Medicinals

shén qū / 神曲 / 神麴 / medicated leaven

Latin pharmacognostic name: Massa Medicata Fermentata

Alternate English names:

Alternate Chinese names: 六神曲 liù shén qū; 六曲 liù qū

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: Food-dispersing agents

Properties: Acrid, sweet; warm.

Channel entry: spleen and stomach channels.

Indications:

  • Disperses food and harmonizes the stomach: Food accumulation with distension and fullness in the stomach duct and abdomen, reduced eating, rumbling intestines, and diarrhea.
  • Additional uses: Shén qū aids the digestion of decoctions and pills containing metals and minerals, which are difficult to digest and absorb. Shén qū may be used as a paste or in pills to assist their digestion.

Dosage & Method:

Oral: 6–15g, in decoctions, powders, or pills.

Warning:

Unsuitable for spleen vacuity with exuberant stomach fire or for reduced eating in pregnancy.

Quality:

Clean, dry, fresh-smelling matured leaven without grubs is the best.

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