Solution 2024/2025
Pepper
NCCAOM Single Herbs Prep Questions And
Answers Latest Update
General Taste, Channels, Actions, Cautions of Release Exterior Herbs
ANS✔✔ ¢Acrid, LU, UB
¢Release exterior syndrome
Disperse LU
Diuresis
Vents rashes
¢Caution
Stop when syndrome controlled
Poor body constitution not suitable
Short time decoction
Warm Acrid Herbs that Release the Exterior ANS✔✔ Taste: • acrid
Temperature: • warm
Channels: • LU
Cautions & Contraindications: • These herbs are warm, acrid, and dispersing
• Use caution in patients with qi deficiency, yin deficiency, sweating, or with
long term use
Main Action: • Promotes sweating to release the exterior
External Attack of Wind-Cold: • Fever and chills • Headache, nasal
congestion • Stiff neck, muscle ache • Absence of thirst • Floating pulse
, Solution 2024/2025
Pepper
Cool Acrid Herbs that Release the Exterior ANS✔✔ Taste: • acrid
Temperature: • cool
Channels: • LU, LV
Cautions & Contraindications: • Use caution in patients with deficiency,
sweating, or with long term use Main Action: • Dispel wind-heat to release
the exterior
External Attack of Wind-Heat: • Fever and chills (fever more severe; mild
chills) • Sore throat • Cough with phlegm (thick, yellow, scanty) • Rash •
Eye problems
Herbs that Drain Fire ANS✔✔ Taste: • bitter • sometimes sweet
(moistening) Temperature: • cold
Channels: • LU, ST, HT, LV
Cautions & Contraindications: • These herbs are cold and bitter; they may
damage the Spleen
Main Action: • Clear heat and drain fire
Other • These herbs treat Qi level or Yangming level heat, characterized by
the Four Bigs
sx: High fever • Irritability • Thirst • Delirium • Eye problems
Herbs that Cool the Blood ANS✔✔ Taste: • bitter and sweet • salty
Temperature: • cold
Channels: • LV, HT
Cautions & Contraindications: • These herbs are cold and bitter; they may
damage the Spleen
, Solution 2024/2025
Pepper
Main Action: • Clear heat from the Ying and Xue levels Other • Because heat
at the blood level can damage yin, some of these herbs are sweet and
nourish fluids
SX: They clear heat from the ying (nutritive) level or xue (blood) level with
symptoms such as: • Irritability, restlessness, insomnia, delirium • Bleeding
(nosebleed, vomiting blood, coughing blood, blood in the urine or stool) •
Maculopapular rashes (flat red area with small bumps) • Scarlet tongue,
possibly dry or with prickles
Herbs that Clear Heat and Dry Dampness ANS✔✔ Taste: • bitter
Temperature: • cold
Channels: • ??
Cautions & Contraindications: • These herbs are cold and bitter; they may
damage the Spleen
Main Action: • Clear heat and dry dampness (dysentery, urination problems,
jaundice, skin problems)
Other • These herbs are often combined with Herbs that Drain Fire or Herbs
that Resolve Toxicity
Sx: Diarrhea, dysentery • Urination problems (difficult or painful urination) •
Jaundice • Skin problems (boils, furuncles, carbuncles, eczema) • Vaginal
discharge
Herbs that Clear Heat and Resolve Toxicity ANS✔✔ Taste: • bitter
Temperature: • cold
Channels: • ???
Cautions & Contraindications: • These herbs are cold and bitter; they may
damage the Spleen
Main Action: • Clear heat toxicity (skin infections with pus, dysentery, viral
infections)
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Pepper
Other • Some of these herbs also have anti-cancer properties
SX: Abscess - swollen area within body tissue, containing an accumulation
of pus
• Boil - skin infection that starts in a hair follicle or oil gland, usually caused
by staphylococcal bacteria
• Furuncle - same thing as a boil
• Carbuncle - red, swollen, and painful cluster of boils that are connected to
each other under the skin
• Sty - a boil that forms in the eyelid
Herbs that Clear Heat from Deficiency ANS✔✔ Taste: • bitter
Temperature: • cold
Channels: • LV, KI
Cautions & Contraindications: • These herbs are cool in temperature; use
caution with weak middle-jiao
Main Action: • Clear heat due to Liver and Kidney yin deficiency
Other • These herbs also treat aftermath of febrile disease where heat has
damaged the yin
SX:Tidal fever or afternoon fever • Malar flush, five center heat (face, palms,
soles) • Night sweats • Seminal emission • Steaming bone disorder • Red
tongue with little coat • Thin, rapid pulse
Downward Draining Herbs ANS✔✔ -Purgatives Taste: •bitter Temp:• Cold •
LI
-Moist Laxatives Taste:• sweet; Temp:• neutral • LI
-Harsh Expellants Taste:• toxic; Temp: • cold
(or hot) Channels: • L KI, LU