Chinese Herbology · every answer carries the reasoning, and why each
other option fails.
441 questions
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Tap an option to see the answer, the reasoning, and why the other three fail.
Question 1 of 10
The herb Dong Quai is contraindicated with
ADilantin (phenytoin)Phenytoin is an antiseizure drug with no established significant interaction with Dang Gui.
BMevacor (lovastatin)Lovastatin is a lipid-lowering agent; no bleeding or metabolic conflict with Dang Gui is documented.
CCoumadin (warfarin)
DVoltaren (diclofenac)Diclofenac is an NSAID, but the classic contraindicated pairing tested for Dang Gui is warfarin.
Why C is correct
Dang Gui (Chinese Angelica Root) contains coumarin constituents and inhibits platelet aggregation. Given with warfarin (Coumadin) it potentiates anticoagulation and markedly raises bleeding risk, which makes the combination contraindicated. The criterion is additive bleeding risk when a Blood-invigorating herb meets an anticoagulant or antiplatelet drug.
Question 2 of 10
WHICH MEDICINAL GUIDES OTHER MEDICINALS TO THE TAI YANG AND GOVERNING VESSEL:
AHUANG LIAN,Huang Lian enters the Heart (Shao Yin) and Stomach (Yang Ming) to clear fire in the upper and middle burners rather than guiding to Tai Yang and the Governing Vessel.
BZHI MU,Zhi Mu enters the Lung, Stomach and Kidney as a clearing and moistening herb and does not guide to the exterior.
CQIANG HUO,
DJIE GENG,Jie Geng carries herbs upward into the Lung as the boat and oars of the formula and does not guide into Tai Yang or the Governing Vessel.
EBAI ZHUBai Zhu enters Spleen and Stomach to tonify Qi and fortify the Spleen with no channel-guiding action toward the exterior.
Why C is correct
Qiang Huo has a strong dispersing aroma and enters mainly the foot Tai Yang Bladder channel, serving as the channel-guiding herb for Tai Yang. Its ascending nature reaches the vertex and travels the nape and back along the Governing Vessel, which is why it is used as envoy for Tai Yang headache and stiff painful neck and upper back.
Question 3 of 10
JIN YIN HUA IS MOST COMMONLY COMBINED WITH WHAT OTHER HEAT-CLEARING, TOXIN-RESOLVING MEDICINAL:
AHUANG BAI,Huang Bai is bitter and cold and dries Damp in the lower burner, with no classic pairing with Jin Yin Hua.
BLIAN QIAO,
CHU HUANG LIAN,Hu Huang Lian abates deficiency Heat and clears childhood nutritional impairment Heat rather than serving as a standard toxin-resolving partner.
DBEI JIA,Bie Jia enriches Yin, subdues Yang and softens hardness as a Yin tonic and does not clear Heat and resolve toxicity.
EXUAN SHENXuan Shen resolves toxicity but works mainly by enriching Yin and draining fire, so it is not the standard partner for Jin Yin Hua.
Why B is correct
The classic mutually reinforcing partner for Jin Yin Hua is Lian Qiao. Both clear Heat, resolve toxicity and disperse Wind-Heat, and both are light and outward-moving, so together their toxin-resolving and exterior-venting strength multiplies. They form the core pair of Yin Qiao San (Honeysuckle and Forsythia Powder), covering early-stage warm disease as well as sores and abscesses from Heat toxicity.
Question 4 of 10
WHAT IS THE DIFF IN CLINICAL USE BETWEEN RED AND WHITE GINSENG:
ARED GINSENG INVIGORATES YANG, WHILE WHITE GINSENG SUPPLEMENTS QI,
BRED GINSENG SUPPLEMENTS QI AND WHILE WHITE GINSENG INVIGORATES YANG,This reverses the two.
CRED GINSENG ENRICHES YIN, WHILE WHITE GINSENG SUPPLEMENTS QI,Red ginseng is warm and does not enrich Yin; enriching Yin and generating fluids describes Xi Yang Shen.
DRED GINSENG MOVES THE BLOOD, WHILE WHITE GINSENG NOURISHES BLOOD,Neither red nor white ginseng works by moving or nourishing Blood.
ERED GINSENG THE CENTER, WHILE WHITE GINSENG CLEARS HEATWhite ginseng does not clear Heat; the cooling tonic is Xi Yang Shen.
Why A is correct
Processing changes the properties of ginseng. Red ginseng is steam-prepared and leans warm, excelling at warming and tonifying Yang Qi and augmenting Qi to contain Blood, suited to decline of Yang Qi with a faint pulse and cold limbs. White or sun-dried ginseng is more neutral and works mainly by tonifying Qi and generating fluids. Red leaning warm and Yang-invigorating with white tonifying Qi evenly is the accepted clinical distinction.
Question 5 of 10
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING MEDICINALS: 1) CLEARS THE HEART AND QUIETS THE SPIRIT AND 2) MOISTENS THE LUNGS AND STOPS COUGH:
ABAI HE,
BDAN SHEN,Dan Shen invigorates and cools Blood and eliminates vexation to calm the spirit; it calms the spirit but does not moisten the Lung and stop cough.
CCHUAN BEI MU,Chuan Bei Mu moistens the Lung, transforms Phlegm and stops cough but does not clear the Heart and calm the spirit.
DSHA SHEN,Sha Shen nourishes Yin and clears the Lung and does not clear the Heart and calm the spirit.
EHUANG LIANHuang Lian clears the Heart and drains fire and is bitter and drying rather than Lung-moistening.
