Medicinals
chuān wū / 川乌 / 川烏 / aconite main root
Latin pharmacognostic name: Aconiti Radix
Alternate English names:
Alternate Chinese names: 川乌头 chuān wū tóu
Origin: Plant
Use: medicinal
Category: Interior-warming agents
Properties: Acrid, bitter; hot.
Channel entry: heart, liver, and spleen channels.
Indications:
Similar to fù zǐ (附子 Aconiti Radix Lateralis Praeparata, aconite [accessory root]) in actions and indications. Chuān wū is the main root of the same plant as fù zǐ (which is the accessory root). It possesses great toxicity. Chuān wū is stronger than fù zǐ for dispersing cold and relieving pain. It dispels wind-damp, disperses cold, and relieves pain, so it is often placed in the Wind-Damp chapter of herbal medicine textbooks. It is used for damp-cold impediment pain, cold pain in the heart region and abdomen, head wind pain, hemilateral headache, and pain from
Dosage & Method:
Oral: 3–9g in decoctions. In formulas using powder or alcohol, the dosage should not exceed 1–2g. The processed form is used for internal application and should be predecocted for 30–60 minutes.
Warning:
Contraindicated in pregnancy. Wū tóu
Quality:
Firm plump tubers that are not hollow are the best.
Product Area:
Sìchuān and Shǎnxī (Shaanxi).