Mulberry Leaf (sang ye)

Folium Mori

Properties: The herb is bitter and sweet in flavour, cold in nature and acts on the lung and liver channels. Light in quality for lifting, floating and mainly dispersing, and sweet and cold for clearing heat and moistening, it can disperse pathogenic wind-heat from the lung channel, moistening, arresting cough, purging the liver-fire, nourishing Yin and improving eyesight It is often used to treat wind-heat affected by exopathogens, liver-fire and conjunctival congestion.

1. The herb is often used in combination with chrysanthemum flower, such as Sang Ju Decoction, to treat wind-heat type of exterior syndromes, fever, headache and sore throat; and with ophiopogon root and apricot kernel for clearing heat from the lung, moistening and arresting cough, such as Sang Xing Decoction, to treat impairment of the lung by dry heat, dry cough with less sputum, sore throat and red tongue.

2.  It is often used in combination with chrysanthemum flower, cassia seed and prunella spike for clearing heat from the liver, purging fire to improve eyesight, to treat flaring-up of the liver-fire, conjunctival congestion and swelling pain; and with chrysanthemum flower, uncaria stem with hooks and other herbs for calming the liver and suppressing Yang hyperactivity of the liver, to treat exuberant liver-yang, dizziness and headache.

Dosage and Administration: 5-10g.