By Jie Ge Lecture

Explaining TCM theories in simple language

Bringing TCM closer to life!

As winter fades and spring arrives, while other flowers remain silent, one flower senses the breath of spring first, blooming with a smile, its clusters of yellow blossoms resembling lanterns.

Although it lacks the grandeur of peonies and the brilliance of paeonies, the sight of golden blooms everywhere showcases the vitality of spring and the hope it brings.

Although Lian Qiao (Forsythia) resembles Ying Chun Hua (Jasminum nudiflorum), Lian Qiao is a tree and taller, while Ying Chun is a shrub. Moreover, Lian Qiao has four petals, while Ying Chun has six petals.

The key difference is that Ying Chun cannot bear fruit, while Lian Qiao not only bears fruit but its fruit can also be used medicinally, making it a versatile herb.

Today, Jie Ge will discuss this herb, Lian Qiao. Before we delve into the topic, let’s look at a legend.

According to legend, in ancient times, at the turn of winter to spring, a town experienced a massive epidemic. The disease was fierce, leaving many doctors helpless, and many villagers lost their lives, resulting in widespread mourning.

There was a girl named Lian Qiao, whose parents unfortunately died in the epidemic, leaving her alone.

This girl was strong; despite her sorrow, she decided to find a good medicine to treat the epidemic and save more people, preventing her tragedy from repeating.

She followed the river upstream, traversing deep mountains and forests. Alone, exhausted and hungry, one day she collapsed from high fever and chills.

Perhaps her sincerity moved the heavens; a fairy happened to pass by and saved her with a few seeds from a plant. After taking the medicine, she quickly regained consciousness and felt much lighter.

After waking, she told the fairy about her quest for medicine. The fairy was touched and scattered a bag of seeds she carried over the land, instantly causing golden flowers to bloom all over the mountains, shining brilliantly.

The fairy told her that when these plants bore fruit, they could be boiled into water for drinking, which would treat the epidemic.

The girl returned home and shared the method of treating the epidemic with everyone. Before long, the epidemic was controlled, and people’s lives returned to peace.

To commemorate the girl’s contribution, people named this plant that could treat the epidemic Lian Qiao, and the name has been passed down.

Later, this herb was recorded in the Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic, referred to as “mainly for cold and heat, mouse atrophy, scrofula, carbuncles, tumors, and heat accumulation.”

What specific effects does Lian Qiao have? Let’s explore in detail.

1. Lian Qiao disperses wind-heat and can treat wind-heat colds.

At the end of winter and the beginning of spring, the changing seasons and unstable climate, combined with the dryness of spring and the lack of internal yin fluids, make many people susceptible to wind-heat colds. If one stays up late, sleeps poorly, or indulges in greasy and spicy foods, the condition worsens.

The symptoms of wind-heat colds generally include headache, fever, sore throat, unbearable thirst, a red tongue, thin yellow coating, and a floating rapid pulse, indicating a phenomenon of excess heat in the upper body.

In the early stages of a wind-heat cold, one can take VC Yin Qiao Pian (Yin Qiao Tablets). Although this medicine has a long history, it is still effective.

If you prefer not to take prepared medicine, you can boil 50 grams of Lian Qiao in water and drink it. After one or two doses, you will start to sweat slightly, and the condition will improve. Within three to four days, the cold symptoms will completely disappear.

Why is Lian Qiao so effective for wind-heat colds?

This is because Lian Qiao is relatively light and can ascend to the heart and lungs, dispersing heat from the upper body, while also clearing heat and detoxifying, eliminating internal heat, making it very effective in the early stages of wind-heat colds.

2. Lian Qiao disperses wind-heat and can treat wind rash and urticaria.

In the dry and windy climate of spring, many people develop wind rash easily when exposed to the wind, leading to unbearable itching. Scratching leaves red marks, and after a few days, the scratches become mottled and unsightly.

At this time, you can also boil 50 grams of Lian Qiao in water, and you will see results in one or two days.

Because ancient people observed that Lian Qiao has pointed ends, resembling a heart, and is composed of several petals, they believed that Lian Qiao can enter the heart and clear the heart fire, as well as disperse wind-heat outward. All pains and itching are related to heat; when the heart fire is cleared, the wind rash will naturally subside.

3. Lian Qiao soothes the liver and regulates qi, clears heat and detoxifies, and can treat sores, carbuncles, and scrofula.

