Learn About Chinese Herbs -Yin Chen (Herba Artemisiae Scopariae)-
Yin Chen (Herba Artemisiae Scopariae)
This product is a more commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, and in "Shennong's Materia Medica" 《神农本草经》it is listed as top grade.
Alias: Mian Yin Chen, Yin Chen.
Source: Dried seedlings of Artemisia capillaris Thunb., a perennial herb in the Asteraceae family. Wild.
Origin: mainly produced in Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hebei and other provinces. It is also produced in other places.
Trait identification: This product is a young and dry whole grass with some short roots, which is more wrinkled and curled into a clump. The roots are lignified, hard, tan on the surface, yellowish-white on the inside. Most of the stems and petioles are clustered, as thin as a thread. It is about 3~10cm long. The leaves are bipinnate and deeply lobed, the lobes are linear, and the apex is three-cuspided. The surface of the stems and leaves is densely covered with grayish-white hair. Soft as velvet. The smell is slightly fragrant and the taste is slightly bitter. It is better to have a small, tender, densely covered gray-white hairy, soft as velvet, and fragrant.
Main ingredients: Contains volatile oil, the main oil contains inchenne, inchenketo, inchenin, folic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid.
pharmachologic effect
（1） Antipyretic: Yinchen infusion has a strong antipyretic effect, but the antipyretic effect of decoction is weak.
（2） Choleretic: It can promote the secretion of bile, and the active ingredients are chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid.
（3） Antibacterial: In vitro test has antibacterial effect on Staphylococcus aureus.
（4）Antiviral: It has a strong inhibitory effect on influenza virus (PR8 strain).
（5）Antifungal: diluted 4 million times, it can still inhibit the development of Trichophyton scarlet, and the active ingredient is Inchenin.
（6）Lipid-lowering: It can reduce serum cholesterol and β lipoprotein, and prevent the accumulation of lipids in the blood vessel wall.
Processing: Remove the roots, cut the mouth, and use raw.
Taste: bitter, slightly cold.
Meridians: into the spleen, stomach, liver, and gallbladder meridians.
Function: Clears dampness and heat, relieves jaundice.
Indications: jaundice, shortness of urine, eczema.
Clinical application: It is the main drug for the treatment of jaundice.
（1） Treatment of damp heat jaundice, used for yang jaundice (yellow bright such as orange color, mostly seen in acute jaundice infectious hepatitis, cholecystitis, etc.), it has the effect of promoting bile secretion and excretion. At the beginning of jaundice, the heat is heavier than the dampness, and there is fever, unfavorable urination, constipation, slight abdominal distention, and the increase of pulse, then Zhi Zi and Da Huang are used to strengthen the effect of clearing heat and dispelling fire. If the dampness is heavier than the heat, the chest is full, the head is heavy and the body is blocked and feels sleepy, the stool is not constipated, and the syndrome of unfavorable urination is more significant, and the pulse is slow, then it is necessary to add damp clearing herbs such as those in the Wu Ling San formula, forming the Yin Chen Wuling San formula.
（2） Treatment of cold and damp jaundice, used for yin jaundice (yellow dark as smoky, more common in chronic jaundice infectious hepatitis, cirrhosis and other diseases), there is a syndrome of deficiency of cold and dampness in the whole body, and so herbs such as Fu Zi and Gan Jiang can be added in addition, such as in the formula Yin Chen Si Ni San.
（3） It is used as a substitute for Chai Hu to clear heat. Both Yin Chen and Chai Hu have antipyretic effects, and the experience of traditional Chinese medicine believes that both medicines enter the liver and gallbladder meridians, which can remove the liver and gallbladder fire. However, the medicinal properties of Yin Chen are slightly softer than those of Chai Hu, so those who are already Yin deficient and recently experience real heat, where Chai Hu is typically to clear the heat, but they can not accept the strength of Chai Hu, then they can use Yin Chen instead.
Precautions for use: Deficiency Jaundice is yellow with pale white, urine is not affected, mouth has light aftertaste, weak pulse; usually caused by anemia, or parasitic diseases and it is not caused by damp heat. so it is not suitable to use Yin Chen, it is more appropriate to use tonifying and invigorating qi drugs.
