Nature: acrid, bitter, warm, slightly toxic

Enters: Lung

Actions: Opens the nose; eliminates wind-damp, alleviates pain; dispels wind.

Indications:
• Wind-damp/wind-cold-damp: Bi syndrome, sinusitis, congestion, whitish discharge, headache.
• Wind-damp: skin disorders with itching, painful obstruction.
• Eliminates wind (auxiliary herb) for exterior syndromes with splitting headache radiating to back of the neck.
• Topical: local application in sesame oil for chronic rhinitis.
• Im injection for low back pain.
• Bensky/Gamble: eliminate wind-damp category.
Hsu: Antibacterial, decoction cures chronic arthritis and syphilitic neuralgia.
DY: Diffuses the Lung Qi.
• With Xin yi hua to effectively dispel wind, diffuse the Lung Qi, and open the portals of the nose. These two herbs are probably the two most efficient Chinese medicinal substances for all types of rhinitis and sinusitis. For the following indications, use the base formula Cang Er Zi San with these amendments: for wind-cold, add Xi xin, Huo xiang, Ma huang, and subtract Bo he; for wind-heat, add Ju hua, Jin yin hua, Lian qiao; for gallbladder heat, add Yu xing cao, Long dan cao, Huang qin; for Lung-spleen Qi deficiency, add Huang qi, Bai zhu, Dang shen, and subtract Bo he.
– 1. Common cold with headache, nasal congestion, and runny nose due to wind-cold.
– 2. Deep source nasal congestion with headache, nasal congestion, loss of smell, and turbid nasal phlegm.
– 3. Chronic or acute rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, hypertrophic rhinitis, sinusitis, parasinusitis, and frontal sinusitis.
• Cang er zi is incompatible with horse meat or pork.

Dose: 3-9g
Cang Er Cao: the herb (stem and leaves)
• Bitter, acrid, slightly cold, slightly toxic.
• Expels wind; clears heat; eliminates toxicity.
• For wind-damp: Bi syndrome with spasms and pain in the extremities.
• Deep-rooted skin lesions and pruritis.
• Generally used topically.
• Not for long-term internal use, particularly by those who are very weak.
6-15g