Zi Su Ye - 紫蘇葉 - Folium Perillae
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Folium Perillae |
| Common English: | Bushy Perilla Chiso Perilla Leaf Purple Perilla Leaf |
Category
Herbs that Release the Exterior: Warm, Acrid Herbs that Release the Exterior (Wind-Cold Diaphoretics)Properties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Acrid Aromatic | Warm | Lung Spleen (Stomach) (Large Intestine) | 3-10g Tincture: 2-4ml 5-9g (Secondary source) |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Releases the Exterior and disperses Cold | Wind-Cold with fever, chills, headache, nasal congestion, cough or a stifling sensation in the chest (especially in older people) |
Promotes the movement of Spleen and Stomach Qi (Harmonizes the Middle Jiao, relieves intestinal gas), improves Lung function and expands the chest (relieves Cold induced wheezing) | Spleen/Stomach Qi Stagnation with nausea, vomiting, or anorexia Asthma Chest distention |
Calms the fetus and alleviates morning sickness | Restless fetus and morning sickness |
Alleviates seafood poisoning Detoxifies any type of allergy | Seafood poisoning (fish and crab), used alone or in combination |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Major Combinations
| Rz. Cyperi | Rz. Cyperi | Rx. Platycodi |
Releases the Exterior in a patient with pre-existing Qi Stagnation with chills, fever, headache, anhidrosis, a stuffy chest, belching and flatulence. | Releases the Exterior in a patient with severe Cold and pre-existing Qi Stagnation. | Common colds with nasal congestion and productive cough. |
| Rx. Platycodi | Rx. Codonopsis | Sm. Raphani |
Common colds with nasal congestion, lack of sweat and productive cough with stronger cough alleviating effect. | Benefits Qi and releases the exterior in patients who are weak or debilitated. | Disperses Phlegm and alleviates wheezing. |
| Fr. Chaenomelis | Hb. Agastaches/Pogostemonis | Rx. Platycodi |
Disperses Heat and relieves Summerheat. | Releases the exterior, regulates Qi, warms the Middle, and transforms turbidity for influenza and common cold due to Wind-Cold-Dampness and is especially effective for abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Transforms Dampness, regulates Qi, harmonizes the Stomach, stops nausea and vomiting and treats turbid Dampness Obstructing the Spleen with lethargy, a stifling sensation in the chest, nausea , loss of appetite, diarrhea or loose stools and a thick tongue coat (use Zi Su Geng) Releases the Exterior to treat Externally contracted pathogens such as Externally-contracted Cold during Hot, Damp summer weather, with fever, lethargy, a stifling sensation in the chest and nausea | Eases the diaphragm and Intestines. |
Rz. Chuanxiong | Fr. Amomi | Rz. Coptidis |
Harmonizes the Blood and disperses Blood Stasis. | Stifling sensation and fullness in the chest and abdomen. Restless fetus due to stagnant Qi. Vomiting during pregnancy | Morning sickness and irritability during pregnancy. Spleen and Stomach Qi Stagnation with Heat signs. |
Rz. Zingiberis Recens | Rz. Zingiberis Recens | Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum |
Seafood poisoning with vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Wind-Cold with chills, fever, headache, nasal congestion and anhidrosis. | Wind-Cold. | Spleen and Stomach Qi Stagnation with accumulation of Phlegm. |
Rz. Cyperi | Per. Citri Reticulatae | Periostracum Cicadae |
Wind-Cold with Qi Stagnation and chest congestion. | Stomach flu or acute enteritis due to Spleen and Stomach Qi Stagnation. | Rash or itching due to allergy. |
Notes
- Any kind of food poisoning can be treated with this herb, though it works best for seafood poisoning.
- It calms asthmatic cough.
- It soothes a throat strained by chronic coughing.
- For the first symptoms of a Cold, it is a gentle option.
- It is helpful when the cough and the Stomach are both involved in a Cold syndrome.
- It enters the Qi level as well as the Blood level.
- Since it contains a natural food preservative, it can be used to a limited degree to keep food from spoiling.
- Zi Su Ye is acrid and disperses while inducing sweating, though less strongly than Hb. Ephedrae Ma Huang. Its aroma moves Lung and Spleen Qi, harmonizes the Middle and calms the fetus, none of which Ma Huang can do.
- Dry-fried Perilla Leaves Chao Zi Su Ye are less acrid and less diaphoretic, making them suitable for older and weaker patients or Yin Deficient patients who would be harmed by heavy sweating.
- It is also known as Su Ye.