Chuan (Hua) Jiao - 川椒 - Pericarpium Zanthoxyli - Sichuan Pepper

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Pericarpium Zanthoxyli
Common English:	Chinese Prickly-Ash Peel Sichuan Pepper Sichuan Peppercorn Zanthoxylum

Category

Herbs that Warm the Interior and Expel Cold

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Acrid	Hot (Extremely Hot) Slightly Toxic	Kidney Spleen Stomach (Lung)	2-7g Tincture: 0.5-2ml

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Alleviates pain, Dispels Dampness, Disperses Cold, Relieves diarrhea, Warms the Middle Jiao	Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold with Cold and pain in the abdomen, vomiting and diarrhea
Kills parasites and alleviates abdominal pain	Abdominal pain due to roundworms Moist dermal ulcers

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Zhi Fu Zi	Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen	Rz. Atractylodis Cang Zhu Per. Citri Reticulatae Chen Pi Rx. Aucklandiae Mu Xiang
Cold-Dampness in either the Middle or Lower Jiao Strengthens the warming effect on the Spleen, for Spleen Yang Deficiency with Cold-Dampness leading to Cold pain in the epigastrium, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Kidney Yang Deficiency with Deficiency of Ming Men Fire allowing Cold-Damp to accumulate in the Lower Jiao leading to urinary frequency, cold sweats or spermatorrhea.	Excruciating epigastric and abdominal pain, a strong sensation of Cold in the epigastrium, nausea, and vomiting due to Middle Jiao Yang Deficiency with Ascendant Cold.	Cold-Damp induced diarrhea.
Poria Fu Ling	Fr. Mume Wu Mei Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian	Rx. Sophorae Flavescentis Ku Shen Fr. Kochiae Di Fu Zi
Cold from Deficiency of the Lungs and Kidneys with lower back pain, icy cold feet and wheezing.	Abdominal pain and vomiting due to roundworms, especially in cases of Deficiency Cold.	As an external wash for pruritis due to eczema.
Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen Maltosum Yi Tang	Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Zhi Fu Zi Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang	Rz. Atractylodis Cang Zhu Cx. Magnoliae Officinalis Hou Po
Coldness and pain in the chest with vomiting and inability to eat.	Diarrhea due to more Cold than Dampness.	Diarrhea due to more Dampness than Cold.

Notes

1. Among the effective anthelmintics, this herb is regarded as the safest, and it relieves diarrhea linked to parasites.
2. For Intestinal obstruction caused by parasites, fry it in cooking oil and eat it daily with meals.
3. It is used extensively in folk medicine, where it has a reputation as an aphrodisiac and as a remedy for the Stomach, Lungs and Intestines. Externally, it is used for scabies.
4. When dry-fried, it can be applied topically over the epigastric and abdominal regions to disperse Cold.
5. It may also be applied topically for toothache.
6. It is generally combined with Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang.
7. Wind-Damp Bi is another indication.
8. As a wash, it is used for vaginal discharge and itching, and as a compress on the perineal area for sore, swollen testicles caused by Cold Qi entering the scrotum.
9. The seed, Sm. Zanthoxyli Jiao Mu (pepper eyes), is bitter, cold and toxic and enters the Spleen and Bladder channels. It promotes water metabolism, reduces swellings and calms wheezing, and is used for edema with fullness and distention and for coughing and wheezing from congested fluids. The dosage is 1.5-6g.
10. Fr. Piperis Hu Jiao is hotter still than Chuan Jiao. It works whenever the Fire is weakened and Cold enters, Phlegm or food stagnates internally, there is diarrhea or a cold dysenteric disorder, or Stomach Cold causes vomiting of water.
11. For internal use, Dry-fried Sichuan Pepper Chao Chuan Jiao is the standard preparation, with stronger analgesic and parasite-calming properties.
12. Salt-fried Sichuan Pepper Yan Chao Chuan Jiao works on the Lower Jiao, tonifying the Yang of the Kidneys and Ming Men. It is used for Lower Jiao Cold from Deficiency that results in spermatorrhea or clumping.