bo he

Name: bo he
Creator: Bencao Index

薄荷·Herba Menthae

field mint

About bo he

Bo He (薄荷) is field mint, recorded as Herba Menthae. It is acrid and aromatic in flavour and cool in temperature, entering the Lung and Liver channels. The catalogue files it among the cool, acrid herbs that release the Exterior.

Names

Pinyin	bo he
Chinese	薄荷
Latin Name	Herba Menthae·Menthae Haplocalycis
English Name	field mint·field mint; peppermint·Mentha·peppermint
Japanese	hakka
Korean	bakha

Classification

Category: Antispasmodic, Antitussive, Cool, Acrid, Release Exterior
Channels: Lung, Liver
Flavour: Acrid, Aromatic
Temperature: Cool
Family: Lamiaceae
Species: Mentha Haplocalyz
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Disperses Wind-Heat, clears the head and eyes and benefits the throat

Common cold or the early stage of a febrile illness from Wind-Heat: fever, headache, cough and a sore throat
Wind-Heat rising to the head, with red and painful eyes, headache and a sore, swollen throat

Vents rashes

Rashes in their early stage, or slow to come out fully, such as measles

Spreads constrained Liver Qi

Liver Qi constraint with pressure or distension in the chest and flanks, emotional upset, and gynaecological complaints

Expels turbid filth

Summertime stomach upset after contact with unclean Qi: vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, with a thick, greasy, yellow tongue coat

Combinations

jing jie
Wind-Heat.
jing jie + lian qiao + jin yin hua
Wind-Heat. (stronger effect)
ju hua
Wind-Heat headache; Liver Fire with headache and red, swollen, painful eyes
jie geng + jiang can
Painful, swollen throat.
xia ku cao
Scrofula; eye inflammation
niu bang zi
Wind-Heat with sores, dry throat, cough with yellow sputum, measles that fail to fully erupt or itchy rash
gou teng
Febrile children, to prevent convulsions
gou teng + jing jie
Febrile children, to prevent convulsions, with a stronger effect
bai jiang cao + chan tui + quan xie
Severely itchy rashes; convulsions in children
bai shao + chai hu + dang gui
Liver Qi Stagnation with distention or pain of the chest and flanks
yin chai hu
Clears and drains pathogens from the Liver; Liver and Stomach Yin Deficiency Heat; steaming bone
huo xiang + pei lan + lian qiao
Vomiting, diarrhea, pain and distention from Summerheat
bai jiang cao + chan tui + quan xie
Itchy rash and/or convulsions in children
niu bang zi + ge gen
Early stage measles.
jie geng + niu bang zi + ju hua + jing jie + sang ye
Wind-Heat.
hua shi + gan cao
Summerheat.
lian qiao + chan tui + niu bang zi
Summerheat causing distention and pain with vomiting and diarrhea
chan tui + jing jie sui + di fu zi
Wind rash with itching
chan tui
Strongly expels Wind-Heat, vents rashes and relieves itching
chan tui + shi gao + gan cao
Early-stage febrile disorders.
zi su ye + fang feng + qiang huo
Wind-Cold.
niu bang zi + ban lan gen + she gan
Wind-Heat sore throat
lian qiao + jie geng + mu he die
Loss of voice with a sore throat
ju hua + niu bang zi + gan cao
Wind-Heat red eyes
jing jie + niu bang zi + lian qiao
Helps measles erupt
chan tui + jing jie + di fu zi + niu bang zi
Eczema, rashes and itching in general
ju hua + sang ye
Hypertension from Liver Yang Rising, with headache, blurred vision and red eyes
huo xiang + lian qiao + bai dou kou
Summerheat and Damp causing vomiting and diarrhea

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 1.5-30g (3-6g); Tincture: 2-3 ml	1.5-30 g	—	2-3 ml	—	—

Cautions

contraindication Exterior deficiency in debilitated patients, with spontaneous sweating from weak Wei Qi
contraindication Liver Yang rising
contraindication Heat from deficient Yin (one source allows cautious use)
contraindication Blood deficiency brought on by Heat from deficient Yin
lactation Not recommended while breastfeeding, as it may reduce the milk supply
contraindication Hiatal hernia
paediatric Small children should not inhale the essential oil

Photographs of bo he

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