Uncle Wen says making Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) more beautiful, interesting, and closer to life.
The local Bai ethnic residents in Dali have a custom of having four market days each month, where people come from all directions to trade for the items they need. On these market days, a variety of goods are available, and Yunnan is rich in medicinal herbs, so there are many transactions involving herbs.
On one market day, Uncle Wen casually picked up a piece of Huanglian (Coptis chinensis) from a herb stall and tasted it. It truly lived up to its reputation; just a small taste of Huanglian quickly spread its extremely bitter flavor throughout his mouth.
Uncle Wen casually asked, “Is this Huanglian perhaps the most bitter herb in the world?”
The vendor shook his head and pointed to the nearby Longdancao (Gentiana scabra), saying it is much more bitter than Huanglian and is indeed the most bitter herb in the world.
With immense curiosity, Uncle Wen tasted a bit of Longdancao, and indeed, the intense bitterness was far more severe than that of Huanglian; he would never forget the bitterness of Longdancao.
What are the effects of Longdancao?
Before Uncle Wen explains, can you guess the effects of Longdancao just from its name? Remember, the names of Chinese herbs are not chosen randomly; they contain profound meanings. Many herbs we may have never seen can still give us a hint of their effects just from their names.
Let’s first look at the first character: Long (龙). When you see the word dragon, what comes to mind? Dragon soaring and tiger leaping, vibrant and lively, turning clouds and rain, a dragon emerging from the sea… What feeling do these idioms give us? One word: fierce!
Yes, what does this indicate? It shows that Longdancao is definitely not a mild, neutral, or ineffective herb; it is a powerful medicine, comparable to Aconitum (Fuzi) and Rhubarb (Dahuang).
So, where does Longdancao’s power lie? Let’s look at the second character: Dan (胆).
It is evident that Longdancao treats diseases related to the gallbladder and liver meridians. Continuing with this thought, what flavor does bile have? Bitter! Bile is the most bitter substance. Therefore, Longdancao is also a bitter and cold powerful herb. Bitter is associated with the fire element, indicating heat in the liver and gallbladder, so Longdancao is a bitter and cold herb that clears the liver, benefits the gallbladder, and clears heat and dampness.
The flowers of Longdancao are also very beautiful, resembling blue enchantresses.
As a powerful bitter and cold herb, it should not be taken for long periods. However, in cases of acute liver and gallbladder conditions, Longdancao can have immediate effects.
Today, Uncle Wen will introduce a TCM formula that uses Longdancao as the chief herb—Longdancao Xiegan Wan (Gentiana Decoction to Drain the Liver).
As the name suggests, Longdancao Xiegan Wan is used to treat excess heat conditions in the liver and gallbladder system. The term “drain” indicates that it is used to clear excess conditions, while for deficiency conditions, it is used to tonify.
It is important to note that Longdancao Xiegan Wan treats diseases of the liver and gallbladder meridians, not liver or gallbladder diseases per se. The liver and gallbladder are both part of the liver-gallbladder system. Friends can look for diagrams of the liver and gallbladder meridians to see their extensive pathways, which include the top of the head, ears, eyes, chest, reproductive organs, and the inner and outer sides of the legs, including the knees.
Now, let’s present the formula for Longdancao Xiegan Wan:
Longdancao (Gentiana scabra), Chaihu (Bupleurum), Huangqin (Scutellaria baicalensis), Zhizi (Gardenia), Zexie (Alisma),
Mudanpi (Moutan), Cheqianzi (Plantago), Danggui (Angelica), Dihuang (Rehmannia), Zhi Gan Cao (Honey-fried Licorice)
This formula is exquisitely composed.
Have you noticed that this formula includes the three major methods for nourishing the liver that Uncle Wen previously mentioned?
Now, let’s review and learn anew: the first major method for nourishing the liver: to clear before tonifying. We must first clear the waste from the liver-gallbladder system; otherwise, the more we tonify, the more waste accumulates. This is called clearing the liver; the second major method: we give the liver what it needs. If the liver needs blood, we tonify the liver blood. This is called tonifying the liver; the third major method: we let the liver do what it likes, not suppressing it, allowing it to be happy and work hard for us. This is called soothing the liver.
Let’s first look at the first group of herbs: Longdancao, Huangqin, Zhizi, Zexie, Mudanpi, Cheqianzi, this group clears the liver.
