Yu Jin - 郁金 - Radix Curcumae - Turmeric Tuber
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Radix Curcumae |
| Common English: | Curcuma Tuber Turmeric Tuber |
Category
Herbs that Regulate the Blood: Herbs that Invigorate the BloodProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Acrid Bitter | Cold (Cool) | Heart Lung Liver (Gallbladder) | 3-15g Tincture: 2-5ml |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Alleviates pain, Dispels Blood Stasis, Invigorates the Blood, Regulates Qi flow, Speeds healing of chronic sores | Blood Stasis due to trauma (topical and internal) Chronic sores Liver Qi Stagnation with chest, flank menstrual and abdominal pain Especially useful for Liver Qi Stagnation with Heat signs |
Clears Heat and cools the Blood | Xue Level Heat with epistaxis, hematemesis and hematuria Especially for epistaxis at the onset of menstruation (inverted menstruation) |
Clears the Heart and Pericardium and opens the Orifices | Phlegm Heat Obstructing the Heart Orifices with anxiety, agitation, seizures or mental derangement |
Benefits the Gallbladder and reduces jaundice | Gallbladder disorders Jaundice |
Contraindications And Incompatibilities
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
|
| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
|
| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Major Combinations
| Rz. Cyperi | Fr. Aurantii | Rx. Bupleuri |
Pain in the abdomen and flanks associated with menstruation. | Liver Qi Stagnation with a stifling sensation in the chest and fullness in the epigastrium and abdomen with Heat signs. Stabbing pain in the chest, flanks and abdomen due to Blood Stagnation. | Liver Qi and Blood Stagnation with flank pain and distention, dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation. |
| Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae | Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae | Hb. Artemisiae Scopariae |
Heat with Blood Stasis causing chest Bi. | Accumulation or masses in the hypochondrium. | Jaundice with flank pain, constriction and distention of the chest, scanty urine and anorexia due to Damp-Heat febrile disease. |
| Cx. Moutan | Hb. Lysimachiae | Rz. Acori Tatarinowii |
Purplish skin rashes, hematemesis and epistaxis due to Blood Heat with Blood Stasis. | Pain due to Stone Lin. | Damp-Heat veiling the clear Orifices with focal distention, a stifling sensation in the chest and epigastrium and muddled consciousness. |
Alumen | Spora Lygodii | |
Seizures due to Phlegm Obstruction. | Gall stones. |
Notes
- The herb comes in two main varieties, Chuan Yu Jin and Guang Yu Jin. Chuan Yu Jin is gentler, leans toward moving Qi, and is given to weaker patients. Guang Yu Jin is more potent and leans toward moving Blood.
- It also helps ease depression.
- Its capacity to dredge the Liver and purge the Gallbladder makes it quite valuable, and in this it resembles Rx. Bupleuri Chai Hu. It also relieves sharp pain (like Corydalis Yan Hu Suo and Melia Ku Lian Gen Pi).
- In action it resembles Rz. Curcumae Longae Jiang Huang and Rz. Curcumae E Zhu.
- It works well for Heat in the Blood accompanied by Stasis.
- It clears the Heart well, but it is weak at opening the Orifices.
- In Liver patients it treats withdrawal seizures.
- It addresses pox toxin that has entered the Heart.
- The textile industry uses this herb as a yellow dye.
- Yu Jin and Rz. Curcumae Longae Jiang Huang both promote the flow of Qi and Blood and help the Gallbladder clear jaundice. Yu Jin is the stronger of the two in this respect. Jiang Huang is warm rather than Cold and treats WindBi, which Yu Jin does not. Yu Jin enters the Blood Level to cool Heat and break up Blood Stasis while moving Qi at the Blood Level. It also clears Heat and relieves constraint, which Jiang Huang cannot do.
Notes
- Dosage: 6-12g (Secondary source)
From Class
- Ai Ye (mugwort), Gan Song (nardostachys/'valerian root'), kava kava, Yu Jin (turmeric), Calea zacatechichi: 'Herbs part 2' for lucid dreaming; supplements listed alongside: choline, vitamin B-5, B-6, melatonin, tryptophan, zinc, DMAE, vitamin C, amino-acid formula. (Johnson)
- Blood movers: Dan Shen, Chuan Xiong, Hong Hua, Tao Ren, Mo Yao, Ru Xiang, Yu Jin: Pericardium-affinity blood invigorators; resins (myrrh, frankincense) help heal wounds inside the vessels. (Gioioso)
- Jiang Huang (turmeric): Moves qi to move blood; mentioned for blood masses/tumors. (Yuen)
- Yu Jin (curcuma tuber): Another curcuma that moves qi and blood, mentioned with turmeric. (Yuen)
- Yu Jin (Curcuma tuber): Lung/liver/GB, cooling (vs warming Jiang Huang); tea for family who can't let go of the deceased's things — move from depression to acceptance. (Yuen)
- Yu Jin (Curcuma): Opens the diaphragm; treats lung fullness and liver insulting lung ('constrainment of metal'); 9 g. (Yuen)