Yín Chái Hú (银柴胡), known in English as Stellaria root (Stellaria dichotoma), is a cool, sweet Chinese herb from the Clear heat category. It enters the Liver and Stomach channels. Its main action: clears deficiency Heat, reduces steaming bone.
| Pinyin | Yín Chái Hú (Yin Chai Hu) |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 银柴胡 |
| English | Stellaria root |
| Botanical name | Stellaria dichotoma |
| Category | Clear heat |
| Nature | Cool |
| Flavour | Sweet |
| Channels | Liver, Stomach |
| Dosage | 3–9g |
| Cautions | Wind-Cold exterior patterns; no true deficiency Heat |
Actions
- Clears deficiency Heat, reduces steaming bone
- Clears childhood nutritional impairment fever
Indications
- Yin deficiency steaming bone and night sweats
- Childhood fever from nutritional impairment
How to remember Yín Chái Hú
Clear heat herbs are mostly cool or cold and bitter, and most enter the Stomach and Liver channels.
- You can work these out
- Cool, Liver and Stomach channels: like most Clear heat herbs
- Learn by heart
- Sweet: unusual for Clear heat herbs (most are bitter)
Formulas containing Yín Chái Hú
Other Clear heat herbs
- Shí Gāo
- Zhī Mǔ
- Huáng Qín
- Huáng Lián
- Huáng Bǎi
- Lóng Dǎn Cǎo
- Zhī Zǐ
- Jīn Yín Huā
- Lián Qiào
- Pú Gōng Yīng
- Tiān Huā Fěn
- Lú Gēn
- Zhú Yè
- Xià Kū Cǎo
- Jué Míng Zǐ
- Kǔ Shēn
- Qín Pí
- Bái Xiān Pí
- Zǐ Huā Dì Dīng
- Bái Huā Shé Shé Cǎo
- Bǎn Lán Gēn
- Tǔ Fú Líng
- Shè Gān
- Dì Gǔ Pí
- Qīng Hāo
- Hú Huáng Lián
- Mǔ Dān Pí
- Chì Sháo
- Xuán Shēn
- Shuǐ Niú Jiǎo
- Bái Wēi
- Bái Tóu Wēng
- Bài Jiàng Cǎo
- Yú Xīng Cǎo
- Shān Dòu Gēn
- Mǎ Bó
- Yě Jú Huā
- Lǜ Dòu
- Hé Yè
Test yourself
What is the nature and flavour of Yín Chái Hú?
Yín Chái Hú is cool and sweet.
Which channels does Yín Chái Hú enter?
Yín Chái Hú enters the Liver and Stomach channels.
What are the actions of Yín Chái Hú?
Clears deficiency Heat, reduces steaming bone; Clears childhood nutritional impairment fever.
What is Yín Chái Hú used for?
Yin deficiency steaming bone and night sweats; childhood fever from nutritional impairment.
Which formulas contain Yín Chái Hú?
Qīng Gǔ Sǎn.
Practise Yín Chái Hú and the other 290 herbs
Recognise each herb from its picture, recall its nature, flavour, channels and actions, and review it again just before you would forget it.
Try the 5-question herb quizShen Study is a study tool. Doses and cautions are as taught in standard Chinese materia medica texts; they are not prescribing advice.