What it is:
This herb is the flower buds of Lonicera japonica Thunb., or Lonicera hypoglauca Miq., or Lonicera confusa DC, or Lonicera dasystyla Rehd. (family Cap- rifoliaceae), or together with their newly-burst flowers, which are mainly produced in the provinces of Henan and Shandong. The flower buds are collected in early summer, dried in sunlight or in shade, and used unprepared.

Property:
Bitter in flavour, cold in property, acting on the lung, stomach and large intestine channels.

Effects:
Clear- ing heat and detox- icating, removing heat from the blood and arresting dy- sentery.

Used for:
1. Affection by exopathogenic wind -heat or epidemic febrile diseases at the early stage, manifested as fever and slight aversion to wind and cold. It is often used with forsythia fruit and peppermint, as in Powder of Lonicera and Forsythia (Yin Qiao San).

2. Invasion of the qi system by pathogenic heat marked by high fever, dire thirst and full pulse. It is often used with gypsum and anemarrhena rhizome.

3. Sores, car- buncles, furuncles and swelling. It is a very important herb for external diseases, usually used in combination with dandelion and viola herb, as in Antiphlogistic Decoc- tion of Five Herbs. (Wuwei Xiaodu Yin). 4. Diarrhea and dysentery with puru- lent and bloody stool. It is often used with scutellaria root, coptis root and pulsatilla root, or used alone to prepare a concentrated decoc- tion for frequent drink.

Dosage and administration: 10- 15g, decocted in water for an oral dose.