Tranquilizing Herbs
He Huan Pi (Silktree Albizzia Bark)
Naming
He Huan Pi (Cortex Albizziae)——Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Shen Nong’s Herbal)
The Processing of 合欢皮
Origin
The dry bark of Albizia julibrissin Durazz. of family Pulse.
Location
Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces and so on in China.
Harvest
Collected in summer and autumn.
The actual smell and taste
Slightly fragrant smell, slight astringency and light taste; when eating first slight stabbing sensation on the tongue then discomfortable sensation in the throat.
Best quality
Thin and even, without cork and with yellowish white in internal surface.
Processing
Dried in the sun, sliced and unprocessed.
The Effect of 合欢皮
Property
Sweet, neutral; heart, liver and lung meridians entered.
Actions
Induce tranquilization and relieve depression, activate blood and relieve swelling.
Indications
A. Angry, depression, restlessness, insomnia
It can relieve liver qi stagnation to amuse heart and induce tranquilization. It can be indicated for restlessness, insomnia, amnesia and dream-disturbed sleep caused by depression, angry, worry or gloomy and so on. It is used singly or combined with herbs to calm liver and amuse heart to obtain the action of inducing tranquilization and relieving depression such as Bai Zi Ren, Shou Wu Teng and Yu Jin and so on.
B. Traumatic fracture, stasis and swollen pain
It has actions of activating blood and resolving stasis and relieving swelling and alleviating pain with heart, liver and blood system entered property. For traumatic injure, fracture with swelling and pain, it is often combined with blood-activating and trauma-curing herbs and fractured tendon and bone-reuniting herbs. For instance, it is combined with Tao Ren, Ru Xiang and Gu Sui Bu and so on.
C. Abscess of lung, sores and abscess
It has actions of activating blood and relieving swelling, so it can be indicated for both external and internal abscess. For abscess of lung with symptoms such as chest pain, coughing and vomiting of pus and blood, it is often combined with heat-clearing and toxicity-relieving herbs and abscess-curing and pus-expelling herbs. For instance, it is combined with Yu Xing Cao, Tao Ren and Dong Gua Ren and so on. For sores and abscesses, it is combined with heat-clearing and toxicity-relieving herbs, such as Pu Gong Ying, Zi Hua Di Ding and Lian Qiao and so on.
Dosage and Administrations
Decoct 6~15 g.
Cautions
It should be used with cautions for pregnant women.
Sources and further reading
We cite classical materia medica and modern reference works. This article is health education, not medical advice.
- Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), Han dynasty.
- Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen, 1578.
- Chinese Pharmacopoeia, current edition — identity, quality and safety monographs.
- NCCIH and WHO reference material on traditional medicine safety.
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