Why A is correct
Clearing the Heart to quiet the spirit together with moistening the Lung to stop cough is the wording of Bai He's functions: it nourishes Yin, moistens the Lung and stops cough for dry cough from Yin deficiency and consumptive cough with blood, and it clears the Heart and calms the spirit for deficiency vexation, fright palpitations, insomnia, excessive dreaming and lily disease.
Question 6 of 10
ADD WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING PAIRS OF MEDICINALS TO LIU WEI DI HUANG WAN IF KIDNEY YIN VACUITY IS COMPLICATED BY HEAT TOXINS:
ACHI SHAO AND SHENG DI,Chi Shao and Sheng Di cool the Blood and nourish Yin, clearing Heat at the Blood level with insufficient toxin-resolving strength.
BHUANG QIN AND HUANG LIAN,Huang Qin and Huang Lian are bitter and cold and dry Damp, leaning toward Damp-Heat and excess Fire of the Middle Burner, and their bitter dryness damages Yin.
CLONG DAN CAO AND SHENG DI,Long Dan Cao drains excess Fire of the Liver and Gallbladder. It is bitter, cold and sinking, off target for Heat toxin and damaging to Yin.
DGOU QI ZI AND BEI JIA,Gou Qi Zi and Bie Jia enrich Yin and do not resolve Heat toxin.
ELIAN QIAO AND JIN YIN HUA
Why E is correct
Kidney Yin deficiency complicated by Heat toxin, such as painful sores or a hot swollen throat, requires Heat-toxin resolution on top of the enriching of Yin. Jin Yin Hua is sweet and cold and Lian Qiao is bitter and slightly cold; together they form the standard pair for clearing Heat and resolving toxicity, and they do this without the bitter dryness that would damage Yin.
Question 7 of 10
Which herb is NOT specifically used for occipital HA?
Aqiang huoQiang Huo is the guiding herb for the Tai Yang channel and the direct treatment for occipital headache.
Bqing hao
Cdu huoDu Huo travels to Tai Yang and Shao Yin and treats Wind-Damp pain of the neck, upper back and lower body, so it can be used for occipital pain.
Dgao benGao Ben reaches the vertex and travels to Tai Yang, treating vertex and occipital pain.
Why B is correct
The occipital region belongs to the Tai Yang channel, and its guiding herbs are Qiang Huo and Gao Ben, with Du Huo also traveling to Tai Yang and Shao Yin to treat pain of the neck, upper back and lumbar spine. Qing Hao clears Empty Heat and interrupts malarial disorder and enters the Liver and Gallbladder, which leaves it unrelated to Tai Yang channel headache.
Question 8 of 10
Which herb is for regulating qi, drying dampness, and transforming phlegm?
Aban xiaBan Xia dries Damp, transforms Phlegm and directs rebellious Qi downward to stop vomiting, and regulating Qi is not among its functions.
Bchen pi
Chou poHou Po moves Qi and dries Damp, and what it transforms is Damp fullness, with its strengths in dispersing distention and calming wheezing, so transforming Phlegm is not its leading combination.
Dzhu ruZhu Ru clears Heat, transforms Phlegm and eliminates irritability, without regulating Qi or drying Damp.
Why B is correct
Chen Pi is acrid, bitter and warm and enters the Spleen and Lung channels, and its listed functions are exactly the three named in the stem: regulating Qi and strengthening the Spleen along with drying Damp and transforming Phlegm. Moving Qi transforms Phlegm, which is the basis of treating Phlegm by first regulating Qi, and Er Chen Tang leans on it for this.
Question 9 of 10
Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang ( Pinellia, Atractylodes and Gastrodia Dec.) addresses which of the following organ pairs?
AHT & LVThe Heart and Liver do not carry this formula's mechanism, since it contains nothing to nourish the Heart, calm the spirit, or clear the Heart.
BLU & SPThe Lung and Spleen both govern fluid metabolism, and the Wind-treating herb here targets Liver Wind, with no involvement of the Lung.
CKD & HTThe Kidney and Heart are not the focus of this formula, which contains nothing to supplement the Kidney to grasp Qi or to connect the Heart and Kidney.
DSP & LV
Why D is correct
Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang governs dizziness and headache from Wind-Phlegm harassing the upper body, and its mechanism involves two organs together: the Spleen failing in transportation and gathering Damp into Phlegm, and Liver Wind stirring internally and carrying Phlegm up to the clear orifices, which is the joint presence of no dizziness without Phlegm and no dizziness without Wind. Ban Xia, Bai Zhu and Fu Ling strengthen the Spleen and dry Damp to treat the Phlegm, and Tian Ma calms the Liver and extinguishes Wind to treat the Wind, so the pair is the Spleen and the Liver.
Question 10 of 10
What is true about the constituents of yue ju wan?
Achuan xiong focuses on heat stagnationChuan Xiong handles Blood constraint in this formula by invigorating Blood and moving Qi, while Fire constraint is handled by Shan Zhi Zi.
Bcang zhu treats food stagnationCang Zhu dries Damp and restores Spleen movement for Damp constraint, while food constraint is handled by Shen Qu.
Cxiang fu is the chief
Dshen qu is not included in this formulaShen Qu is one of the five ingredients of Yue Ju Wan, namely Xiang Fu, Chuan Xiong, Cang Zhu, Zhi Zi and Shen Qu, so calling it absent is wrong.
Why C is correct
Yue Ju Wan moves Qi and resolves constraint, treating all six constraints with Qi constraint as the organizing thread, so Xiang Fu, which moves Qi and resolves constraint, serves as chief, and once Qi moves the Blood, Fire, Damp, food and Phlegm constraints resolve along with it, which makes statement C correct. The other options misstate the composition or the division of labor, since Chuan Xiong handles Blood constraint, Cang Zhu handles Damp constraint, and Shen Qu handles food constraint and is indeed in the formula.
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