Xi Xin - 细辛 - Herba Cum Radix Asari - Chinese Wild Ginger
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Herba cum Radix Asari |
| Common English: | Asarum Chinese Wild Ginger Manchurian Wild Ginger Seoul Wild Ginger Siebold Wild Ginger |
Category
Herbs that Release the Exterior: Warm, Acrid Herbs that Release the Exterior (Wind-Cold Diaphoretics) (Herbs that Warm the Interior)Properties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Acrid (Slightly Bitter) | Warm (Slightly Toxic) | Lung Heart Kidney (Liver) | 0.5-5g Tincture: 0.5-2ml 1-3g (<1 qian); pill/powder <1.5g/day (Secondary source) |
Actions And Indications
| 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, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
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Major Combinations
| Hb. Ephedrae | Hb. Ephedrae | Rx. Bupleuri |
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 | Rx. Rehmanniae | Ram. Cinnamomi |
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 | Fr. Schisandrae | Ram. Cinnamomi |
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 | Rx. Angelicae Dahuricae | Rz. Ligustici Chuanxiong |
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 | Rz. Coptidis | Rx. Angelicae Dahuricae |
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 | Rx. et Rz. Notopterygii | Rx. seu Rz. Notopterygii |
Toothache due to Stomach Fire. | Wind-Cold-Damp Bi pain. | Wind-Cold. |
Hb. Ephedrae | Rx. Lateralis Aconiti Preparata | Rx. Angelicae Pubescentis |
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 | Rz. Ligustici Chuanxiong | Cx. Eucommiae |
Wind headache. | Bi syndrome. | Chronic low back and knee pain. |
Rx. Lateralis Aconiti Preparata | Bul. Allii | Hb. Ephedrae |
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. |
Notes
- Most of this herb's effects are concentrated in the upper body. It guides other herbs to the Heart and Kidney, particularly the arms and chest.
- It ranks among the most acrid herbs, opening circulation to the periphery and dispelling Wind, yet its ability to induce sweating is quite weak.
- It relieves watery eyes caused by Wind.
- It is an effective analgesic.
- Blowing the powder into the nose is used for nasal polyps and deafness and to revive consciousness.
- Some sources classify it in the Internal Warming category.
- Asarum Powder Xi Xin Mo is used externally, including inside the mouth.
- For nasal obstruction it may be applied topically.
- Honey-prepared Asarum Zhi Xi Xin is less drying and dispersing; it warms the Lungs and transforms thin mucus without damaging the Yin, and is used for the elderly or patients with weak constitutions.
- For headache it is used for the Shao Yin type; it also relieves toothache.
- Dui Yao pair with Shi Gao: for Stomach Heat with toothache, swollen, painful or bleeding gums, mouth ulcers and glossitis, and for headache from Wind-Heat entering the clear orifices.
From Class
- Fu Zi (aconite) and Xi Xin (asarum): Very strong herbs acting on the kidneys/adrenaline-driven aggressive reactions. (Yuen)