, the herb is used in combination with ledebouriella root, dahurian angelica root and other herbs for dispersing wind-cold.

Dosage and Administration: 3-10g. Wrapped in gauze for decoction.

Modern Researches: With its astringing effect, magnolia flower can protect nasal mucosa and alleviate inflammation. Its infusion or decoction has the effect of inflammation anesthesia. Its extract with water has the effect of lowering blood pressure. Its decoction can excite uterine smooth muscle, promote intestinal movement and inhibit various kinds of pathogenic bacteria. Its volatile oil has sedative and analgesic effects.

Fresh Ginger (Sheng Jiang, Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens)

This herb is the rhizome of the perennial herbaceous plant Zingiber officinale Rosc. of family Zingiberaceae. It is dug out in the period from September to November, cleared of fibrous rootlets, sliced and used raw or stewed.

Properties: Ginger is pungent in flavor, slightly warm in nature and acts on the lung, spleen and stomach meridians. Pungent and warm for dispersion and slightly warm for mild effect, with its weak power of dispelling exogenous pathogenic factors, the herb is indicated for slight syndrome of wind-cold type of common cold or used as an auxiliary. With its strong power of arresting vomiting, known as a holy herb for vomiting, it is used in proper compatibility with other herbs to treat many kinds of vomiting.

Effects: Inducing sweats to dispel exogenous pathogenic factors, warming the middle-jiao to arrest vomiting, and warming the lung to relieve cough.

Indications:
l. To treat light syndrome of wind-cold type of common cold, ginger can be used with sugar to make a decoction for oral taking when the decoction remains hot, or it is used as an auxiliary to strengthen the dispersing power of other diaphoretics pungent in flavor and warm in nature.
2. To treat vomiting due to cold syndrome of the stomach. It is used in combination with pinellia tuber for strengthening the effect of arresting vomiting. In proper compatibility, it can also be used to treat vomiting due to heat syndrome of the stomach, pregnancy and deficiency syndrome of the stomach.
3. To treat wind-cold affected by exogenous pathogenic factors, cough with abundant expectoration, it is used in combination with tangerine peel, pinellia tuber, purple perilla and other herbs for dispersing wind-cold, clearing phlegm, arresting cough.
In addition, ginger can detoxicate pinellia tuber, ariseama tuber, and Sichuan aconite root, fish and crab.

Dosage and Administration: 3-10g. Sliced for decoction, or pounded for juice to make infusion with hot boiled water.
Modern Researches: Fresh ginger can promote the secretion of digestive juice, improve appetite, arrest vomiting, alleviate pain, resist inflammation, eliminate swelling, induce sweat, excite vasomotor center, respiratory center and heart, elevate blood pressure, and inhibit typhoid bacillus, Vibrio comma and other pathogenic bacteria.

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