Why is Longdancao Xiegan Wan considered a powerful medicine? Just look at these six herbs; they are all bitter and cold herbs that promote downward movement. Just Longdancao alone is already powerful enough; even if it were used alone, it could effectively treat acute conditions like jaundice. With these additional helpers, it becomes unstoppable and invincible. These six herbs work together, and the damp-heat pathogen has nowhere to hide, only to flee in defeat.
Longdancao clears liver and gallbladder damp-heat, Huangqin clears gallbladder and stomach fire, Zhizi clears heart fire, and promotes the flow of the Sanjiao (Triple Burner) water pathways, Zexie and Cheqianzi clear damp-heat from the kidneys and bladder, while Mudanpi also promotes the flow of the Sanjiao water pathways.
Clear, promote, drain—this is undeniably powerful.
Now, let’s look at the second group of herbs: Danggui, Dihuang, Zhi Gan Cao, this group tonifies the liver.
A good formula, while focusing on different aspects, must also consider both supporting the righteous and expelling the evil, just like in battle, where there must be both offense and defense. As mentioned earlier, this formula’s expelling power is quite strong, and even a relatively strong person may find it hard to endure, so we need to slightly support the righteous.
To support the righteous, we must tonify Qi and blood. For tonifying blood, there is no better choice than Danggui, which is a sacred herb for blood and also enters the liver meridian. Using dihuang (Rehmannia) to nourish Yin is appropriate, as it is the essence of the earth and a sacred herb for nourishing Yin. Then we use Zhi Gan Cao to harmonize the herbs and moderate their effects.
The last group of herbs consists of just one: Chaihu, which soothes the liver and relieves depression.
Allowing the liver to return to its true nature and be its best self is the greatest effect of Chaihu. When the liver’s function is restored, it can do what it needs to do: clear heat, expel dampness, and tonify liver blood. In other words, this soothing of the liver allows the first step of clearing the liver and the second step of tonifying the liver to be more effective.
True healing is not about the medicine healing the body, but rather the body healing itself; allowing the liver to heal itself is the true healing.
Longdancao Xiegan Wan shares many similarities with the Jiawei Xiaoyao Wan (Modified Free and Easy Wanderer Pill) that Uncle Wen previously introduced, as both include the three major methods for nourishing the liver. So what is the difference between the two?
Jiawei Xiaoyao Wan focuses on soothing and tonifying the liver, with clearing the liver as a secondary action; Longdancao Xiegan Wan focuses on clearing the liver, with soothing and tonifying as secondary actions. Jiawei Xiaoyao Wan primarily supports the righteous, while Longdancao Xiegan Wan primarily expels the evil.
So what diseases does Longdancao Xiegan Wan actually treat?
Diseases caused by liver and gallbladder damp-heat. What symptoms are associated with liver and gallbladder damp-heat?
For example, yellow greasy tongue coating, headache as if wrapped, flushed face and ears, red and swollen eyes, tinnitus like the sound of a train rumbling, bitter mouth, breast distension, pain in the flanks that cannot be pressed, eczema on the scrotum in men, itching in women, yellow urine, or even red and painful urination.
Specifically, acute otitis media, acute conjunctivitis, acute cholecystitis, gallstones, and herpes zoster can all be treated appropriately with this formula.
However, Uncle Wen needs to remind everyone that Longdancao Xiegan Wan is a powerful medicine, a very bitter and cold herb, and should not be taken for long periods. The slight tonifying nature of Longdancao Xiegan Wan can be ignored; prolonged use can damage the vital energy and harm the spleen and stomach, leading to loss of appetite and even low libido or impotence. This medicine should only be used for urgent treatment, not as a health supplement. It must be taken under the guidance of a professional.
Uncle Wen introduces all formulas not to encourage you to take them, but to help you understand them, so you can use them when needed. Remember this.
Special reminder: A beautiful day begins! I hope Uncle Wen’s article brings you a good mood for the day. If you like the article, don’t forget to click the “Looking” button at the bottom right of the article or share it with your friends. Remember, the formulas shared in Uncle Wen’s articles should only be taken under the guidance of a doctor. Due to limited energy and ability, I cannot reply to all messages; please forgive me. May you become your own divine doctor.
Here comes the benefit:: Open the public account dialogue box and enter “irregular menstruation”, “cold”, “hair loss”, “cold hands and feet”, “stomach pain”, “liver Qi stagnation”, “injured essence”, “upper heat and lower cold”, “spleen and stomach”, “insomnia”, “dampness removal”, “Qi and blood”, “weight loss”, “constipation”, “diarrhea”, “kidney deficiency”, “acne removal”, “cough”, “nasal inflammation”, “cervical spine”, “depression” to obtain the corresponding conditioning formulas.
