Yang Tonics
Sha Yuan Zi: Chinese Herb Guide
Naming
Sha Yuan Zi (Semen Astragali Complanati) ——Ben Cao Tu Jing (Illustrated Manual of Materia Medica)
The Processing of Sha Yuan Zi
Origin
The ripe seed of the perennial herbaceous plant Astragalus complanatus R. Br. of family Fulse.
Location
Mainly produced in Shaanxi, Hebei and Shanxi provinces in China.
Harvest
Collected the ripe fruit before cracked from late autumn to early winter.
The actual smell and taste
Without smell, light flavor.
Best quality
Large, full and green-brown.
Processing
Unprocessed or stir-baked with salt solution.
The Effect of Sha Yuan Zi
Property
Sweet, astringent, warm; kidney and liver meridians entered.
Actions
Tonify kidney, nourish essence, and nourish liver to improve vision, secure essence, reduce urination and stop leukorrhagia.
Indications
A. Seminal emission, spermatorrhea, enuresis, frequent urination, leukorrhagia and lumbar pain
It has similar function to Tu Si Zi——tonifying kidney, nourishing and securing essence, reducing urination and stopping leukorrhagia. The tonifying action of the herb is inferior to Tu Si Zi but astringing action is stronger than that. For seminal emission, spermatorrhea, enuresis, frequent urination and leukorrhagia due to insecurity of kidney deficiency, it is combined with herbs to tonify kidney and astringe. For seminal emission, spermatorrhea due to insecurity of kidney deficiency, it is combined with Qian Shi, Lian Zi, Long Gu and Mu Li in the formula Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan from Yi Fang Ji Jie; for enuresis due to kidney deficiency, it could be combined with Shan Zhu Yu and Sang Piao Xiao; for leukorrhagia due to kidney deficiency, it is combined with Lu Rong, Tu Si Zi, Qian Shi and toast Long Gu; for lumbar pain due to kidney deficiency, it is combined with kidney-tonifying and lumbar-strengthening herbs, such as Du Zhong and Xu Duan. It is also indicated for impotence due to kidney deficiency because of its action of tonifying kidney and nourishing essence
B. Deficiency of both liver and kidney, dim and poor vision
It is indicated for dim and poor vision, hypopsia due to both liver and kidney deficiency, because it can tonify kidney, nourish essence, nourish liver to improve vision. It is combined with herbs of tonifying liver and kidney, nourishing essence and blood, improving vision, for instance, it is used with Gou Qi Zi, Tu Si Zi, and Ju Hua.
Dosage and Administrations
Decoct 10~15 g.
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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