INDIVIDUAL HERBS

Pharmaceutical Latin: Radix Polygalae
Common English: Polygala Root
Chinese Senega
Thin-Leaf Milkwort
Siberian Milk-Wort Root
Substances that Calm the Spirit
Taste Temperature Entering Meridians Dosage
Bitter
Acrid
Slightly Warm
(Warm)
Heart
Lung
(Liver)
3-15g
Tincture: 2-4ml
Actions Indications/Syndromes

Calms the Spirit, sedates the Heart and clears the channel joining the Heart and Kidney

Insomnia, palpitations with anxiety, restlessness, and disorientation.

Most effective for excessive brooding or pent-up emotions

Lack of communication between the Heart and Kidneys

Expels Phlegm, opens the Orifices, clears the Lungs and stops coughing

Phlegm Blocking the Heart Orifices with emotions and mental disorientation, spasms or seizures

Phlegm Obstructing the Lungs with copious sputum, especially when it is difficult to expectorate

Angina pectoris

Reduces abscesses and dissipates swellings

Boils, abscesses, sores and swollen, painful breasts (powdered and applied topically or taken with wine)

CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Contraindicated for those with Yin Deficiency with Heat signs.
  • Use with caution for those with Hot Phlegm.
  • Large doses are contraindicated Pregnancy.
  • Contraindicated for those with ulcers or gastritis.
INCOMPATIBILITIES
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS
  • Concurrent use with diuretics such as chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide, furmoside (Lasix), bumetinide (Bumex) and torsemide (Demadex) may lead to increased elimination of water and/or electrolytes.

Poria Pararadicis
Fu Shen
Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae
Suan Zao Ren

Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae
Suan Zao Ren

Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae
Bai Zhu
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui

Rx. Ginseng
Ren Shen
Poria
Fu Ling
Rz. Acori Tatarinowii
Shi Chang Pu

Irritability, disorientation, palpitations, anxiety and insomnia due to Heart Blood Deficiency or Qi Stagnation.

Palpitations and insomnia due to Qi Deficiency.

Forgetfulness.

Calms the Spirit.

Rx. Astragali
Huang Qi
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Arillus Longan
Long Yan Rou

Rx. Curcumae
Yu Jin
Rz. Acori Tatarinowii
Shi Chang Pu

Scorpio
Quan Xie
Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum
Zhi Ban Xia
Rz. Gastrodiae
Tian Ma

Forgetfulness, palpitations and insomnia.

Disorientation due to Phlegm Blocking the Heart Orifices.

Seizures associated with Phlegm Blocking the Heart Orifices.

Bul. Fritillariae Cirrhosae
Chuan Bei Mu
Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum
Zhi Ban Xia

Bul. Fritillariae Cirrhosae
Chuan Bei Mu
Sm. Armeniacae
Xing Ren
Fr. Trichosanthis
Gua Lou

Sm. Raphani
Lai Fu Zi
Sm. Sinapis
Bai Jie Zi
Sm. Vaccariae
Wang Bu Liu Xing

Wheezing and coughing due to Cold Phlegm.

Cough and wheezing due to Cold Phlegm that leads to viscous sputum that is difficult to expectorate.

Angina pectoris due to Cold-Phlegm and Blood Stasis.

Rice Wine

Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae
Suan Zao Ren

Rx. Glycyrrhizae
Gan Cao

Applied topically for early-stage sores.

Balances the contrasting, introverted and dispersing, extroverted manifestations of Spirit to ensure the proper balance of openness and sobriety.

Reduces the irritating effect of Yuan Zhi, to prevent nausea and vomiting.

Rx. Ginseng
Ren Shen
Rz. Acori Tatarinowii
Shi Chang Pu
Poria
Fu Ling

Poria Pararadicis
Fu Shen
Dens Draconis
Long Chi

or

Poria Pararadicis
Fu Shen
Cinnabaris
Zhu Sha

Rx. Ginseng
Ren Shen
Poria
Fu Ling

Fol. Ginkgo
Bai Guo Ye
Rz. Acori Tatarinowii
Shi Chang Pu

Reduces ethanol-induced impairment of memory registration.

