Isatis Leaf

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

• Clears heat and resolves toxin - Da Qing Ye is a classic leaf for epidemic heat, sore throat, mumps-like swelling, hot boils, and toxic febrile conditions.
• Cools the blood and relieves spotted eruptions - textbook use includes high fever, agitation, macules, and rash when heat enters the blood level.
• Assists with external hot swellings - fresh or prepared leaf can also be used in topical heat-toxic applications for red swollen lesions.

Secondary Actions

• This is the canonical pharmacopoeial Isatis leaf page and should be kept separate from the earlier `Liao Da Qing Ye` page, which preserves a different dye-plant source within the broader blue-leaf family.
• Its strong cold detoxifying nature explains both its popularity in heat-toxic patterns and its poor fit for weak cold digestion.

Classic Formulas

• Xi Jiao Da Qing Tang - classic blood-heat and spotted-rash context in which Da Qing Ye helps cool the nutritive and blood levels.
• Qing Wen Jie Du Wan - surface-and-interior toxic-heat formula context where Da Qing Ye helps with sore throat, fever, and epidemic heat.
• Da Qing Tang with Sheng Di, Da Huang, and Sheng Ma - traditional throat-fire and oral-ulcer strategy preserved in classical references.

Classical References

• Official Chinese references describe Da Qing Ye as bitter and cold, entering the Heart and Stomach to clear heat, resolve toxin, cool blood, and dissipate spots.
• The standard indications include warm disease with high fever, delirium, spotted eruptions, mumps, sore throat, erysipelas-like redness, and boils.
• The current pharmacopoeial source is the dried leaf of Isatis indigotica, which distinguishes it from older multi-source blue-leaf traditions.