Artemisia scoparia, Yin Chen Hao 茵陈蒿

Virgate Wormwood
Yin Chen Hao (TCM)
Tshar bong dkar po  ཚར་བོང་བོང་དཀར་པོ་ (Tibetan Medicine)

Waldstein & Kitaibel, Descriptiones et icones plantarum rariorum Hungariae (1799-1802)

---

Botanical name:
Artemisia capillaris, A. scoparia
Local varieties used include A. frigida, A. gmelinii, A. anethoides, A. haichowensis

Parts used:
Herb
According to Tibetan texts, the root is most effective, although the herb is most used.

Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. Bitter

Classification:
C. Clear Damp

Uses:
1. Clears Heat and Damp: (TCM)
-Special for Jaundice; used for both Heat-Damp or Cold-Damp Jaundice
-Infectious icteric hepatitis (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
-Urinary obstruction
-sores with exudation and itching

2. Clears Lung Heat: (Tibetan)
-heat type Cough and Sore Throat
-'Febrile disease caused by Cold' (Chen Cang Qi)

3. Moves Qi, Disperses Stagnation: (TCM)
-'disperses hidden mass' (Ming Yi Bie Lu)
-'hard mass in the abdomen of a woman' (Da Ming)
-also for Trauma

---

DOSE:
9–30 grams in decoction

SUBSTITUTE:
European Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) can be used for most uses of Yin Chen Hao.

Main Combinations:
1. Jaundice:
i. from Damp-Heat, Artemisia Yin Chen Hao with Gardenia Zhi Zi and Rhubarb
ii. from Cold-Damp, Artemisia Yin Chen Hao with Ginger and Poria Fu Ling
iii. from Damp obstruction, Artemisia Yin Chen Hao with Magnolia Hou Po
2. Hepatitis B, Artemisia Yin Chen Hao with Isatis Da Qing Ye
3. Externally for Damp rashes and sores, Artemisia Yin Chen Hao as a wash with Sophora Ku Shen

Cautions:
Side effects are occasionally seen with high therapeutic doses. This may include indigestion, headache, dizziness, numbness.

Main Preparations used: