Huang Lian (Coptidis Rhizoma)
Source
This product is the dried rhizome of the Ranunculaceae plant Huang Lian, specifically Coptis chinensis Franch., Coptis deltoidea C.Y.Cheng et Hsiao, or Coptis teeta Wall. The three types are commonly referred to as “Wei Lian,” “Ya Lian,” and “Yun Lian.”
Related Names
Yuan Lian, Wei Lian, Ya Lian, Yun Lian, Ji Zhua Lian, Chuan Lian, Wang Lian, Zhi Lian, Xuan Lian, Gu Lian, Chuan Huang Lian, Emei Lian, Gu Yong Lian.
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Source Textbook
Wei Lian
Ya Lian
Yun Lian
Origin
Wei Lian is primarily produced in Shizhu County, Chongqing, and in Hongya and Emei, Sichuan. It is also found in Hubei, Shaanxi, and Gansu, mainly cultivated. It is the main source of commercial Huang Lian. Ya Lian is mainly produced in Hongya and Emei, Sichuan, and is cultivated, with very few wild specimens. Yun Lian is primarily found in Deqin, Yunnan, and southeastern Tibet, originally wild but now cultivated.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvest in autumn, remove fibrous roots and soil, dry, and remove residual fibrous roots.
Identification of Properties
Herb: Wei Lian
Often clustered, frequently curved, resembling chicken feet, with single rhizomes measuring 3-6 cm in length and 0.3-0.8 cm in diameter. The surface is grayish-yellow or yellow-brown, rough, with irregular nodular protrusions, fibrous roots, and remnants of fibrous roots. Some internodes have a smooth surface like a stem, commonly referred to as “crossing the bridge.” The upper part often retains brown scale leaves, with the tip frequently having remnants of the stem or leaf petiole. The texture is hard, with an uneven cross-section; the bark is orange-red or dark brown, while the wood is bright yellow or orange-yellow, arranged radially, and the pith may be hollow. The aroma is faint, and the taste is extremely bitter.
Ya Lian
Usually a single stem, slightly cylindrical, slightly curved, measuring 4-8 cm in length and 0.5-1 cm in diameter. The “crossing the bridge” part is longer. The tip has a small amount of residual stem.
Yun Lian: Curved and hook-shaped, usually a single stem, smaller in size.
Processed slices of Huang Lian: Irregular thin slices, with a grayish-yellow or yellow-brown outer skin, rough, with small fibrous roots. The cut surface or broken surface is bright yellow or reddish-yellow, with radial patterns, faint aroma, and extremely bitter taste.
Wine Huang Lian: Similar in shape to Huang Lian slices, with a deeper color and a slight wine aroma.
Ginger Huang Lian: Similar in shape to Huang Lian slices, with a brownish-yellow surface and a spicy ginger flavor.
Yu Huang Lian: Similar in shape to Huang Lian slices, with a brownish-yellow surface and a spicy aroma of Wu Zhu Yu.
Nature and Taste
Bitter, cold. Enters the Heart, Liver, Stomach, and Large Intestine meridians.
Characteristics
This product is extremely bitter and cold, clearing and drying, with strong medicinal properties, primarily entering the Heart and Stomach meridians, and also affecting the Liver and Large Intestine meridians. Its action is focused on the Heart and Middle Jiao, effectively clearing Heart and Stomach fire, and eliminating damp-heat in the Middle Jiao, making it a key herb for treating damp-heat and fire stagnation.
Functions
Clears heat, dries dampness, purges fire, and detoxifies.
Mnemonic
Huang Lian, when stir-fried, clears heat and dries dampness; when raw, it purges fire and detoxifies.
A mute person eats Huang Lian, bitter but cannot express it; this herb has been known since childhood, so no tricks are needed. As for the three Huang herbs: Huang Qin, Huang Lian, and Huang Bai, it is easier to remember when compared together!
Provided by Caiyun Chasing the Moon 39:
Huang Qin clears the fire from the upper jiao, Huang Lian clears the fire from the middle jiao, Huang Bai clears the fire from the lower jiao.
Provided by qzq200412:
Huang Lian—clears heat, dries dampness, purges fire, and detoxifies.
Huang Bai– clears heat, dries dampness, purges fire, detoxifies, and eliminates bone steaming.
Huang Qin—clears heat, dries dampness, purges fire, detoxifies, stops bleeding, and calms the fetus.
Long Dan Cao– clears heat, dries dampness, and drains Liver and Gallbladder fire.
For damp-heat fire toxicity, use Huang Lian; Huang Bai eliminates steaming heat; Huang Qin calms blood and stabilizes the fetus; Long Dan specializes in draining Liver and Gallbladder fire.
Indications
(1) Damp-heat causing fullness, vomiting, diarrhea, and jaundice.
(2) Heat illness with high fever, irritability, delirium, internal heat causing restlessness and insomnia, Stomach fire toothache, and sores on the mouth and tongue.
(3) Liver fire invading the Stomach causing vomiting and acid reflux.
(4) Blood heat causing spontaneous bleeding, carbuncles, and swelling, red and painful eyes, ear canal abscesses, and febrile rashes.
