Damp-Resolving Herbs
Sha Ren (Cocklebur-like Amomum Fruit)
Naming
Sha Ren (Fructus Amomi)——Yao Xing Lun (Treatise on Herb Property)
The Processing of 砂仁
Origin
The mature fruit of Amomum villosum Lour, A. villosum Lour. var. xanthioides T. L. Wu. Et Senjen or A. longiligulare T. L. Wu. of family Zingiberaceae.
Location
Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan provinces, etc. in China.
Harvest
Collected during the period of summer and autumn when the fruit is ripe.
The true smell and taste
Sharen of A. villosum Lour. var. xanthioides T. L. Wu. Et Senjen is strongly fragrant, and pungent, cool and slightly bitter; Sharen of A. longiligulare T. L. Wu. is relatively mild.
Best quality
Dry, big, full and massiness with stronger fragrance.
Processing
Dried in sun or in lower temperature, unprocessed, broken when used.
The Effect of 砂仁
Property
Pungent, warm; spleen, stomach and kidney meridians entered.
Actions
Resolve dampness and move qi, warm middle energizer and arrest vomiting, check diarrhea and prevent abortion.
Indications
A. Syndrome of damp obstruction and qi stagnation of spleen and stomach
It is fragrant, pungent and warm in property. It is the effective herb for resolving dampness and moving qi, enlivening spleen and harmonizing stomach, so indicated for the syndromes due to damp obstruction and qi stagnation. It is especially suitable for the syndrome due to cold-damp obstruction and qi stagnation for its warm property. For the syndrome of obstruction of dampness in middle energizer manifested as gastric and abdominal distending pain, vomiting and diarrhea, it is usually combined with the dampness-drying and qi-moving herbs. For instance it is combined with Mu Xiang and Zhi Shi in Xiang Sha Zhi Zhu Wan from Jing Yue Quan Shu. For poor appetite, and gastric stuffiness due to deficiency of spleen and stomach, it should be combined with the spleen-invigorating and qi-tonifying herbs. For instance it is combined with Dang Shen, Bai Zhu and Fu Ling to treat both root and branch in Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang from Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang.
B. Vomiting and diarrhea due to deficiency-cold of spleen and stomach
It is good at warming spleen and stomach, harmonizing middle energizer to arrest vomiting and checking diarrhea because of the warm property. For gastric and abdominal cold pain, vomiting and hiccuping due to deficiency-cold of middle energizer, it can be ground into powder for oral use or combined with the middle-energizer-warming and vomiting-arrest herbs such as Bai Dou Kou and Ban Xia. For abdominal pain and diarrhea due to deficiency-cold of spleen and stomach, it is usually combined with the middle-energizer-warming and spleen-invigorating herbs such as Gan Jiang and Bai Zhu.
C. Threatened abortion due to qi stagnation
It can move qi and prevent abortion, harmonize middle energizer and arrest vomiting, so it is suitable for morning sickness, vomiting, poor appetite and threatened abortion. For accompanied with qi and blood deficiency, it can be combined with the qi-tonifying and blood-nourishing herbs. For instance it is combined with Ren Shen and Shu Di in Tai Shan Pai Shi San from Gu Jin Yi Tong (Ancient and Modern Medical Book). For threatened abortion due to kidney deficiency, it can be combined with the liver-kidney-tonifying herbs such as Sang Ji Sheng, Du Zhong and Xu Duan.
In addition, it also can be used in combination with tonic because it can move qi and regulate middle energizer.
Dosage and Administrations
Decoct 3～6 g, or grind it into powder for pill and powder, decoct later.
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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