Cassia seed (Juemingzi)

Cassia seed (Juemingzi) Pharmaceutical Name: Semen Sennae Botanical Name: 1. Cassia angustifolia Vahl; 2. Cassia acutifolia Delile Common Name: Foetid Cassia seed Source of Earliest Record: Shennong Bencao Jing. Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The seeds are gathered in autumn and dried in the sun. Properties & Taste: Sweet, bitter and slightly cold Meridians: Liver and large intestine Functions: 1. To clear heat in the liver and brighten the eyes; 2. To dispel wind and clear heat; 3. To moisten the intestines and move feces Indications & Combinations: … Xem tiếp

Cinnamon bark (Rougui)

Cinnamon bark (Rougui) Pharmaceutical Name: Cortex Cinnamomi Botanical Name: Cinnamomum cassia presl Common Name: Cinnamon bark, Cassia bark Source of Earliest Record: Mingyi Bielu Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The bark is cut in the period of Great Heat (twelfth solar term) and peeled off in the period of the Beginning of Autumn (thirteenth solar term). It is dried in the shade and cut into slices. Properties & Taste: Pungent, sweet and hot Meridians: Kidney, spleen, heart and liver. Functions: 1. To tonify the kidneys; 2. To dispel … Xem tiếp

Eclipta (Mohanlian)-Eclipta prostrata

Eclipta (Mohanlian) Pharmaceutical Name: Herba Ecliptae Botanical Name: Eclipta prostrata L. Common Name: Eclipta Source of Earliest Record: Xinxiu Bencao Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The aerial parts of the plant are gathered in early autumn, dried in the sun and cut into pieces. Properties & Taste: Sweet, sour and cold Meridians: Liver and kidney Functions: 1. To nourish yin and tonify the kidneys; 2. To cool the blood and stop bleeding Indications & Combinations: 1. Deficient yin of the liver and kidneys manifested as early graying of … Xem tiếp

Forsythia fruit (Lianqiao)-Forsythia suspensa

Forsythia fruit (Lianqiao) Pharmaceutical Name: Fructus Forsythiae Botanical Name: Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl Common Name: Forsythia fruit. Source of Earliest Record: Shennong Bencao Jing Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The green fruit gathered in the period of White Dew (fifteenth solar term) is better than the yellow fruit picked in the period of Cold Dew (seventeenth solar term). The fruit is steamed, dried in the sun, and its seeds separated from the flesh. Properties & Taste: Bitter and slightly cold. Meridians: Heart, lung and gall bladder Functions: 1. … Xem tiếp

Homalomena rhizome (Qiannianjian)-Homalomena occulta

Homalomena rhizome (Qiannianjian) Pharmaceutical Name: Rhizoma Homalomenae Botanical Name: Homalomena occulta (Lour.) Schott Common Name: Homalomena rhizome Source of Earliest Record: Bencao Gangmu Shiyi Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The rhizomes are dug in spring or autumn. After the fibrous roots have been removed, the rhizomes are cleaned, dried in the sun and cut into slices. Properties & Taste: Bitter, pungent and warm Meridians: Liver and kidney Functions: 1. To dispel wind and dampness; 2. To strengthen tendons and bones Indications & Combinations: Wind-damp obstruction syndrome manifested as … Xem tiếp

Hypoglauca yam (Bixie)-Dioscorea hypoglauca

Hypoglauca yam (Bixie) Pharmaceutical Name: Rhizoma Dioscoreae hypoglaucae Botanical Name: 1. Dioscoreahypoglauca Palib; 2. Dioscorea septemloba Thunb.; 3. Dioscorea futschauensis Uline Common Name: Hypoglauca yam Source of Earliest Record: Shennong Bencao Jing Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The rhizomes are dug in spring or autumn. After the fibrous roots have been removed, the rhizomes are cleaned, dried in the sun and cut into slices. Properties & Taste: Bitter and neutral Meridians: Liver, stomach and urinary bladder Functions: 1. To resolve turbid urine; 2. To expel wind and transform … Xem tiếp

Lygodium spores (Haijinsha)-Spora Lygodii

Lygodium spores (Haijinsha) Pharmaceutical Name: Spora Lygodii Botanical Name: Lygodium japonicum (Thunb.) Sw. Common Name: Lygodium spores, Japanese fern spores Source of Earliest Record: Jiayou Bencao Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The spores are gathered in autumn and dried in the sun. Properties & Taste: Sweet and cold Meridians: Urinary bladder and small intestine Functions: To promote water metabolism and regulate abnormal urination Indications & Combinations: Damp-heat in the urinary bladder manifested as various abnormal urinary symptoms including hot urine, urinary tract stones, bloody urine, turbid urine, dysuria, … Xem tiếp

Mantis egg case (Sangpiaoxiao)-Ootheca Mantidis

Mantis egg case (Sangpiaoxiao) Pharmaceutical Name: Ootheca Mantidis Zoological Name: 1. Tenodera sinensis Saussure; 2. Statilia maculata (Thunb.); 3. Hierodula patellifera (Serville) Common Name: Mantis egg case Source of Earliest Record: Shennong Bencao Jing Part Use & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The egg case is collected in late autumn or spring, and then boiled or steamed and dried in the sun. Properties & Taste: Sweet, salty and neutral Meridians: Liver and kidney. Functions: 1. To tonify the kidneys and strengthen yang; 2. To control essence and decrease urination Indications & … Xem tiếp

