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Qing Hao (青蒿), the herb Artemisia annua, clears summerheat, clears heat from deficiency (especially heat that lingers in the yin), and checks malarial disorders; the source of artemisinin.
Latin / Pharmaceutical Name
Artemisia annua (Herba Artemisiae Annuae)
Common English Name
Sweet wormwood
Taste
Bitter, acrid
Temperature
Cold
Channels Entered
Liver, Gall Bladder, Kidney
Actions & Functions
- Clears summerheat
- Clears deficiency heat and cools the blood (night fever that abates by morning without sweating)
- Checks malarial disorders
Indications
Summerheat with fever and headache; yin-deficiency or lingering heat with low-grade afternoon and night fever; and malaria with alternating chills and fever.
Dosage
6-12 g in decoction (add near the end; do not over-cook).
Common Combinations
With Bie Jia (Qing Hao Bie Jia Tang) for deficiency heat.
Cautions & Contraindications
Avoid in Spleen-Stomach deficiency with loose stools and in sweating from deficiency.
