Nature: sweet, astringent, warm

Enters: Stomach, Liver

Actions: Regulates Qi, relieves pain; eliminates cold obstruction (particularly in the liver channel).

Indications:
• Cold obstruction of Qi in the liver channel: lower abdominal, genital, testicular, hernial pain, swelling (also for heat in the liver channel when combined with cold herbs).
• Liver Qi stagnation: epigastric pain; abdominal pain, particularly pre-menstrual or post-partum.
• Guides to the genitalia; can guide herbs to the prostate for prostatitis.
• Ringworm: powder the herb, mix with sesame oil, and apply topically.
• Must be broken up before use.
DY: Moves the Qi and blood; scatters cold; directed toward the Jueyin channel and the blood division; directed toward the lower burner, the kidney channel, and treats shan. (Shan: 1. A generic term for all disease of the scrotum and testicles. 2. Hernias, specifically inguinal hernias. 3. Severe abdominal pain associated with anuria and constipation. “Cold Shan” may indicated either of two pathologies: 1. Severe periumbilical pain and abdominal spasms together with spontaneous cold perspiration, fear of cold, cold limbs, a deep tight pulse, and sometimes, in severe cases, numbness of the limbs and generalized stiffness due to a stagnation and congelation of cold evils in the interior of the abdomen. 2. Scrotal or testicular disease due to stagnation and congelation of cold dampness in the liver channel with pain, contracture, swelling and hardening of the testicles, pain radiating toward the scrotum, worsened by cold, etc.)
• With Ju he, these two herbs are directed toward the liver channel and especially to the region of the pelvis. They effectively scatter cold and nodulation, and stop pain. For the following indications, both herbs should be salt mix-fried, because salt guides the action of these herbs toward the lower burner, toward the pelvis, and toward the kidneys. In addition, salt promotes the softening of nodulations in the treatment of shan.
– 1. Inguinal hernia, swelling and pain of the testicles, and scrotal hernia, all due to cold Qi congealing and stagnating in the liver channel.
– 2. Piercing pain in the pelvis due to Qi stagnation and blood stasis.
– 3. Masses in the pelvis (chronic salpingitis, chronic salpingo-ovaritis, chronic adnexititis, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, and fibroids) due to Qi and blood stagnation.
– 4. Abnormal vaginal discharge due to vacuity cold.
– This combination is used successfully in strangury patterns, particularly for stone strangury and Qi strangury (Qi stagnation type), in order to counteract piercingly painful urination and spasms and contractures in the pelvis. For these indications, the combination is an auxiliary treatment and should be added to other standard formulas that treat strangury.

Dose: 6-15g (24-30g for epigastric pain)