Medicinals
cāng zhú / 苍朮 / 蒼朮 / atractylodes [rhizome]
Latin pharmacognostic name: Atractylodis Rhizoma
Alternate English names:
Alternate Chinese names: 赤朮 chì zhú; 青朮 qīng zhú; 仙朮 xiān zhú; 青朮 qīng zhú; 仙朮 xiān zhú; 马蓟 mǎ jì
Origin: Plant
Use: medicinal
Category: Aromatic dampness-transforming agents
Properties: Acrid, bitter; warm.
Channel entry: spleen and stomach channels.
Indications:
- Dries dampness and fortifies the spleen: Dampness obstructing the center burner with splenic transformation failure.
- Dispels impediment: Damp impediment (shī bì) patterns.
- Treats external contraction of wind-cold with dampness: Here cāng zhú is used because it can promote sweating, resolve the exterior, and overcome dampness. For exterior wind-cold patterns with exuberant damp evil, manifesting in severe aching pain of the limbs, combine it with qiāng huó (羌活 Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix, notopterygium [root]), xì xīn (细辛 Asari Rhizoma et Radix, asarum), and fáng fēng (防风 Saposhnikoviae Radix, saposhnikovia;).
- Additional uses: Cāng zhú brightens the eyes; it is used for night blindness and for clouded vision and dry eyes. For these conditions, it may be used alone, or it may be steamed with goat/sheep or pork liver and consumed as food.
Dosage & Method:
Oral: 5–10g in decoctions. Cāng zhú can be soaked in rice water before decoction to moderate its dry, acrid flavor.
Warning:
Contraindicated in exterior vacuity with copious sweating, and in yīn vacuity with internal heat.
Product Description:
This is a knobby rhizome about 4–10 cm long and 1–2 cm thick. The exterior surface is dark brown, dry, and brittle. At the top are the remains of the stem base and scars where shoots have been removed. At the lower end are the remains of the short hard fine roots. This rhizome is hard and solid and breaks unevenly to reveal a pale interior and supple fibers. It is cut into thin oblique or longitudinal 1–3 mm thick slices, which are irregular in shape. The cut edge has orange-brown spots, which are less apparent when the general coloration is darkened by stir-frying.
Quality:
Large, firm rhizomes with dark skin, numerous oil sacs, and a sweet aroma are best. Growing of fine white hairs in storage is also a sign of good quality.
Product Area:
Jiāngsū, Héběi, Jílín.
Etymology: