Herbs Board
Practice Test 18
1. Herbs from the stabilize and bind category are used to treat?
a) the manifestation or symptom
b) the root or cause
c) both manifestation and root
d) neither manifestation nor root
2. Which of the following is not an action of gou teng (ramulus cum uncis uncariae)?
a) releases the exterior
b) drains liver heat and pacifies liver yang
c) extinguishes wind and alleviates spasms
d) brightens the eyes
3. Which of the following formulas treats diarrhea due to a deficient spleen with an
overcontrolling liver?
a) tong xie yao fang (important formula for painful diarrhea)
b) si shen wan (four miracle pill)
c) li zhong wan (regulate the middle pill)
d) shen ling bai zhu san (ginseng, poria, and atractylodes macrocephala powder)
4. Chai hu shu gan san (bupleurum powder to spread the liver) is used to treat all of the
following except?
a) premenstrual syndrome or dysmenorrheal
b) hypochondriac pain
c) blood deficiency
d) constraint and clumping of liver qi
5. Ma huang gen (radix ephedrae) is in which of the following categories?
a) stabilize and bind
b) warm herbs that transform phlegm cold
c) warm, acrid release the exterior
d) cough and wheeze
6. Which of the following formulas treats diarrhea due to deficient spleen and kidney yang?
a) li zhong wan (regulate the middle pill)
b) tong xie yao fang (important formula for painful diarrhea)
c) shen ling bai zhu san (ginseng, poria, and atractylodes macrocephala powder)
d) si shen wan (four miracle pill)
7. Which of the following formulas treats externally contracted wind heat with underlying yin
deficiency?
a) fang feng tong sheng san (ledebouriella powder that sagely unblocks)
b) jia jian wei rui tang (modified polygonatum odoratum decoction)
c) ren shen bai du san (ginseng powder to overcome pathogenic influences)
d) ma huang xi xin fu zi tang (ephedra, asarum, and prepared aconite decoction)
8. A 39 year old female presents with irregular menstruation, continuous menstrual flow,
bleeding between periods, cold lower abdomen, dry lips, low grade fever, and warm palms and
soles. What is the best formula?
a) sheng hua tang (generation and transformation decoction)
b) wen jing tang (warm the menses decoction)
c) si wu tang (four substance decoction)
d) gui zhi fu ling wan (cinnamon twig and poria pill)
9. A 28 year old female presents with fever and slight chills, no sweating, headache, dry throat,
cough, sputum that is difficult to expectorate, thirst, irritability, dark red tongue, and a rapid
pulse. What is the best formula?
a) ge gen huang lian huang qin tang (kudzu, coptis, and scutellaria decoction)
b) ma huang xi xin fu zi tang (ephedra, asarum, and prepared aconite decoction)
c) fang feng tong sheng san (ledebouriella powder that sagely unblocks)
d) jia jian wei rui tang (modified polygonatum odoratum decoction)
10. Which of the following formulas is used for constipation without abdominal distention?
a) da cheng qi tang (major order the qi decoction)
b) xiao cheng qi tang (minor order the qi decoction)
c) tiao wei cheng qi tang (regulate the stomach and order the qi decoction)
d) zeng ye cheng qi tang (increase the fluids and order the qi decoction)
11. A 34 year old female presents with coughing, blood streaked sputum, wheezing, dry and
sore throat, hot palms and soles, night sweats, red tongue with no coat, and thin, rapid pulse.
What is the best formula
a) qing zao jiu fei tang (eliminate dryness and rescue the lungs decoction)
b) mai men dong tang (ophiopogonis decoction)
c) sang xing tang (mulberry leaf and apricot kernel decoction)
d) bai he gu jin tang (lily bulb decoction to preserve the metal)
12. A 25 year old male presents with coughing, wheezing, thick, copious, yellow sputum,
labored breathing, greasy yellow tongue coat, and slippery rapid pulse. What is the best
formula?
a) su zi jiang qi tang (perillia fruit decoction for directing qi downward)
b) ding chuan tang (arrest wheezing decoction)
c) gua lou xie bai bai jiu tang (trichosanthes fruit, chinese chive, and wine decoction)
d) si mo tang (four milled herb decoction)
13. Long dan xie gan tang (gentiana longdancao decoction to drain the liver) is used to treat?
a) liver and stomach disharmony
b) liver blood deficiency
c) liver and spleen disharmony
d) heat excess in the liver and/or gallbladder channels
14. A 27 year old female presents with retention of lochia, post partum abdominal pain, and
colicky pain in the lower abdomen. What is the best formula?
a) si wu tang (four substance decoction)
b) dan shen yin (salvia decoction)
c) shi xiao san (sudden smile powder)
d) wen jing tang (warm the menses decoction)
15. Which of the following is not true regarding herbs that drain dampness?
a) they are essentially diuretics
b) they can be used in combination with other herbs to treat acute edema
c) they can be used in combination with other herbs to treat chronic edema
d) they can be used in cases of yin deficiency or depleted fluids
16. Bai he gu jin tang (lily bulb decoction to preserve the metal) is used to treat?
a) internal dryness of the lungs due to lung and kidney yin deficiency
b) lung qi and yin deficiency with vigorous heat
c) lung atrophy
d) lung yin deficiency
17. All of the following describe herbs that tonify the qi except?
a) it is important to combine qi tonic herbs with herbs that regulate the qi
b) they are generally sweet and rich in nature
c) qi deficiency most often relates to the spleen and lungs
d) they are easy for the body to absorb and digest
18. A 24 year old woman presents with immobile masses in the lower abdomen that are tender
and painful. She also has abdominal spasms, amenorrhea, and a choppy pulse. What is the
best formula?
a) gui zhi fu ling wan (cinnamon twig and poria pill)
b) sheng hua tang (generation and transformation decoction)
c) wen jing tang (warm the menses decoction)
d) si wu tang (four substance decoction)
19. Which of the following formulas treats diarrhea due to middle burnercold from deficiency?
a) tong xie yao fang (important formula for painful diarrhea)
b) si shen wan (four miracle pill)
c) shen ling bai zhu san (ginseng, poria, and atractylodes macrocephala powder)
d) li zhong wan (regulate the middle pill)
20. Which of the following herbs can be used during pregnancy?
a) niu xi (radix achyranthis bidentatae)
b) san leng (rhizoma sparganii stoloniferi)
c) du zhong (cortex eucommiae ulmoidis)
d) e zhu (rhizoma curcumae ezhu)
21. A 28 year old female presents with retention of lochia, lower abdominal pain and cold,
purple tongue, and thin, choppy pulse. What is the best formula?
a) wen jing tang (warm the menses decoction)
b) si wu tang (four substance decoction)
c) gui zhi fu ling wan (cinnamon twig and poria pill)
d) sheng hua tang (generation and transformation decoction)
22. A 42 year old male presents with heavy head, back pain, difficulty rotating or bending his
trunk, mild chills and fever, white tongue coat, and a floating pulse. What is the best formula?
a) qiang huo sheng shi tang (notopterygium decoction to overcome dampness)
b) juan bi tang (remove painful obstruction decoction from medical revelations)
c) xuan bi tang (disband painful obstruction decoction)
d) du huo ji sheng tang (angelica pubescens and sangjisheng decoction)
23. Ping wei san (calm the stomach powder) is used to treat?
a) damp heat in the middle jiao
b) middle burner cold from deficiency
c) stomach heat
d) damp cold stagnating in the spleen and stomach
24. Herbs from the cough and wheeze category are used to treat?
a) the manifestation or symptom
b) both manifestation and root
c) neither manifestation nor root
d) the root or cause
25. Zhen wu tang (true warrior decoction) is used to treat?
a) heart and kidney yang deficiency
b) spleen and kidney yang deficiency with water retention
c) lung and kidney yin deficiency
d) liver and kidney yin deficiency with deficiency heat
Herbs Board Practice Test 18 Answer Key:
1. A
2. D
3. A
4. C
5. A
6. D
7. B
8. B
9. D
10. C
11. D
12. B
13. D
14. C
15. D
16. A
17. D
18. A
19. D
20. C
21. D
22. A
23. D
24. A
25. B