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Cura x Cura

Qing Hao青蒿

Artemisiae Annuae Herba · Sweet Wormwood · Sweet Annie

Herbs that Clear Heat 清热药《神农本草经》

Overview

Sweet wormwood, cut in flower and dried. Bitter, acrid and cold, it works in the yin level and vents outward at once: it draws out the low lingering heat that rises in the afternoon and evening after a febrile illness, cools summerheat, and checks alternating chills and fever. Its aromatic constituents are volatile, so it is added late to a decoction. The plant is also the botanical source from which artemisinin was isolated, though artemisinin drugs are distinct pharmaceutical products, not this crude herb.

Nature & Flavor

Bitter, acrid · Cold

Channels

Liver · Gallbladder

Typical Dosage

6–12 g in decoction
青蒿Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Clears deficiency heat, cools the bloodFever rising in the afternoon or at night with no sweating as it falls; heat lingering in the yin after warm disease; steaming bone fever and night sweats.
  • Releases summerheatSummer fever with headache, thirst and a heavy body.
  • Checks malarial disordersAlternating chills and fever.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Qing Hao

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Low-grade evening or afternoon fever after a febrile illness
    - Steaming bone fever and night sweats of yin deficiency
    - Summerheat fever, headache and thirst
    - Alternating chills and fever

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

Low-grade feverNight sweatsHeatstrokeMalaria

Contraindications

Cautions

Cold and draining: not for Spleen-deficient loose stools and poor appetite, and not for sweating from qi deficiency with no sign of heat. Prolonged boiling destroys its activity — add it at the end of the decoction.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Use with caution in pregnancy — practitioner direction required; do not self-dose.

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.