Wiseman’s Chinese Medical Database

bā jiǎo fēng gēn / 八角枫根 / 八角楓根 / alangium root

Latin pharmacognostic name: Alangii Radix

Alternate English names:

Alternate Chinese names:

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: Wind-damp–dispelling agents / Wind-cold-damp–dispelling agents

Properties: Acrid; slightly warm; slightly toxic.

Channel entry: liver channel.

Indications:

• Dispels wind and quickens the network vessels: Wind-damp impediment (bì) pain; numbness and tingling of the limbs; paralysis of the limbs.
• Disperses stasis and relieves pain: stasis pain from knocks and falls.

  Dosage & Method:

  Oral: Decoct (1.5–3g for fine roots; 3–6g for main root); can also be steeped in wine. Topical: Decoct as a wash.

  Quality:

  Dry roots without fine roots and earth are the best.

  Product Area:

  Alangium chinense: Yangtze and south. Alangium platanifolium: Yangtze, Liáoníng, Héběi, Shānxī, Hénán, Fújiàn, Táiwān.