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Huang Qin黄芩

Scutellariae Radix · Chinese Skullcap Root · Baical Skullcap Root

Herbs that Clear Heat 清热药《神农本草经》

Overview

The upper-burner member of the bitter-cold trio: it clears Lung heat and damp-heat, drains fire, cools blood, and — unusually for a cold herb — carries a long classical record for steadying a restless pregnancy when heat is the cause. The older hollow-centred root is traditionally favoured for Lung heat and the firm young root for damp-heat below. Dry-frying protects a weak Stomach from its coldness; wine-frying sends it upward to the head and eyes.

Nature & Flavor

Bitter · Cold

Channels

Lung · Gallbladder · Spleen · Stomach · Large Intestine · Small Intestine

Typical Dosage

3–10 g in decoction
黄芩Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

4 core actions

  • Clears heat, dries dampnessLung heat with cough and thick yellow phlegm; damp-heat diarrhea, dysentery and jaundice; damp-warm febrile patterns.
  • Drains fire, resolves toxicityHigh fever with irritability, sore swollen throat, hot painful sores.
  • Cools blood, stops bleedingNosebleed, coughing of blood and heat-type uterine bleeding; the charred root is used when the bleeding itself is the priority.
  • Clears heat to settle a restless fetusRestlessness in pregnancy attributed to heat — the classical pairing with Bai Zhu, and only within a prescription written by a practitioner.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Huang Qin

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Cough with thick yellow phlegm, Lung heat
    - Damp-heat diarrhea, dysentery and jaundice
    - Fever with irritability, sore throat, hot sores
    - Heat-type bleeding
    - Restlessness in pregnancy from heat (professional supervision)

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

BronchitisFeverInfectious diarrheaSore throat

Contraindications

Cautions

Bitter and cold: not for Spleen-Stomach deficiency cold with loose stools and poor appetite, and not for cough arising from cold or from Lung yin deficiency. Long courses in a weak digestion call for the dry-fried form and periodic reassessment rather than an open-ended prescription.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Classically used during pregnancy to settle heat-related restlessness — but only as part of a prescription from a practitioner who has assessed the pattern. Not for self-administration.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing《神农本草经》(classical source, public domain).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华人民共和国药典》.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.