Ancient Cha Herbal Formulas: Enhancing the 24 Effects, Part One
By Brenton Harvey, LAc, CH and Hong Ji
The effects of cha herbal formulas are well-known and varied. In this three-part article, we will discuss 24 of the most well-known effects of cha herbal formulas including ingredients, dosage, how the formulas should be prepared, and functions.
Effects of Cha Herbal Formulas
1. Fight Fatigue (Xiao Shui) Effect
A. Cha Chuan Xiong Cong Bai
Herb
Pinyin
Camellia sinensis
Cha
Radix ligusticii W.
Chuan Xiong
White stalk of green onion
Cong Bai
Function: treats coma (according to TCM dictionaries).
2. Calm Spirit (An Shen) Effect
A. Gan Jiang San
Herb
Pinyin
Dosage
Dry ginger
Gan Jian
2.7 qian (8.1g)
Camellia sinensis
Cha (high grade)
1.7 qian (5.1g)
Function: Post-cholera symptoms of agitation, restlessness and fidgetiness according to the ancient Song dynasty text Sheng Ji Zong Lu.
B. Family Treasure Formula (Zhou Yisheng Jia Bao Fang)
Herb
Pinyin
Dosage
Camellia sinensis
Cha (winter pick, old growth, picked after first frost)
30g, powdered
Rice
Sheng Ming Fan
15g, powdered
Preparation: Make into pills; roll in zhu sha powder.
Dosage: 15g, decocted
Function: Treats depressive psychosis and epilepsy caused by anxiety, melancholy, impairing heart and spleen with stasis of phlegm/qi. Manifestations of depression, lack of expression, quietness, self-muttering, fantasizing, hallucinations, paraphasia.
C. Zai Xuan Fang
Herb
Pinyin
Dosage
Camellia sinensis
Cha (spring pick)
30g
Fructus gardenaiae
Zhi Zi
30g
Preparation: Cook with water, concentrated in one cup. Try to vomit or cough after ingesting formula.
Function: Treats wind phlegm-caused diseases as above formula.
D. Ru Zi Fang formula from Tea Classic text (Cha Jing)
bitter cha
roots of green onion
Preparation: Decocted to treat infantile convulsion caused by unknown reasons (not fright, depression, etc.).
3. Clear Vision (Ming Mu) Effect
A subject well-written about in Chinese departments of ophthalmology. Four books alone discuss over 95 different formulas for this purpose. A few are listed.
A. Bu Gan San (drink with wax tea)
wax tea (data is limited)
Function: Liver deficiency, sensitivity to light, excessive tearing.
B. Huan Jing Wan (return eyeball pill)
Preparation: Drink with green cha.
Function: Treats lu feng nei zhang condition, equating with acute angle-closure glaucoma.
C. Hu Jing Wan
Function: Treats congenital cataracts caused by kidney/spleen deficiency or excessive rest by pregnant women with wind toxin.
D. Jiu Jing Wan
Preparation: Take with green tea.
Function: Treats optic atrophy caused by kidney hives/yin deficiency.
Preparation: Grind into super-fine powder. Use externally. (Do not use internally.)
Function: Treats infection of eyeball.
4. Clear Head (Qing Tuo Mu) Effect
A. Yi Fang Di Lun
Herb
Pinyin
Dosage
Rhizoma cimicifungae
Sheng Ma
18g
Radix rehmanniae G.
Sheng Di
15g
Camellia sinensis
Cha (green, early spring pick)
12g
Radix scutellariae
Huang Qin
3g
Rhizoma coptidis
Huang Hien
3g
Preparation: Decoct with water.
Function: Wind headaches on side and front of head.
B. Qian Jin Yao Fang
Preparation: Decoct one-half gallon cha.
Dose: two-thirds of half-gallon. Causes patient to vomit. Drink more, vomit, repeat until gallbladder bile (green) vomits up.
Function: Migraine headache caused by phlegm rising with San Jiao qi counter flow.
5. Stop Thirst (Zhi Ke Sheng Jin) Effect
A. Long Jing Jue Hua Cha
Herb
Pinyin
Dosage
Westlake Dragonwell green tea
Cha (green)
3g
Chrysanthemum
Jue Hua
3g
Rock candy sugar
No amount listed
Preparation: Steep as a tea, add sugar.
Function: Green tea promotes saliva, clears exopathic wind, heat and nourishes dryness. Endopathic heat.
6. Clear Heat (Qing Re) Effect
A. Shang Han Yuang Re Cong Shi Cha Fan
B. Fan Re Shi Gao Cha Fang
C. Fan Zao Bo He Cha Fang
Above formulas contain the following herbs:
Herb
Pinyin
Green onion
Cong Bai
Soya (prepared)
Dou Chi
Platycodon
Jing Ji
Camellia sinensis
Cha
Ginger root
Sheng Jiang
Herba ephedra
Ma Huang
Fructus gardenia
Zhi Zi
7. Clear Summer Heat (Xiao Shu) Effect
All green teas are cooling, especially the Westlake Dragonwell variety of green tea, used as a single herb. Add flos chrysanthemum (jua hua) for enhancement.
8. Detox Poison (Jie Du) Effect
A. Jian Bian Fan (Simple and convenient form)
Green tea (young pick), 6g
White rice (bai fan), 6g
Preparation: Grind to powder. Drink in room-temperature water.
Function: Treats toxic heat carbuncles.
Click here for previous articles by Brenton Harvey, LAc, CH.
