Medicinals
bái sháo / 白芍 / 白芍 / white peony [root]
Latin pharmacognostic name: Paeoniae Radix Alba
Alternate English names:
Alternate Chinese names: 白芍药 bái sháo yào; 金芍药 jīn sháo yào
Origin: Plant
Use: medicinal
Category: Supplementing agents / Blood-supplementing agents
Properties: Bitter, sour, sweet; slightly cold.
Channel entry: liver and spleen channels.
Indications:
- Nourishes the blood and regulates menstruation: Menstrual irregularities or flooding and spotting due to blood vacuity or to
yīn vacuity with heat . - Emolliates the liver and relieves pain: Liver yīn vacuity, liver depression, or hyperactivity of liver yáng.
- Calms liver yáng: Headache or dizziness due to ascendant hyperactivity of liver yáng.
- Constrains yīn and checks sweating: Yīn vacuity night sweating; provisioning-defense disharmony (yíng-wèi bur hé) with exterior vacuity and spontaneous sweating.
Dosage & Method:
Oral: 10–30g in decoctions. The raw form is generally used to calm the liver or constrain yīn, while stir-fried or wine-fried forms are preferred for nourishing the blood and regulating menstruation.
Warning:
Bái sháo is traditionally said to clash with lí lú (Veratri Nigri Radix et Rhizoma).
Quality:
Long thick hard straight roots with a farinaceous texture are the best.
Product Area:
Zhèjiāng, ānhuī, Sìchuān, and less importantly in Shāndōng, Guìzhōu, Húnán, Húběi, Gānsū, Shǎnxī (Shaanxi), Yúnnán, and Japan.