INDIVIDUAL HERBS

Pharmaceutical Latin: Herba cum Radix Asari
Common English: Asarum
Chinese Wild Ginger
Manchurian Wild Ginger
Seoul Wild Ginger
Siebold Wild Ginger
Herbs that Release the Exterior: Warm, Acrid Herbs that Release the Exterior (Wind-Cold Diaphoretics) (Herbs that Warm the Interior)
Taste Temperature Entering Meridians Dosage
Acrid
(Slightly Bitter)
Warm
(Slightly Toxic)
Lung
Heart
Kidney
(Liver)
0.5-5g
Tincture: 0.5-2ml
Actions Indications/Syndromes

Releases Exterior Wind and Cold

As an adjunctive for any exterior Wind-Cold especially with Dampness in Lung or underlying Yang Deficiency

Frequently used for Wind-Cold when the dominant symptoms are head and body aches

Disperses Wind-Cold and Internal Cold and alleviates pain

Pain due to Wind and/or Cold anywhere in the body, particularly headache, painful obstruction, abdominal pain or headache due to obstruction of Fluids and Blood by Cold, often with anhydrous

Wind-Cold-Damp Bi pain

Warms the Lungs and transforms Phlegm and Thin Mucus (circulates water)

Cough and Qi which surges upward and fullness in the chest in the chest with continuous cough from clumped Qi in the chest and diaphragm marked by copious, watery sputum due to Phlegm-Damp or Wind-Cold with congested fluids

Disperses and unblocks the Qi of the nasal orifices (clears the orifices of the head)

Nasal congestion

Oral pathology

Loss of consciousness

Promotes healing of oral ulcerations

Oral lesions or ulcerations

Relieves toothache

Toothache
CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Contraindicated for those with Qi Deficiency with profuse sweating.
  • Contraindicated for those with headache due to Blood Deficiency.
  • Contraindicated for those with cough due to Yin Deficiency.
  • Contraindicated for those with headache due to Liver Yang Rising.
  • Contraindicated for those with cough due to Lung Heat.
  • Contraindicated for all Hot and Yin Deficiency conditions.
  • Contraindicated for those with Wind-Heat.
  • Use caution during pregnancy.
  • Do not take too much or for too long. It is slightly toxic to the Kidneys. (No more than 2 grams per day.)
  • Large doses can lead to paralysis and respiratory cessation.
INCOMPATIBILITIES
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

Hb. Ephedrae
Ma Huang

Hb. Ephedrae
Ma Huang
Rx. Lateralis Aconiti Preparata
Zhi
Fu Zi

Rx. Bupleuri
Chai Hu

 

Alleviates cough and wheezing due to Phlegm caused by Wind-Cold.

Alleviates Wind-Cold-Damp Bi pain.

Shao Yin Stage disorder with a deep pulse.

Exterior Wind-Cold with underlying Yang Deficiency.

Headache due to trauma or Wind-Cold obstructing the channels.

Rx. Lateralis Aconiti Preparata
Zhi
Fu Zi
Rx. Aconiti Preparata
Zhi Chuan Wu
Ram. Cinnamomi
Gui Zhi
Rx. Astragali
Huang Qi

Rx. Rehmanniae
Sheng Di Huang

 

Ram. Cinnamomi
Gui Zhi
Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae
Dan Shen

Painful obstruction with chills which is aggravated by exposure to Wind or Cold.

Headache and toothache due to Wind-Heat

Chest pain due to Cold induced stagnant Qi.

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Flos Carthami
Hong Hua

Fr. Schisandrae
Wu Wei Zi

Ram. Cinnamomi
Gui Zhi
Poria
Fu Ling

Painful breast lumps.

Regulates the opening and closing of the Lungs, alleviating cough and calming wheezing for patients with existing thin mucus who are exposed to Wind-Cold leading to acute wheezing and coughing of clear thin sputum.

Thin mucus rebelling upward and affecting the Lungs with wheezing and urinary difficulty.

