Doederlein's Spikemoss Herb

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

• Clears heat and removes toxicity - Shi Shang Bai is used for sore throat, mastitis, eye swelling, and other hot, inflamed, toxin-pattern presentations.
• Promotes urination and clears damp-heat - traditional indications include jaundice and heat-type urinary difficulty when dampness and heat obstruct the lower burner.
• Relieves lung heat and related upward inflammation - classic use extends to cough, wheezing, and asthma with evident heat signs.

Secondary Actions

• The herb is used both internally and externally, especially for burns or scalds where its cooling, toxin-resolving character is emphasized.
• Because Shi Shang Bai is distinctly bitter-cold, it is best matched to hot conditions rather than to weak, cold, or deficient constitutions.

Classic Formulas

• Shi Shang Bai with Pu Gong Ying or Zi Hua Di Ding - common heat-toxin pairing logic for mastitis, throat swelling, and inflamed superficial lesions.
• Damp-heat urinary combinations with Che Qian Cao and Jin Qian Cao - traditional strategy when jaundice or hot urination patterns are prominent.

Classical References

• TCM Wiki describes Shi Shang Bai as bitter and cold, entering the Liver, Gallbladder, and Lung channels, with actions of clearing heat, removing toxicity, and promoting diuresis.
• Traditional indications include sore throat, jaundice, eye pain and swelling, acute mastitis, cough or asthma due to lung heat, and heat stranguria.