Xi Yang Shen Granules

Sweet, slightly bitter, and cold in nature, Panacis quinquefolii Radix (xi yang shen) enters the Heart, Lung, and Kidney channels to tonify the qi, nourish the yin, clear Lung fire, and generate fluids. It is best used for patterns of qi and yin deficiency with heat or blazing fire, such as yin deficiency fire with cough and wheezing, coughing of bloody sputum, and febrile diseases injuring both the qi and yin and leading to exhaustion, thirst, dry tongue and mouth, and passage of blood in the stool due to Intestinal heat. The Thoroughly Revised Materia Medica notes that this herb "tonifies the Lungs, directs fire downward, generates fluids, eliminates irritability and fatigue, and is most appropriate for deficiency accompanied by fire. Discussion of Medicinal Properties adds that it "tonifies the yin and reduces heat. Prepared with ginger it augments the qi. Supports the normal qi." Essays on Medicine Esteeming the Chinese and Respecting the Western observes that this herb "tonifies and assists the qi aspect, but also tonifies and augments the blood aspect." It also says that it "is cooling and tonifying, whenever one wishes to use Ginseng Radix (Ren Shen) but does not want the warmth of Ginseng Radix (Ren Shen), in all such cases this can be used as a substitute." --Bensky: Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica.*