Acanthopanax bark (Wujiapi)

Acanthopanax bark (Wujiapi) Pharmaceutical Name: Cortex Acanthopanacis. Botanical Name: Acanthopanax gracilistylus W. W. Smith Common Name: Acanthopanax bark. Source of Earliest Record: Shennong Bencao Jing. Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The bark of the root is gathered in summer or autumn and then dried in the sun. Properties & Taste: Pungent, bitter and warm. Meridians: Liver and kidney. Functions: 1. To dispel wind and dampness; 2. To strengthen the tendons and bones; 3. To benefit urination. Indications & Combinations: 1. Wind-damp obstruction syndrome manifested as rheumatic pain and … Xem tiếp

Benincasa peel (Dongguapi)

Benincasa peel (Dongguapi) Pharmaceutical Name: Exocarpium Benincasae Botanical Name: Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. Common Name: Benincasa peel, Chinese wax gourd Source of Earliest Record: Kaibao Bencao. Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The peel of the gourd is dried in the sun. Properties & Taste: Sweet and slightly cold. Meridians: Lung and small intestine. Functions: To promote water metabolism and reduce edema Indications & Combinations: Edema. Benincasa peel (Dongguapi) is used with Phaseolus seed (Chixiaodou), Imperata rhizome (Baimaogen) and Poria (Fuling) in the formula Donggua Wan. Dosage: 15-30 g … Xem tiếp

Cattail pollen (Puhuang)

Cattail pollen (Puhuang) Pharmaceutical Name: Pollen Typhae Botanical Name: 1. Typha orientalis Presl; 2. Typha angustifolia L. Common Name: Cattail pollen, Bullrush pollen Source of Earliest Record: Shennong Bencao Jing. Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The pollen is gathered in May or June. Properties & Taste: Sweet and neutral Meridians: Liver and pericardium Functions: 1. To stop bleeding; 2. To release stagnation and stop pain. Indications & Combinations: 1. Hemorrhages manifested as cough with blood, vomiting with blood, hematuria, bloody stool and uterine bleeding. Cattail pollen (Puhuang) is … Xem tiếp

Cinnamon twigs (Guizhi)

Cinnamon twigs (Guizhi) Pharmaceutical Name: Ramulus Cinnamomi Botanical Name: Cinnamomum cassia Presl Common Name: Cinnamon twigs, Cassia twigs Source of Earliest Record: Shennong Bencao Jing Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The twigs are picked in the spring, dried in a shady place or in the sunshine and then cut into slices or pieces. Properties & Taste: Pungent-spicy, sweat and warm. Meridians: Heart, lung and urinary bladder Functions: 1. To promote diaphoresis and relieve exterior syndrome; 2. To promote blood circulation; 3. To warm the meridians and disperse cold … Xem tiếp

Elsholtzia (Xiangru)-Elsholtzia splendens

Elsholtzia (Xiangru) Pharmaceutical Name: Herba Elsholtziae Botanical Name: Elsholtzia splendens Nakai ex F. Maekawa Common Name: Elshotzia, Aromatic madder Source of Earliest Record: Mingyi Bielu Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The entire plant, when it is ripe, is gathered, dried in the sunshine and cut into pieces. Properties & Taste: Pungent and slightly warm Meridians: Lung and stomach. Functions: 1. To promote diaphoresis and release the exterior; 2. To resolve dampness and harmonize the spleen and stomach; 3. To promote water metabolism and release edema. Indications & Combinations: … Xem tiếp

Fragrant solomonseal rhizome (Yuzhu)-Polygonatum odoratum

Fragrant solomonseal rhizome (Yuzhu) Pharmaceutical Name: Rhizoma Polygonati odorati Botanical Name: Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce Common Name: Polygonatum rhizome, Fragrant solomonseal rhizome Source of Earliest Record: Shennong Bencao Jing. Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The rhizomes are dug in summer and autumn. After the fibrous roots have been removed, the rhizomes are dried in the sun or steamed, and cut into pieces. Properties & Taste: Sweet and neutral. Meridians: Lung and stomach Functions: 1. To nourish the yin and moisten the lungs; 2. To promote the production of … Xem tiếp

Honeysuckle flower (Jinyinhua)-Lonicera japonica

Honeysuckle flower (Jinyinhua) Pharmaceutical Name: Flos Lonicerae Botanical Name: 1. Lonicera japonica Thunb. L.; 2. Lonicera hypoglauca Miq.; 3. Lonicera confusa DC.; 4. Lonicera dsystyla Rehd. Common Name: Honeysuckle flower, Lonicera flower Source of Earliest Record: Mingyi Bielu Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The flower buds are gathered in the beginning of summer and dried in the shade. Properties & Taste: Sweet and cold Meridians: Lung, stomach and large intestine Functions: To clear heat and release toxins. Indications & Combinations: 1. Febrile diseases: a) exogenous pathogenic heat at … Xem tiếp