Aidus & E-Fong Herbal Solution
Herbal Medicine for Clearing Deficient Heat - Qing Hao
                     
                              

                                        Qing  Hao

                                   Sweet Wormwood
                                   Herba Artemisiae

This herb is the whole plant of the annual herb, Artemisia apiacea Hance and A. annua L. (Family Compositae, distributed all
over China. Artemisia annua is more widespread. It is collected in summer and autumn, dried in shade,
cut to segments, used raw or fresh.
Properties: Being pungent and bitter in flavour, slightly cold in nature, it acts on the liver, gallbladder, and kidney channels.
The bitter and cold properties benefit to clear away heat, and the pungent flavour can expels pathogenic factors. It is mainly
effective in the liver and kidney so as to purge the latent heat outwards from the yin division. It is therefore indicated for the
febrile diseases at the later stage with an accumulation of lingering heat in the yin division marked by nocturnal fever and
lingering low grade fever. In addition, it is used to treat restlessness and thirst due to summer heat and cure malarial diseases,
by means of its functions of relieving summer heat and preventing attack of malaria.
Effects: Clearing away heat of deficiency type, relieving summer heat, and preventing attack of malaria.
Indications:
1. For febrile diseases at the later stage with an accumulation of heat marked by nocturnal fever or lingering lower grade fever,
it is often used in combination with the Yin reinforcing and clearing heat herbs, such as Zhi Mu (anmarrhena rhizome, Di
Huang (rehmannia root) and Mu Dan Pi (Paeonia suffruticosa root & bark), known as Qing Hao Bie Jia Tang (Decoction of
Sweet Wormwood and Turtle Shell). In cases of fever due to Yin deficiency or hectic and phthitic fever, it is used in
combination with the herbs for reinforcing Yin and clear hectic fever, such as Yin Chai Hu ( Stellariae root), Hu Huang Lian
(picrorhiza rhizome), Di Huang (rehmanma root), etc.
2. For the summer heat affection characterized by fever and vexation, sweating and thirst, it is used in combination with the
herbs for clearing heat and summer heat, such as Hua Shi (talc), Jin Yin Hua (honeysuckle flower), Lian Qiao (forsythia fruit),
etc.
3. For malarial diseases with fever and chills, this single fresh herb pounded
to juice is used, or in combination with Huang Qin (scutellaria root) and Hua Shi (talc).
Dosage and Administration: 10~15g for general usage; 20~40g for treating malaria. Doubled dose when using the fresh
herb. Do not over decoct.
Modern Researches: Both the drug and artemisinine (Qinghaosu) can inhibit the development of the malarial parasites. They
have the advantages of high effi- cacy, quick acting, low toxicity, and convenient for use. Besides, it also posses- ses
inhibitory effects against dermatophytes and spirochetae. In recent years, it has been used in clinical practice with its extract
artemisinine or ethanol infusion because the effective antimalarial ingredient is liable to be lost by steaming.