Actions: Moves qì and relieves pain; fortifies the spleen and opens the stomach.
Indications:Vomiting and retching, and reduced eating due to stomach cold; cold mounting (hán shàn). It is used in modern clinical practice to treat inguinal hernia, hydrocele of the tunica vaginalis, elephantiasis of the scrotum, incarcerated hernia, chronic gastritis, gastroptosis, and scant breast milk.
Rationale:Xiǎo huí xiāng is commonly used in cooking for its fragrance. In medicine it is used to rectify qì, disperse cold, open the stomach (increase food intake), and relieve pain. It treats vomiting and retching due to stomach cold with abdominal fullness. Modern research shows that it stimulates the blood vessels of the stomach and intestines, enhancing perstalsis and relieving spasm, and that it also promotes lactation. Findings also show that Xiǎo huí xiāng is effective in the treatment of small intestinal (inguinal) hernia, hydrocele of the tunica vaginalis (accumulation of water around the testicles), and elephantiasis of the scrotum, i.e., conditions traditionally referred to as mounting qì (shàn qì).