During the Republic of China, a great physician named Zhang Xichun had a case involving an elderly woman who had a bad temper and often got angry. One time, she developed a painful lump on her arm and sought treatment from Zhang Xichun.

Zhang Xichun used medicines to reduce swelling and resolve masses for several courses, but strangely, the lump showed no signs of shrinking. The elderly woman became furious and accused Zhang Xichun of being a quack.

Zhang Xichun carefully examined her condition and found her pulse to be tight and strong, indicating Shaoyang stagnation fire. He added 12 grams of Lian Qiao to the original formula.

After one course, the lump on the woman’s arm miraculously disappeared, and surprisingly, her temper improved; she no longer became irritable and hot-headed, as if she had transformed.

This shows that Lian Qiao not only clears heat and detoxifies but also soothes the liver and regulates qi, which can reduce swelling and resolve masses, earning it the title of “the holy medicine for sores.”

The Ben Cao Jing Shu states, “For carbuncles and sores, it is due to the obstruction of nutritive and defensive qi, and the stagnation of defensive qi. Lian Qiao cools to eliminate the stagnant heat, and its fragrant and uplifting nature disperses the stagnation, thus harmonizing the nutritive and defensive qi, leading to the resolution of sores and swellings!”

Li Dongyuan, one of the four great masters of the Jin and Yuan dynasties, said, “Lian Qiao is indispensable among the medicines for sores in the twelve meridians; it is meant to disperse what is congealed.”

4. Lian Qiao clears the heart and promotes urination, guiding heat downward.

The middle part of Lian Qiao is round, with pointed ends, resembling a heart, thus it can enter the heart and clear heart fire. The heart and small intestine are interrelated, so Lian Qiao can also clear heat from the small intestine.

Boiling Lian Qiao in water yields a bland taste, so Lian Qiao can promote urination and treat urinary frequency, urgency, and pain.

The formula Ma Huang Lian Qiao Chi Xiao Dou Tang (Ephedra, Forsythia, and Red Bean Decoction) contains Lian Qiao, which is actually the root of Lian Qiao, as recorded in the Ben Jing.

It is often replaced by Lian Qiao today, demonstrating its heat-clearing and diuretic effects.

For acute urinary tract infections, you can boil 30 grams of Lian Qiao in water, which can both clear heat and promote urination, achieving two benefits at once.

5. Lian Qiao is a miraculous remedy for vomiting, especially effective for heat-induced vomiting.

When discussing the functions of Lian Qiao, people often think of its ability to disperse wind-heat to treat warm colds, reduce swelling and resolve masses, and its reputation as the holy medicine for sores. Few realize that Lian Qiao is also an excellent remedy for vomiting, as seen in the commonly used Bao He Wan (Preserve Harmony Pill), which includes Lian Qiao for this purpose.

The discovery of this effect is also credited to Japanese Kampo practitioners.

In the Japanese text Gyōzan Chiryō, it is recorded: “For adults and children with persistent vomiting, Lian Qiao can be added to any prescription; this is a family secret.”

In the Sheng Sheng Tang Zhi Yan, it is noted: “A two-year-old child suffered from convulsions and continued to vomit milk. Many doctors were at a loss, but upon examination, there was no fever, and the abdomen was harmonious. A decoction of Lian Qiao was given, and one dose had miraculous effects.”

Modern pharmacological studies indicate: “Lian Qiao decoction… has an anti-emetic effect similar to that of chlorpromazine two hours after injection. It can also inhibit vomiting induced by subcutaneous injection of apomorphine in dogs, suggesting that its anti-emetic action may be due to the inhibition of the chemoreceptor trigger zone in the medulla oblongata.” (Yu Ying’ao, ed., Chinese Medicine Dictionary, Beijing: People’s Health Publishing House, 1995: 730)

Lian Qiao is effective for vomiting, especially for heat-induced vomiting, with symptoms of persistent vomiting, red tongue with yellow coating, and rapid pulse. You can boil 20 grams of Lian Qiao in water to drink.

Regarding the effects of Lian Qiao, the Zhen Zhu Nang summarizes: “Lian Qiao has three uses: to drain heat from the heart and lower jiao; to eliminate heat from the upper jiao; and to serve as the holy medicine for sores.”

It is important to note that Lian Qiao is bitter and cold in nature, and should not be used by those with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, nor by pregnant women.

Warm reminder: The prescriptions and medications mentioned in this article are for reference only for clinical doctors; non-TCM professionals should not attempt to use them without guidance.

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