Ma Dou Ling [1]

1 TASTE
Bitter, slightly pungent and cold

2 MERIDIANS
Lung and large intestine

3 FUNCTIONS
1. To clear the lungs and resolve phlegm; 2. To stop cough and soothe asthma

4 INDICATIONS
1. Heat in the lungs manifested as cough with profuse yellow sputum and asthma. Birthwort fruit (Ma Dou Ling [3])is used with Loquat leaf (Pi Pa Ye [4]), Peucedanum root (Qian Hu [5]), Mulberry bark (Sang Bai Pi [6]) and Scutellaria root (Huang Qin [7]).2. Deficiency of the lungs manifested as cough with scanty sputum or with bloody sputum and shortness of breath. Birthwort fruit (Madouling) is used with Glehnia root (Sha Shen [8]), Ophiopogon root (Maidong), Aster root (Zi Wan [9]) and Donkey hide gelatin (E Jiao [10]).

5 DOSAGE
3-10 g

6 COUTIONS
Overdosage of the herb may cause nausea and vomiting.