Properties: Pungent, bitter, warm, slightly toxic
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver, Spleen and Kidney
Extraordinary Vessels: Dai
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Warms the channels, warms the womb, stops bleeding and calms the fetus
Excess and/or prolonged menstrual bleeding due to Deficiency Cold
Restless fetus, lower abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding (threatened miscarriage)
Infertility due to Cold womb
- Disperses Cold and alleviates pain
Cold abdominal pain
Cold menstrual pain
- Eliminates Dampness and stops itching
Decocted and applied externally as a wash for skin problems marked by Dampness and itching
- Resolves Phlegm and stops cough and asthma
As an extracted oil for wheezing, and coughing with profuse sputum
- Aids fasting
Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, make the body light, sharpen the eyes and ears and prevent forgetfulness. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).
Suggested Daily Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Notable Constituents:
- Eucalyptol
Cyclic ether and monoterpenoid that acts as a cough suppressant by controlling airway mucus hypersecretion and controls asthma via anti-inflammatory cytokine inhibition. It is an effective treatment for nonpurulent rhinosinusitis. It can reduce inflammation and pain when applied topically and kills leukaemia cells in vitro. Also used in mouthwashes.
- Camphor
A cyclic monoterpene ketone used for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and insect repellent properties.
- Alpha-Thujene
Monoterpene that contributes pungency to the flavor of some herbs.
Appears in 9 formulae listed on this site: (click to display)
Research Links & References: (click to display)
Research Links:
Reference Notes:
Individual herb information has sourced mainly from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes. Zhou, Xie and Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Vol. 5, has been used for entries not available from those sources with additional material searched for and filled in where available. Western herbs not appearing in the Chinese literature have used Ross (2010): Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Materia Medica, White Rabbit Institute of Healing and therapeutika.ch. Choices of which source to use or combine have been my own.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted. Actions and indications are taken from traditional uses and do not necessarily reflect the evidence base which should be researched independently. Dosages are for guidance only and will vary dependening on the potency of the batch and the tolerance of the individual so should be evaluated by a professional based on individual needs.
