Liver-Yang descending

Second, herbs that enter the Liver and Kidney meridians, and are able to relax the tendons are selected, along with herbs that reduce the Liver heat and descend the Liver-Yang. 

Assistant Open the meridians and collaterals, relax the tendons, reduce the Liver-heat, descend the Liver-Yang and spread the Liver-Qi... 

Herbs that reduce the empty-fire from the Kidney and descend the Liver-Yang are often used if the balance between Yin and Yang in the Lower-Jiao is severely disturbed. 

Dizziness, tinnitus and insomnia due to Liver-Yang ascending add Mu Li [Ostrea concha) to descend the Liver-Yang as long as it exists in the syndrome. 

Shi Jue Ming is a mineral substance that can descend the Liver-Yang. It is used in a formula when the Liver-Yang ascends. Common symptoms are dizziness, dry eyes and blurred vision, and a wiry or tight pulse. 

In an acute and excess condition Sedate the Heart-Yang and Liver-Yang, clear the Heart-fire and Liver-fire, regulate the Liver-Qi and descend the Lung-Qi to calm the mind. 

Sedate the Heart-shen, reduce fire or descend the Liver-Yang, regulate Qi and blood, and tonify the blood and Yin. 

In an acute, severe and excess condition, mineral substances are chosen to directly and quickly sedate the Heart-shen and descend the Liver-Yang. These herbs are salty and cold, and enter the Heart, Liver and Kidney meridians. 

Ci Shi is a heavy and solid mineral. It is pungent, salty and cold, and is the strongest of the three in sedating the Heart-shen. Since it enters the Liver and Kidney meridians, it is more suitable for treating Heart-shen disturbance caused by Liver and Kidney disturbance. This manifests as palpitations, restlessness with fear, dream-disturbed sleep and easily waking up in the night. There may be a wiry and restless pulse, particularly in the second position on the left side. Ci Shi is also able to stabilize the Kidney-Qi and Kidney-essence, and descend the Liver-Yang. 

Zhen Zhu Mu has a similar function to Zhen Zhu, is also cold and salty, and enters the Heart and Liver meridians. Its function of sedating the Heart-shen and calming the mind is weaker than that of Zhen Zhu, but it is stronger in descending the Liver-Yang. It is more suitable for use in the condition where the Liver-Yang ascends and the Heart is disturbed. This manifests as dizziness, headache, tinnitus, palpitations, irritability and insomnia. 

These substances are minerals, heavy in weight and strong in function. They have a descending tendency in action, can anchor the Liver-Yang, extinguish Liver-wind and direct the rebellious Qi and blood downward. These minerals can be selected separately or in a group as chief substances in the formula. 

Long Gu is sweet, astringent and neutral, and enters the Heart, Liver and Kidney meridians. It descends the Liver-Yang and calms the Liver-wind. Since it is sweet and neutral, and causes less irritation to the Stomach, it can be used for a longer period of time. Long Gu can also be used to calm the mind and treat restlessness. 

Deputy Pacify the Liver-Yang, calm the mind, nourish the Liver-Yin and Kidney-Yin, reduce Liver-heat and descend the Qi and blood... 

These mineral substances can effectively and quickly descend the Liver-Yang and Heart-fire. In the formula to pacify the Liver in a sub-acute condition, they are particularly selected to strongly sedate the Heart-spirit and calm the mind. Since the Liver is the mother organ of the Heart, Liver-Yang ascending may cause up-flaring of Heart-fire, which manifests as restlessness, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, a bitter taste in the mouth and a red face. 

Bai Shao Yao is sour and cold, and primarily enters the Liver meridian. It can effectively nourish the Liver-Yin and soften the Liver. It can be selected as deputy in the formula to pacify the Liver-wind and descend the Liver-Yang in a chronic condition. 

