Yu Zhu - 玉竹 - Rhizoma Polygonati Odorati

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Rhizoma Polygonati Odorati
Common English:	Fragrant Solomon's Seal Root Polygonatum Scented Solomon’s Seal Rhizome

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sweet	Slightly Cold (Neutral)	Lung Stomach (Heart) (Liver) (Yin Wei)	6-30g Tincture: 1-4ml 6-15g (Secondary source)

Actions And Indications

Actions

Indications/Syndromes

Generates fluids, Moistens Dryness, Moistens the Lungs, Nourishes the Stomach, Nourishes Yin

Lung Yin Deficiency with cough, dry throat, irritability and thirst

Lung and Stomach Dry Heat

Stomach Yin Deficiency

Steaming Bone Disorder

Wasting and thirsting with intense hunger and constipation

Extinguishes Wind and softens and moistens the sinews

Internal Wind generated by insufficient fluids with pain and spasms in the sinews

Dizziness due to Yin Deficiency and Internal Stirring of Wind

External Wind-Heat with Yin Deficient constitution

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Contraindicated for those with a weak Spleen and Stomach.
Contraindicated for those with Qi Stagnation and Phlegm-Dampness in the Stomach.
Contraindicated for those with loose stools due to Cold in the Middle Jiao.
Use caution for those with high blood pressure and tachycardia.

INCOMPATIBILITIES

HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

Major Combinations

Rx. Adenophorae/Glehniae Sha Shen Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong	Bul. Fritillariae Cirrhosae Chuan Bei Mu Rx. Platycodi Jie Geng Rx. Asteris Zi Wan	Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang Rx. Adenophorae/Glehniae Sha Shen Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong
Dry cough, thirst, and other symptoms associated with injured fluids due to Lung and Stomach Yin Deficiency. Qi Level or Yang Ming Stage pathogenic diseases with profuse sweating - particularly if purging was used previously.	Blazing Heat in the Lungs that has injured Lung Yin and led to Phlegm-Heat with coughing.	Depleted Stomach Yin and fluids with irritability, thirst, a bright red tongue and dry mouth.
Rx. Cynanchi Atrati Bai Wei Hb. Menthae Haplocalycis Bo He Sm. Sojae Preparatum Dan Dou Chi	Rx. Codonopsis Dang Shen	Rx. Codonopsis Dang Shen Rx. Astragali Huang Qi Cx. Lycii Di Gu Pi
Externally contracted Wind-Heat with Yin Deficient constitutions.	Painful obstruction of the chest in cases with both Yin and Qi Deficiency.	Fevers due to both Qi and Yin Deficiency with emaciation, lethargy and increased sweating both day and night.
Sm. Coicis Yi Yi Ren	Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang Or Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang	Rx. Adenophorae Nan Sha Shen Rx. Glehniae Bei Sha Shen Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong Fol. Mori Sang Ye Hb. Dendrobii Shi Hu Rx. Trichosanthis Tian Hua Fen
Dry cough with thick, viscous sputum and Lung abscess.	Resolves cysts.	Dry cough.
Fol. Mori Sang Ye Sm. Armeniacae Xing Ren Rx. Peucedani Qian Hu Rx. Platycodi Jie Geng	Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu Cx. Lycii Di Gu Pi	Bul. Fritillariae Thunbergii Zhe Bei Mu Rx. Stemonae Bai Bu
Lung Dryness and Cold.	Chronic cough with relatively more Deficiency Heat.	Chronic cough with relatively more Yin Deficiency.
Rx. Adenophorae/Glehniae Sha Shen Hb. Dendrobii Shi Hu Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong Fr. Hordei Germinatus Mai Ya Rock Sugar Bing Tang	Hb. Menthae Bo He Rx. Cynanchi Atrati Bai Wei Sm. Sojae Preparata Dan Dou Chi Rx. Platycodi Jie Geng	Rx. Trichosanthis Tian Hua Fen Rx. Puerariae Ge Gen Rz. Dioscoreae Shan Yao Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang
Stomach Yin Deficiency.	Yin Deficiency with Exterior Wind-Heat.	Xiao Ke syndrome. (wasting and thirsting - diabetes)
Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin Rx. Trichosanthis Tian Hua Fen	Gypsum Fibrosum Shi Gao Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang	Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu Cx. Phellodendri Huang Bai Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi Fr. Corni Shan Zhu Yu
Upper Xiao Ke with polydipsia.	Middle Xiao Ke with polyphagia.	Lower Xiao Ke with polyuria.

Notes

Since it is not cloying and does not tend to trap pathogenic influences, this herb is used for patients with a Yin Deficient constitution who have contracted external Wind-Heat.
It addresses consumptive diseases with Dryness.
Yu Zhu and Rx. Glehniae/Adenophorae Sha Shen both enter the Lungs and Stomach, nourish Yin and generate fluids. Yu Zhu acts more slowly and harmoniously and needs a higher dose, whereas Sha Shen is more cooling.
Yu Zhu and Rz. Polygonati Huang Jing both nourish the Lungs and Stomach. Yu Zhu tonifies Stomach Yin more strongly, whereas Huang Jing tonifies Kidney Yin more strongly.
Processed Solomon's Seal Zhi Yu Zhu can tonify the Qi of the Middle Jiao. It suits damaged fluids in the late stages of warm febrile disease as well as consumptive diseases.
Dry-fried Solomon's Seal Chao Yu Zhu nourishes Yin without cloying, strengthens the Spleen and harmonizes the Stomach.
It is gaining recognition as an outstanding cardiovascular remedy, relaxing both the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Use this herb when Yin Deficiency patterns are accompanied by stress, emotional upset or spasms of the limbs.
It is reputed to dissolve cysts, particularly in combination with Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang or Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang.

From Class

Xiao ke (wasting-thirst) herb groups: Xiao ke herbs: qi tonics (Huang Jing), blood tonics (He Shou Wu, Gou Qi Zi, Shu Di), yin tonics (Yu Zhu), and heat-clearers (Tian Hua Fen, Di Gu Pi, Zhi Mu). (Rabinowitz)
Yu Zhu, turtle shells (Bie Jia, Gui Ban): Yu Zhu generates fluid and releases external wind; turtle shells anchor yang, tonify, move a little blood; stomach yin needed to release exterior. (Shea)