Forsythia, Lian Qiao 连翘

Forsythia
Lian Qiao (TCM)
Picture Forsythia fortunei
Addisonia, vol. 4 (1919)

Picture Forsythia suspensa flower
(Photo by 阿橋) (Wikimedia)

Botanical name:


Forsythia suspensa (syn. F. fortunei)

Parts used:


Fruit

Temperature & Taste:


Cool, dry. Bitter, Pungent

Classification:


B. Clear Heat and Toxin

Uses:


1. Clears Heat and Toxin:
-Fever, Chills (Fever more than Chills)
-Acute Cold and Flu with Heat signs
-Sore Throat, Headache

2. Clears Heat, Reduces Abscesses:
-Sores, Acne, Boils, Abscesses
-Internal Abscess of the Lungs or Intestines
-acute Sore Throat
-Scrofula, Swollen Lymph nodes
-“good for treating Fistula and Scrofula … Goiter and Tumor” (Shen Nong Ben Cao)

3. Clears Heat and Damp, Promotes Urine:
-“treats Stranguria of five types, smoothes urination” (Zhen Quan)


Dose:


Decoction: 6–15 grams
Powder: 1–4 grams

Main Combinations:


Forsythia Lian Qiao is commonly combined with Lonicera Jin Yin Hua. Together they are widely used to clear Heat and Toxin: heat-type Cold and Flu, Febrile diseases, redness, pain and inflammation of the eyes, ears, nose, mouth or throat, and red and itchy acute skin conditions.

1. For all types of Heat and Heat and Toxin:
i. Forsythia Lian Qiao is often combined with Isatidis Ban Lan Gen:
i. Heat and Toxin, Forsythia Lian Qiao, Isatidis Ban Lan Gen, Lonicera Jin Yin Hua
ii. Heat type Cold or Flu, Forsythia Lian Qiao, Isatidis Ban Lan Gen, Peppermint
iii. Mumps, Erysipelas, Forsythia Lian Qiao with Isatidis Da Qing Ye
iv. Heat-Toxin Sore Throat, Tonsillitis, Forsythia Lian Qiao with Burdock seed (Niu Bang Zi)
v. acute Infectious Disease, Forsythia Lian Qiao, Isatidis Ban Lan Gen, Coptis Huang Lian
2. Cold and Flu, Forsythia Lian Qiao with Lonicera Jin Yin Hua, Platycodon Jie Geng, Burdock seed (Niu Bang Zi), Peppermint, Licorice (as in Yin Qiao San)
3. Acute Summer-heat, or Wind-Heat attack, Artemisia Qing Hao with Forsythia Lian Qiao
4. Allergic rashes, Forsythia Lian Qiao with Ephedra Ma Huang and Licorice
5. Swelling and pain of the Ear or Sinus, Forsythia Lian Qiao with Schizonepeta Jing Jie, Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Dang Gui, Ligusticum Chuan Xiong (as in Jing Jie Lian Qiao Tang)
6. Toxic Sores, Boils, Carbuncles, Forsythia Lian Qiao with Burdock seed (Niu Bang Zi)
7. Scrofula, with Self Heal (Xia Ku Cao) and Figwort (Xuan Shen)
8. Irritability, Insomnia from Heat entering the Nutritive/Blood level Forsythia Lian Qiao with Salvia Dan Shen, Scrophularia Xuan Shen,

Major Formulas:


Yin Qiao San
Fang Feng Tong Sheng San
Chai Hu Qing Gan Tang
Gan Lu Xiao Du Yin
Hai Zao Yu Hu Tang
Jing Jie Lian Qiao Tang
Liang Ge San
Ma Huang Lian Qiao Chi Xiao Dou Tang
Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin
Qing Gong Tang
Qing Wen Bai Du Yin
Qing Ying Tang
Sang Ju Yin

Cautions:


Caution in Cold and Weak Stomach

Main Preparations used: