Huang lian and Memory

Huang lian works on memory because of bitterness entering the heart 久服令人不忘者，苦
入心即能補心也 as commented by Chen Xiu Yuan 陳修園. Also Huang lian is considered an
upper grade medicinal 黃連，始載於《神農本草經》，列為上品
Huang lian can be used for quite a while as upper grade herbs can nourish Ming 命.
Huang lian works on the brain by allowing the shen to descend, and clearing
exuberant heart fire that floats up and expands out and fries the brain circuitry.
This function on brain function can be seen in Xie xin tang and of course Huang
lian e jiao tang. It treats insomnia and even used in Xie xin tang for brain
bleeding showcasing that it clears inflammatory processes in the brain’s
vasculature, can be used in post-stroke patients with cognitive impairments. By
treating insomnia and those prone to it it can certainly improve one’s brain
function since one can sleep soundly as bitter cold herb helps descend and go into
storage. Hence Huang bai in Feng sui dan.
It also clears the GI, the so called second brain, thus affecting the neuropeptide
and neurotransmitter gut brain axis and their secretion from enteroendocrine cells
in the gastrointestinal tract.
Of course shouldn’t be used in people who have cold centers. Also can then be
combined with Rou gui, as in as in Jiao tai wan to encourage heart kidney
communication, and even can be added to Li zhong tang, Lian li tang, to mitigate
its coldness.