Dosage: 15g~30g.
Prescription examples
（1） Yin Chen Hao Tang ("Jin Kui Yao Lue" 《金匮要略》): Mian Yin Chen 1 tael (about 50g), Da Huang 9g, Zhi Zi 12g, decoction in water.
（2） Yin Chen Wu Ling San ("Jin Kui Yao Lue"《金匮要略》): Mian Yin Chen 30g, Yun Ling 15g, Zhu Ling 12g, Bai Zhu 12g, Ze Xie 9g, Gui Zhi 6g, decoction in water.
（3） Yin Chen Si Ni Tang ("Zhang's Yitong" 《张氏医通》): Mian Yin Chen 18g, Shu Fu Zi 9g, Gan Jiang 9g, Zhi Gan Cao 3g, decoction in water.
Note: The use habits of Yin Chen are different in various places, and the original plant species are different, and the above-mentioned Yin Chen is used in Beijing and Tianjin. In addition, according to the (Chronicle of Traditional Chinese Medicine 《中药志》), there are the following similar products of the same family and regional habits.
eparately and not as if they are all the same.
Case study: ascites
Patient Zheng, male, 74 years old
· 2023/04/06 First visit
Chief complaint: ascites for half a year, pain in joints all over the body, fingers can not be extended. Diagnosed with sepsis last year, ascites after a month of IV. The tongue is purple and dark, mossy and pale.
Traditional Chinese medicine prescription: Gui Zhi 12g, Bai Shao 10g, Gan Cao 6g, Gan Jiang 10g, Da Zao 5, Bai Fu Zi 20g (cook for 30 minutes first), Fu Ling 20g, Chao Bai Zhu 10g, Che Qian Zi 10g, Bi Xie 15g, Dan Shen 10g, Ji Xue Teng 20g Qian Jin Ba 10g. Take a decoction with water, one dose a day.
· 2023/04/16 Follow-up, visit 2
Chief complaint: abdomen is softer than before, water is not entirely excluded. Joint pain is reduced.
Traditional Chinese medicine prescription: Gui Zhi 12g, Bai Shao 10g, Gan Cao 6g, Gan Jiang 10g, Da Zao 5, Bai Fu Zi 30g (cook for 30 minutes first), Fu Ling 20g, Chao Bai Zhu 10g, Che Qian Zi 10g, Bi Xie 15g, Dan Shen 10g, Ji Xue Teng 20g, Qian Jin Ba 10g, Mu Tong 6g, Yi Mu Cao 20g. Take a decoction with water, one dose a day.
· 2023/05/12 Follow-up, visit 3
Chief complaint: ascites has subsided, generalized pain has improved. The skin of the whole body is black and scaby, and there is no itching.
Traditional Chinese medicine prescription: ① 2 moxibustion strips a day and 1 hour of moxibustion and moxibustion Guan Yuan, Zhong Guan, and Feng Chi acupuncture points.
② Yi Mu Cao 20g, Gui Zhi 10g, Shan Hai Luo 30g, Mu Tong 3g, Bai Shao 10g, Gan Cao 6g, Gan Jiang 10g, Da Zao 5g, Fu Ling 15g, Bai Fu Zi 20g (cook first for 30 minutes) Hei Fu Zi 10g (cook first for 30 minutes) Bai Zhu 10g, Bi Xie 15g, Dan Shen 10g, Ji Xue Teng 20g, Qian Jin Ba 10g. Decoction of water, one dose a day, a total of one dose.
③ Mugwort 100g, Hong Hua 50g, Ku Shen 100g, Ce Bai Ye 30g, Ji Xue Teng 30g, Niu Qi Pu 40g. Decoction soaked in water, one dose per day, 10 consecutive doses.
· 2023/08/29 Check-up
Kidney function has returned to normal, ascites has completely subsided, and generalized pain has disappeared.
Disclaimer: All above articles are for reference only. If patients are interested, please consult a professional practitioner Traditional Chinese Medicine for a consultation.