Rx. Asteris
Zi Wan
Flos Farfarae
Kuan Dong Hua

Rx. Angelicae Dahuricae
Bai Zhi
Flos Magnoliae
Xin Yi Hua
Hb. Menthae Haplocalycis
Bo He

Rz. Ligustici Chuanxiong
Chuan Xiong

Chronic, persistent cough.

Nasal congestion and rhinorrhea.

Wind-Cold headache, toothache and Bi pain.

Shao Yin Cold headaches.

Swelling and pain from sores, boils and trauma.

Rz. Ligustici Chuanxiong
Chuan Xiong

Rx. Angelicae Dahuricae
Bai Zhi
Flos Magnoliae
Xin Yi Hua
Rz. Ligustici
Gao Ben
Rz. Acori Tatarinowii
Shi Chang Pu

Rz. Coptidis
Huang Lian

Rx. Angelicae Dahuricae
Bai Zhi

Headache and nasal congestion due to Wind-Cold with loss of the sense of smell and profuse, runny nasal discharge.

As a topical powder for mouth or tongue ulcers.

Wind-Cold toothache.

Gypsum Fibrosum
Shi Gao
Rx. Scutellariae
Huang Qin

Rx. et Rz. Notopterygii
Qiang Huo
Rx. Saposhnikoviae
Fang Feng
Ram. Cinnamomi
Gui Zhi

Rx. seu Rz. Notopterygii
Qiang Huo
Rx. Saposhnikoviae
Fang Feng
(Rz. Chuanxiong)
(Chuan Xiong)

Toothache due to Stomach Fire.

Wind-Cold-Damp Bi pain.

Wind-Cold.

Hb. Ephedrae
Ma Huang
Rz. Zingiberis
Gan Jiang

Rx. Lateralis Aconiti Preparata
Zhi
Fu Zi

Rx. Angelicae Pubescentis
Du Huo

Cold Phlegm and Fluid Attacking the Lungs.

Disperses Cold and stops pain.

Cold damage both Internal and External with aversion to Cold, headache and generalized body aches with aching joints.

Wind-Damp-Cold Bi with spasms of the joints and intolerable pain.

Shao Yin headache, with splitting pain that involves the teeth and cheeks due to External Wind-Cold.

Joint pain due to Wind-Cold-Dampness.

Rz. Ligustici Chuanxiong
Chuan Xiong

Hb. Schizonepetae
Jing Jie
Rx. Saposhnikoviae
Fang Feng
Rx. et Rz. Notopterygii
Qiang Huo

Rz. Ligustici Chuanxiong
Chuan Xiong

Rx. Saposhnikoviae
Fang Feng

Cx. Eucommiae
Du Zhong
Hb. Taxilli
Sang Ji Sheng

Wind headache.

Bi syndrome.

Chronic low back and knee pain.

Rx. Lateralis Aconiti Preparata
Zhi
Fu Zi
Cx. Cinnamomi
Rou Gui

Bul. Allii
Xie Bai
Ram. Cinnamomi
Gui Zhi
Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae
Dan Shen

Hb. Ephedrae
Ma Huang

Rz. Zingiberis
Gan Jiang
Fr. Schisandrae
Wu Wei Zi

Abdominal pain, coldness of the lower extremities, a pale tongue and no thirst.

Chest pain due to Cold Qi Stagnation.

Exterior Wind-Cold or Lung Cold.

  1. This herb exerts most of its effects on the upper body. It directs other herbs to the Heart and Kidney-especially the arms and chest.
  2. It is one of the most acrid herbs (opens up circulation to the periphery and dispels Wind), however its diaphoretic ability is quite weak.
  3. It alleviates watery eyes from Wind.
  4. It is a good analgesic.
  5. The powder is blown onto the nose for nasal polyps and deafness and to restore consciousness.
  6. Some sources list this herb in the Internal Warming category.
  7. Asarum Powder Xi Xin Mo is applied externally, including in the mouth.
  8. It can be applied topically for nasal obstruction.
  9. Honey-prepared Asarum Zhi Xi Xin is less drying and dispersing to warm the Lungs and transform thin mucus without injuring the Yin and used to treat the elderly or patients with weak constitutions.