Release exterior (Heat) herbs

11 herbs in the Shen Study library belong to the Release exterior (Heat) category: Bò Hé, Niú Bàng Zǐ, Jú Huā, Sāng Yè, Chái Hú, Gé Gēn, Màn Jīng Zǐ, Shēng Má, Dàn Dòu Chǐ, Chán Tuì and Mù Zéi.

Release exterior (Heat) herbs are mostly cool or cold, acrid and sweet, and most enter the Lung and Liver channels.

Herb	Nature	Flavour	Channels	Main action
Bò Hé Field mint	Cool	Acrid	Lung, Liver	Disperses Wind-Heat, clears head and eyes
Niú Bàng Zǐ Burdock seed	Cold	Acrid, Bitter	Lung, Stomach	Disperses Wind-Heat, benefits throat
Jú Huā Chrysanthemum	Cool	Sweet, Bitter	Lung, Liver	Disperses Wind-Heat, clears eyes
Sāng Yè Mulberry leaf	Cold	Sweet, Bitter	Lung, Liver	Disperses Wind-Heat, clears Lung Heat
Chái Hú Bupleurum	Cool	Bitter, Acrid	Liver, Gallbladder	Resolves lesser Yang disorders (alternating chills and fever)
Gé Gēn Kudzu root	Cool	Sweet, Acrid	Spleen, Stomach, Lung	Releases exterior, relieves stiffness of neck and upper back
Màn Jīng Zǐ Vitex fruit	Cool	Acrid, Bitter	Bladder, Liver, Stomach	Disperses Wind-Heat, clears head and eyes
Shēng Má Cimicifuga rhizome	Cool	Acrid, Sweet	Lung, Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine	Releases exterior, vents rashes (early stage)
Dàn Dòu Chǐ Fermented soybean	Cool	Acrid, Sweet	Lung, Stomach	Releases exterior, disperses Wind-Heat or Wind-Cold (depending on preparation)
Chán Tuì Cicada moulting	Cold	Sweet	Lung, Liver	Disperses Wind-Heat, benefits throat
Mù Zéi Scouring rush	Neutral	Sweet, Bitter	Lung, Liver	Disperses Wind-Heat

Other herb categories

• Release exterior (Cold)
• Clear heat
• Drain downward
• Warm interior
• Regulate qi
• Invigorate blood
• Resolve phlegm
• Tonify qi
• Tonify blood
• Tonify yin
• Tonify yang
• Calm shen
• Stabilise & bind
• Expel wind-damp
• Aromatic, transform damp
• Drain damp
• Stop bleeding
• Relieve food stagnation
• Expel parasites
• Anchor Yang / extinguish Wind
• Open orifices
• Topical use