Compatibility
Huang Lian with Mu Xiang
Huang Lian is bitter and cold, functions to clear heat, dry dampness, purge fire, and detoxify; Mu Xiang is warm and pungent, functions to regulate Stomach Qi stagnation and relieve pain. The combination of these two herbs clears heat, dries dampness, detoxifies, regulates Qi, and relieves pain, treating damp-heat diarrhea and abdominal pain effectively.
Huang Lian with Wu Zhu Yu
Huang Lian is bitter and cold, functions to clear heat, dry dampness, and purge fire; Wu Zhu Yu is warm and pungent, functions to dry dampness, soothe the Liver, and descend Qi. The combination of these two herbs clears heat, purges fire, dries dampness, and soothes the Liver, treating Liver fire invading the Stomach and damp-heat obstruction causing vomiting and acid reflux.
Huang Lian with Ban Xia and Gua Lou
Huang Lian is bitter and cold, functions to clear heat, dry dampness, and purge fire; Ban Xia is warm and pungent, functions to dry dampness, transform phlegm, and disperse clumps; Gua Lou is sweet and cold, functions to clear heat, transform phlegm, and relieve chest tightness. The combination of these three herbs clears fire, transforms phlegm, and disperses clumps, effectively treating phlegm-fire obstructing the chest.
Dosage and Administration
Internal use: decoction, 2-10g; or in pills or powders. External use: appropriate amount, ground into powder for application. Raw use is better for purging fire, detoxifying, and drying dampness, clearing Heart and Large Intestine fire. Stir-fried with wine enhances its upward-moving properties and can moderate its bitter cold nature. Stir-fried with ginger juice or Wu Zhu Yu, it alleviates its bitter cold nature that may harm the Stomach and enhances its ability to descend and stop vomiting. Wu Zhu Yu also treats Liver Qi stagnation transforming into fire.
Precautions
This product is extremely bitter and cold; excessive or prolonged use can harm the Spleen and Stomach. Therefore, the internal dosage should not be too large, and long-term use is not recommended. It is contraindicated in cases of Stomach cold with vomiting or Spleen deficiency with diarrhea.
Pharmacology
This product has antipyretic, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, immune-enhancing, anti-tumor, anti-arrhythmic, and myocardial ischemia effects, lowers blood pressure, inhibits gastrointestinal smooth muscle, prevents ulcers, promotes bile secretion, lowers blood sugar, inhibits platelet aggregation, and central nervous system suppression.
The Story of Huang Lian
Once upon a time, on Huangshui Mountain, where the Tujia people lived, there was a doctor named Tao. He had a garden dedicated to growing medicinal herbs, which he used to treat people. Due to his excellent medical skills, people from far and wide came to seek his help. Since Doctor Tao was often out, he hired a helper named Huang to manage the garden.
Doctor Tao’s daughter, Mei Wa, was beautiful, intelligent, and lively, cherished by her parents. Mei Wa also enjoyed planting flowers and herbs, and every morning, her first task was to check on the flowers and herbs in the garden.
One morning in the first month, when the frost had not yet melted and the cold air was biting, Mei Wa went to the garden and saw that the flowers had not bloomed and the grass had not sprouted. She opened the back door and walked along the path up the mountain. Suddenly, she saw a small green flower blooming by the roadside. The more she looked at it, the more she liked it, so she loosened the surrounding soil with her fingers and dug it up, roots and all, to plant in her garden. The helper, seeing this wild grass blooming in the cold January, also liked it very much and watered it daily, fertilizing it monthly. The grass grew more and more lush, and later it produced seeds. The helper scattered the seeds in the garden, and the following year, even more green flowers bloomed.
Unexpectedly, Mei Wa fell ill with a strange disease, feeling hot all over, vomiting, and having diarrhea. In just three days, she became skin and bones. Doctor Tao was away treating patients, so Mei Wa’s mother had to invite another local doctor to treat her. This doctor was a friend of Doctor Tao and was very attentive in his diagnosis. However, after three doses of medicine, there was no improvement; her stomach problems worsened, and she even passed blood. Her mother stayed by her side, worried sick, unable to eat or sleep, and cried at the thought of her daughter’s illness.
The helper, seeing this, was very anxious. What to do? Suddenly, he remembered the green flower. A month ago, he had a sore throat and chewed a leaf from it, which was extremely bitter, but after an hour, his throat pain had lessened. He thought, could this flower be used as medicine for Mei Wa’s illness? It was worth a try. With that thought, he pulled up a whole plant, roots and leaves, and boiled it into a bowl of water. When Mei Wa’s mother went to cook, he gave it to Mei Wa to drink. To his surprise, after drinking it in the morning, her condition improved by the afternoon; after two more doses, she was completely healed. When Doctor Tao returned and learned of the situation, he was very moved and repeatedly thanked the helper, saying, “Mei Wa suffered from damp-heat in the intestines and stomach; only a medicine that clears heat and dries dampness could cure her. This little green flower seems to have the effect of clearing heat and drying dampness!”
Because this helper’s surname was Huang and his name was Lian, in gratitude, the herb was named Huang Lian.
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