Medicinals
gǒu jǐ / 狗脊 / 狗脊 / cibotium [root];
Latin pharmacognostic name: Cibotii Rhizoma
Alternate English names: lamb-of-tartary [root]; Scythian lamb [root]
Alternate Chinese names: 强膂 qiáng lǔ; 苟脊 gǒu jǐ; 扶筋 fú jīn; 扶盖 fú gài; 金毛狗脊 jīn máo gǒu jǐ; 金狗脊 jīn gǒu jǐ; 黄狗脊 huáng gǒu jǐ
Origin: Plant
Use: medicinal
Category: Supplementing agents / Yáng-supplementing agents
Properties: Bitter and sweet; warm; nontoxic*.
Channel entry: liver and kidney channels.
Indications:
Supplements the liver and kidney, dispels wind and dampness; strengthens the lumbus and and knees, and disinhibits the joints.
aching lumbus and limp knees; wind-damp impediment (fēng shī bì); urinary incontinence or frequent urination; seminal emission; vaginal discharge.
Dosage & Method:
Oral: Decoct (10–15g), prepare as a paste or medicinal wine, or use in pills. Topical: Decoct as a wash.
Warning:
Contraindicated in yīn vacuity with heat and in inhibited urination.
Product Description:
This rhizome comes in irregular shapes, 8–18 cm long, and 3–7 cm thick. Its chief distinguishing characteristic is the golden hair that covers its surface, reflected in the alternate Chinese name jīn máo gǒu jǐ 金毛狗脊, ""golden-haired dog's spine."" At the top are the remains of reddish woody petioles. In the center are clusters of numerous black roots. It is hard and does not break easily. It has no smell. The decocting pieces are longitudinal slices (6–20 cm by 3–5 cm) or transverse slices (2.5–5 cm by 2–5 cm), irregular in shape. Raw decocting pieces have the characteristic yellow hair attached, but after stir-frying, the hair is removed.
Quality:
The best quality is thin slices of firm rhizomes without hair or hollow centers.
Product Area:
Guǎngdōng, Sìchuān, Zhèjiāng, Fújiàn.
Etymology:
The name gǒu jǐ 狗脊, literally ""dog's spine"" and 金毛狗脊 (jīn máo gǒu jǐ), literally ""golden-haired dog's spine"" both reflect the appearance of this item.