Zhi Zi enters the Heart, Lung and San Jiao meridians, is able to drain heat from the San Jiao, especially the Heart, and lead the heat out of the body through urination. Long Dan Cao directly enters the Liver meridian. It can powerfully and quickly drain the Liver-fire. Since these herbs have a descending tendency in action, they can enhance the strength of the substances that descend the Liver-Yang. 

These herbs can regulate the Qi, which is disturbed by the quick ascending of Liver-Yang and Liver-wind. As soon as the Qi descends or moves smoothly, Liver-wind is extinguished. For this reason, these herbs are often selected as deputies to treat the secondary syndrome. 

Qing Hao is bitter, cold and aromatic, and enters the Liver and Gall Bladder meridians. It can clear and disperse heat from these meridians, especially from the blood and Yin levels. In a formula that descends the Liver-Yang, Qing Hao is used as a corrective assistant to disperse and ascend the restrained Liver-Qi, which is suppressed by the heavy and cold descending minerals and herbs. Meanwhile, since Qing Hao can brighten the eyes, clear summer-heat and damp-heat, it can be selected if red and swollen eyes with blurred vision are present in the syndrome. 

Mai Ya, Shen Qu and Zhi Gan Cao all enter the Spleen meridian. Mai Ya and Shen Qu are able to aid digestion and sweet Zhi Gan Cao can tonify the Spleen. In a formula for treating Liver-Yang ascending and Liver-wind disturbance, they are used to protect the Stomach from heavy mineral substances and cold herbs. They are also used as corrective assistants to moderate the conflict between the minerals in the formula and the Stomach-Qi. This is because, when the heavy minerals descend the Liver-Yang and sedate the Heart-shen, they can descend the rebellious Qi of the Stomach as well. On the other hand, when the action of minerals is too strong and too quick, it may suppress the Stomach-Qi. 

A large dosage of Huai Niu Xi is used as chief to directly descend the Liver-Yang and strengthen the Kidney. At the same time, it can lead water downwards and promote urination so as to cause the Liver-Yang to descend as well. 

It is composed in a balanced way of descending Liver-Yang and extinguishing Liver-wind, together with tonifying the Liver and Kidney. 

Along with these, it is equally important to select cold and salty substances that enter the Liver meridian, can cool and soften the Liver, descend the Liver-Yang and relax the tendons, thereby extinguishing the wind. 

Mu Li, another assistant, clears heat and descends the Liver-Yang so as to prevent the generation of Liver-wind. It also enhances the function of the other substances to anchor and extinguish internal wind. 

Long Gu (Mastodi fossilium ossis) Descends the Liver-Yang, calms the mind ... 

To harmonize the Qi movement in the process of descending the Liver-Yang... 

Dai Zhe Shi (Haematitum) and Shi Jue Ming (Haliotidis concha) Descend Liver-Yang ... 

The drugs for treating hypertension can quickly descend the Qi and Yang of Liver, but they may suppress the Liver-Qi. They may also slow down water metabolism and blood circulation. Therefore the syndrome can change into one of Liver-Qi stagnation with Kidney-Yin and Liver-Yin deficiency, or Liver-Qi stagnation with dampness accumulation in the Middle-Jiao. 

Caution when using poisonous substances Of the substances that descend the Yang and extinguish wind of the Liver, Dai Zhe Shi (Haematitum), Quan Xie (Scorpio) and Wu Gong (Scolopendra) are poisonous, thus the dosages should be carefully controlled. 

Dai Zhe Shi, Long Gu and Mu Li are used as deputies. All of these minerals are heavy in weight and intense in function. They can vigorously descend the Yang and extinguish the wind as they all enter the Liver meridian. They are especially used in an acute condition. 

Zhi Zi and Huang Qin are used as deputies. They are bitter and cold, and can clear the heat of the Liver and in the Upper-Jiao. Because they have a descending tendency, they enhance the chief substances to descend the Yang of the Liver. They can also treat irritability, a bitter taste in the mouth and scanty urine due to Liver-heat. 

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