Zhi Tian Nan Xing / Tian Nan Xing - 制 天南星 - Rhizoma Arisaematis Preparatum

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Rhizoma Arisaematis Preparatum
Common English:	Arisaema Tuber Jack-in-the-Pulpit Prepared Arisaema Rhizome Prepared Dragon Arum Corm

Category

Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing: Warm Herbs that Transform Cold Phlegm

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Bitter Acrid	Warm Toxic	Liver Lung Spleen	3-10g Tincture: 1-3ml 4.5-9g (d), 0.3-1g (p) (Secondary source)

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Dries Dampness and expels Phlegm	Stubborn (extremely sticky) Phlegm in the Lungs with cough and a distended sensation in the chest
Disperses Wind-Phlegm in the channels and stops spasms	Wind-Phlegm Obstructing the Channels with dizziness, vertigo, numbness in the limbs, facial paralysis, spasms or trembling in the hands and feet, opisthotonis, stroke, seizures or lockjaw
Reduces swelling and alleviates pain	Topically for Chuang Yung (deep rooted sores, ulcers and carbuncles. Swelling due to traumatic injury and joint pain secondary to Phlegm Topically for cervical cancer

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia Per. Citri Reticulatae Chen Pi Fr. Aurantii Immaturus Zhi Shi	Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin Fr. Trichosanthis Gua Lou	Rz. Gastrodiae Tian Ma Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia
Phlegm-Dampness Obstruction that will not dissipate, with fainting from Wind-stroke, coughing with copious sputum, a cold upper back, a stifling sensation in the chest and a thick, gummy nasal discharge.	Cough due to Lung Heat with yellow, viscous Phlegm.	Wind-Phlegm causing dizziness, vertigo, muscle spasms, and seizures, may have: focal distention of the chest, vomiting, anorexia, and hypersomnia.
Rz. Typhonii Preparatum Zhi Bai Fu Zi Rx. seu Rz. Notopterygii Qiang Huo Rx. Angelicae Dahuricae Bai Zhi	Rx. Saposhnikoviae Fang Feng Rx. Angelicae Dahuricae Bai Zhi Rz. Gastrodiae Tian Ma Or Rx. Saposhnikoviae Fang Feng Rx. Angelicae Dahuricae Bai Zhi Rz. Gastrodiae Tian Ma Scolopendra Wu Gong Rz. Typhonii Preparatum Zhi Bai Fu Zi	Cornu Saigae Tataricae Ling Yang Jiao Rx. Gentianae Long Dan Cao Succus Bambusae Zhu Li
Wind-Phlegm obstructing the channels causing facial paralysis, headache, painful obstruction, and muscular tetany.	Muscular tetany with lockjaw and opisthotonis.	Phlegm-Heat leading to closed-type stroke.
Rz. Acori Tatarinowii Shi Chang Pu Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia	Rz. Atractylodis Cang Zhu	Rx. Saposhnikoviae Fang Feng
Phlegm turbidity deranging the orifices of the head and veiling them leading to seizures and convulsions.	Wind-Damp painful obstruction.	Muscular tetany. Powdered topically for wounds.
Borneolum Bing Pian	Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia Rz. Typhonii Preparatum Zhi Bai Fu Zi Rx. Aconiti Preparata Zhi Chuan Wu	Rz. Acori Tatarinowii Shi Chang Pu Scorpio Quan Xie Concretio Bambusae Silicea Tian Zhu Huang Rx. Polygalae Yuan Zhi Bombyx Batryticatus Jiang Can
Wakens the brain, expels Wind, and opens what is closed applied externally as a powder, rubbed on the gums for Wind-Stroke with clenched jaw. Internally to treat closed-type strokes.	Numbness of the hands and feet, hemiplegia, or deviation of the eyes and mouth caused by Phlegm Obstruction.	Epilepsy.
Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang Rz. Acori Tatarinowii Shi Chang Pu	Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang
Topically for joint pain.	Crush into a paste and apply topically for facial paralysis.

