Wiseman’s Chinese Medical Database

gān sōng / 甘松 / 甘松 / nardostachys [root]

Latin pharmacognostic name: Nardostachydis Radix et Rhizoma

Alternate English names:

Alternate Chinese names: 香松 xiāng sōng; 甘松香 gān sōng xiāng

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: Qì-rectifying agents

Properties: Acrid and sweet; warm.

Channel entry: spleen and stomach channels.

Indications:

Rectifies qì and relieves pain; relieves depression and rouses the spleen; used externally to dispel dampness and disperse swelling.

qì stagnation with oppression in the chest, distension and pain in the stomach duct and abdomen, and reduced eating. Also used for damp leg qì (jiǎo qì, beriberi) and topically for sores.

Dosage & Method:

Oral: Decoct (3–6g) or use in pills and powders. Topical: Decoct as a wash.

Quality:

The best roots a purplish black in color and give of a strong aroma. They take the appearance of a prawn with a long, fat main root with numerous fine roots at the end.

Product Area:

Sìchuān.