INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Rhizoma Zingiberis |
| Common English: | Dried Ginger Rhizome |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Acrid |
Hot (Warm) |
Heart Lung Spleen Stomach (Kidney) (Large Intestine) |
3-10g Tincture: 1-2ml |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Warms the Middle and expels Cold |
External Cold affecting the Spleen and Stomach Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiencies |
Dispels Wind-Dampness seeping into the Lower Jiao |
Lower Jiao Wind-Cold-Damp Bi |
Rescues Devastated Yang and expels Interior Cold |
Devastated Yang with a very weak pulse and cold limbs |
Warms the Lungs and transforms thin mucus |
Lung Cold with expectoration of thin, watery or white sputum |
Warms the channels (unblocks the pulse) and stops bleeding |
Hemorrhage due to Deficiency Cold, especially uterine bleeding (only if the bleeding is chronic and pale in color with cold limbs, ashen white face and a soggy thin pulse) |
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
|
INCOMPATIBILITIES |
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae |
Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata |
|
Diarrhea due to Spleen Deficiency. Char both herbs for treating bloody stools and excessive uterine bleeding. Hematochezia. |
Spleen Yang Deficiency with a cold abdomen, vomiting and diarrhea. |
Debilitated Spleen and Kidney Yang with incessant diarrhea. Devastated Yang. Counteracts the Internal consequences of an External Wind-Cold attack. Overabundance of Yin fluids due to Deficiency Cold. Cold-Damp Bi. Warms the Spleen and Kidneys, benefits Yang and disperses Cold. Reduces the toxicity of Zhi Fu Zi (even better with Gan Cao). |
Rz. Coptidis |
Rz. Coptidis |
Rz. Pinelliae |
Epigastric pain and distention, dysentery, indeterminate gnawing hunger, vague abdominal pain or discomfort, belching and nausea. |
Chronic diarrhea with damage to the Yin leading to a condition with mixed Hot and Cold with Blood and pus in the stool. |
Vomiting of saliva or dry heaves due to Cold-induced congested fluids. |
Rx. Glycyrrhizae |
Rz. Alpiniae Officinarum |
Rz. Pinelliae |
Epigastric pain and vomiting due to Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold. |
Abdominal Cold and vomiting due to Stomach Cold. |
Vomiting due to Deficiency Cold. |
Poria |
Fr. Schisandrae |
Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata |
Cold-Dampness in the Lower Jiao leading to a sense of heaviness and Cold in the lower back. |
Coughing and wheezing due to Cold congested Fluids blocking the descent of Lung Qi. |
Continuous diarrhea due to Kidney and Spleen Yang Deficiency. |
Cx. Magnoliae Officinalis |
Fol. Artemisiae Argyi |
|
Rebellious Qi leading to coughing. |
Epigastric distention and pain due to Cold-induced congested fluids. |
Bleeding due to Deficiency Cold. |
- Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang is most effective in warming the Middle Jiao and expelling Interior Cold while Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang promotes sweating and disperses Exterior Cold.
- Quick-fried Rz. Zingiberis Pao Jiang is made by frying the herb until the surface is slightly blackened. It is bitter, astringent, and warm and enters the Liver and Spleen. It is less potent for warming the interior, but is effective in stopping bleeding associated with Deficiency Cold. It may be more effective than Gan Jiang in treating lower abdominal disorders, such as diarrhea and cold menses.
- Charred Gan Jiang can be used alone for hematemesis due to Deficiency Cold. It may also be mixed with children's urine for the same purpose.
- Gan Jiang is used when there is Dampness and Cold. It is included in most formulas to either improve overall circulation or normalize the flow of Qi in the Spleen/Stomach.
- It is often used with Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Zhi Fu Zi to restore Yang.
- It is used for epigastric and abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, cold dyspnea and coughing,
- Gan Jiang and Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Zhi Fu Zi treat Devastated Yang. Gan Jiang is more for the treatment of Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold, and has a relatively long lasting effect, while Zhi Fu Zi warms and tonifies Kidney and Spleen Yang, with less localized, more immediate effects.
- Both Gan Jiang, and Rz. Alpiniae Officinarum Gao Liang Jiang disperse Cold from the Middle Jiao and treat Cold pain in the epigastrium. Gan Jiang also warms the Lungs, transforms Phlegm, stops cough and warms the Spleen to stop Cold pain and diarrhea. Gao Liang Jiang warms the Stomach and treats Cold epigastric pain with belching, nausea and vomiting.
- Both Gan Jiang and Fr. Evodiae Wu Zhu Yu Warm the Middle, disperse Cold and are often used together to treat Middle Jiao Cold Stagnation causing Cold pain in the epigastrium and abdomen. Gan Jiang focuses on warming the Upper Jiao and transforming thin mucus in the Lungs to stop coughs. Wu Zhu Yu warms the Lower Jiao treating Cold Bulging Disorder and pain along the Liver channel. It also warms the Womb to treat irregular menstruation and Cold pain in the Lower Jiao.
- Gan Jiang is said to have four uses: it unblocks and assists the Heart Yang, it expels stubborn sunken Cold in the organs, it disperses Cold Qi in all of the channels, it treats abdominal pain due to External Wind-Cold.
- Dry-fried, Chao Gan Jiang, is the most important herb for stopping bleeding due Deficient Yang being unable to contain Blood.
- Ginger Root Skin Jiang Pi is acrid and cool. It treats edema and abdominal fullness. Dosage: 3-10g.