Notes

1. By nature this herb is intensely drying.
2. Its action is described as violent.
3. It is used for asthma with a tight, full sensation in the chest.
4. The raw herb, Sheng Nan Xing, is highly toxic and is used mainly topically for Yin abscesses, swelling and pain from trauma, and swollen joints.
5. For Phlegm nodules, mix the powder with vinegar and apply it to the skin.
6. Taken orally in a large dose or applied topically as a suppository, it can treat uterine or cervical cancer.
7. For internal use it is decocted with fresh ginger, which greatly lowers its toxicity.
8. Should the tongue become numb after ingestion, granulated sugar acts as an antidote.
9. It inhibits cancer cell growth.
10. It is reputed to cure abdominal masses, enteritis, convulsive diseases, facial distortion, dizziness, temporal mandibular joint pain, tetanus, laryngitis, stomatitis, glossitis and tuberculosis.
11. According to one source, this herb eliminates Stasis, reduces swelling, eases the chest, and disperses Blood to induce abortion.
12. Rz. Arisaematis Preparata Zhi Nan Xing is less toxic and works well for dispersing Wind and clearing the channels in Wind-Stroke (this is usually the form dispensed by pharmacies).
13. Always remove the outer skin, which is extremely toxic.
14. Its side effects include irritation of the oral cavity (with necrosis in extreme cases), a dry scratchy throat, edema and numbness of the lips and tongue, increased salivation and voice problems.
15. When the powdered herb is mixed with cow's bile, the product is called Pulvis Arisaemae cum Felle Bovis Dan Nan Xing. It is bitter and cool and is no longer toxic. It is moistening and lacks the strong tendency of Tian Nan Xing to dry and damage the Yin. Less acrid and more bitter, it clears and transforms Phlegm-Heat, extinguishes Wind and stops tremors. It is used for tremors, seizures or stroke from Phlegm-Heat and is common in pediatrics, generally together with Calculus Bovis Niu Huang, Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian, Rz. Gastrodiae Tian Ma and Scorpio Quan Xie. The dosage is 3-6g, Tincture: 0.5-2ml. Its quality improves the longer it is stored.
16. Contact with this herb causes itching of the skin. Boiling it with alum can lower its toxicity.
17. It is used when Phlegm-Dampness congests the body and disturbs the joints and nerves.
18. It enters the Liver channel and is uniquely able to travel through the channels and collaterals.
19. Zhi Tian Nan Xing and Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia both dry Dampness, transform Phlegm and treat Phlegm-Dampness of the Spleen and Stomach. Zhi Ban Xia targets Spleen and Stomach Phlegm-Dampness specifically, relieves nausea and reduces focal distention; it is acrid yet conserving. Zhi Tian Nan Xing is much more dispersing, enters mainly the Liver channel, and excels at treating Wind-Phlegm in the channels and collaterals, dispersing Blood and reducing swelling; it is acrid, not conserving, and intensely drying. When they are combined, Zhi Ban Xia should lead if the target is Phlegm-Dampness, and Zhi Tian Nan Xing should lead if the target is Wind-Phlegm.
20. Raw Arisaema Sheng Tian Nan Xing must not be taken internally. It is used externally for swollen abscesses and sores and for insect and snake bites.
21. Like Ban Xia it belongs to the Araceae family; it treats Phlegm in the channels, whereas Ban Xia treats Phlegm at the Organ level.
22. Because preparation with bile changes it, Dan Nan Xing is grouped with the herbs that dissolve Hot-Phlegm.
23. Dan Nan Xing can be made by mixing sterilized cow, pig or sheep bile with powdered prepared Arisaema, steaming it for 1 hour, then cutting it into cubes and drying them; alternatively, it is fermented with bile for 1-2 weeks and steamed for nine days until black and paste-like.