Ameliorates scopolamine-induced memory registration deficit.

Insomnia, palpitations with anxiety, nocturnal emissions and spermatorrhea.

Forgetfulness, memory loss or inability to concentrate.

Rx. Curcumae
Yu Jin
Rz. Acori Tatarinowii
Shi Chang Pu

Concretio Silicea Bambusae
Tian Zhu Huang

Arisaema cum Bile
Dan Nan Xing

Sm. Armeniacae
Xing Ren
Rx. Platycodi
Jie Geng
Rx. Glycyrrhizae
Gan Cao

 

Disorientation and seizures.

Coughing with white sputum due to Cold.

 

  1. Used when tonifying Heart Qi, Yin, and Blood to nourish the Heart, dispel Phlegm and sedate the mind.
  2. It is commonly used for severe weakness and insomnia when the Kidney and Heart are weak.
  3. It is useful for treating a variety of sensory disorders.
  4. This herb is good for insomnia or palpitations due to pent-up emotions.
  5. It is said to benefit wisdom.
  6. It can be used alone, honey-fried to treat insomnia and excessive dreaming.
  7. It can be taken internally as a powder with liquor or made into a paste to be applied topically for boils, abscesses, sore or swollen and painful breasts due to Phlegm Obstructing the channels and collaterals.
  8. Both Yuan Zhi and Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren enter the Heart channel, calm the Spirit, and treat palpitations with anxiety and insomnia. Yuan Zhi is acrid, dispersing, bitter, draining, and warm to enable it to unblock, assisting the Heart Yang and augmenting the Heart Qi to reestablish communication between the Heart and Kidneys thereby strengthening resolve. It is more appropriate for palpitations and insomnia due to loss of communication between the Heart and Kidneys along with confusion, lack of concentration and forgetfulness. Suan Zao Ren is sour, sweet and neutral. It nourishes the Heart and Liver Blood and is more appropriate for Deficiency irritability and insomnia in which the sour-contracting nature generates Fluids and restrains excessive dispersal of Spirit.
  9. Yuan Zhi, Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren and Sm. Platycladi Bai Zi Ren all enter the Heart channel, calm the Spirit, and treat fright, palpitations and insomnia. Suan Zao Ren and Bai Zi Ren are sweet, neutral and nourish the Heart Yin and Liver Blood and are most appropriate for irritability and insomnia from Deficiency. Bai Zi Ren primarily treats the Heart and moistens and lubricates the Intestines to treat dry constipation while Suan Zao Ren primarily treats the Liver. primarily treats the Liver. It restrains and inhibits, astringing sweat and generating Fluids to treat thirst due to injured Fluids and profuse sweating from Deficiency. Yuan Zhi is acrid-dispersing, bitter-draining and warm to unblock, assisting Heart Yang and augmenting Heart Qi to reestablish harmonious communication between the Heart and Kidneys, calm the Spirit and strengthen resolve. It is more appropriate for palpitations and insomnia due to loss of communication between the Heart and the Kidneys with confusion, loss of concentration and forgetfulness. It disperses Stagnation, , expels Phlegm, reduces swellings, and disperses sores and can be used for cough due to Cold-Phlegm and for Cold Obstructing the Qi allowing Phlegm and Dampness to enter the collaterals and cause toxic swollen sores.
  10. Both Yuan Zhi and Rz. Acori Tatarinowii Shi Chang Pu enter the Heart, clear Phlegm and open the Orifices. Shi Chang Pu is acrid and war and relies on its aromatic fragrance to open the Orifices, disseminate Qi and Dampness and expel Phlegm. Yuan Zhi expels phlegm, calms the Spirit and augments the mind and uses its bitterness to drain and descend the Phlegm that rebels upward to the Heart. Both herbs are often used together.
  11. Processed Polygala Zhi Yuan Zhi is less drying and numbing which irritates the throat. Its ability to calm the Spirit is stronger.
  12. Honey-prepared Polygala Mi Zhi Yuan Zi is stronger at transforming Phlegm a stopping coughs. It is best for cough with profuse Phlegm that is difficult to expectorate.