Function
Bei sha shen clears lung heat, tonifies yin and stops cough. It acts as an expectorant and also helps to lower fevers. Mai dong, tian dong, bai he, and shi hu are all yin-nourishing herbs that generate fluids. Bai he also lowers fevers and helps to stop bleeding in the lungs. It has the added benefit of calming the spirit by clearing heat from the heart. Shi hu is the empiric herb of choice for treating dry mouth and throat. Gou qi zi is a blood-nourishing herb that also nourishes the yin and moistens the lungs. It can also help in treating wasting, which is a common condition in some cancers. Bai he alleviates the cough and dyspnea caused by lung heat. It is a broad-spectrum antibiotic which helps prevent infection caused by immune deficiency and by infection secondary to lung cancer. It also is a bronchodilator and improves many symptoms of middle- to advanced lung cancer.18–20
