Baikal skullcap (huang qin)

Scutellaria baicalensis

Traditionally attributed effects: cools and dries damp heat, especially in the lungs and upper body; calms a restless foetus from heat.

Safety notes

Not with heat from deficiency in the lungs, cold in the stomach with diarrhoea or a restless foetus from cold. Always discuss pregnancy complaints with a midwife. Traditional use is no proof of effectiveness; if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult a doctor or pharmacist.

Preparation

Root. Usually as a decoction, together with other herbs.

Use in traditions

Described in the classical Chinese materia medica, in the group 'herbs that cool heat and dry dampness'. Huang qin is one of the most frequently used herbs in Chinese medicine, among others in Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Japanese: Shosaikoto). The root contains baicalin and wogonin, which have been studied extensively in the laboratory. In Korea and Japan it appears in many classic prescriptions.

Applications

Use by tradition

How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.

Chinese materia medica

Nature and taste: bitter, cold
Meridians: liver, lung, heart, gallbladder, large intestine

Attributed effects

Drains damp heat in diarrhoea, jaundice, cystitis and fever with thirst but no wish to drink, cools lung heat in cough with sticky yellow phlegm, stops bleeding from heat, calms a restless foetus from heat and cools rising liver yang in headache, irritability and high blood pressure. Externally on hot ulcers.

Preparation and amount

Traditional dosage: 3–9 g a day, usually in a decoction. Together with huang lian and huang bai the classic 'three yellows'.

Combinations

With huang lian, huang bai and gentian for infections and damp heat
With mulberry bark, di gu pi and apricot kernel for cough from lung heat
With chai hu for shao yang complaints