Grass-leaved Sweetflag (Shichangpu)
| Pharmaceutical Name: | Rhizome Acori Graminei |
| Botanical Name: | Acorus gramineus Soland. |
| Common Name: | Grass-leaved Sweetflag rhizome |
| Source of Earliest Record: | Shennong Bencao Jing |
| art Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: | The rhizomes are dug in early spring and cleaned and dried in the sun. When the fresh rhizome is used for medical purposes, it should be dug in late summer. |
| Properties and Taste: | Pungent and warm |
| Meridian: | Heart and stomach |
| Functions: | To open the orifices To transform dampness and harmonize the stomach To tranquilize the mind |
| Indications and Combinations: | 1. Unconsciousness due to blockage of the pericardium by turbid phlegm or accumulation of dampness and heat. *Use with fresh Bamboo juice (Zhuli) and Curcuma root (Yujin) in the formula Changpu Yujin Tang. 2. Dampness blocking the middle jiao (spleen and stomach) manifested as stifling sensation, distension and pain in the chest and abdominal region. *Use with Tangerine peel (Chenpi) and Magnolia bark (Houpo). 3. Damp-heat blocking the middle jiao manifested as dysentery and vomiting after meals. *Use with Coptis root (Huanglian). 4. Insomnia, forgetfulness, tinnitus and deafness. *Use with Polygala root (Yuanzhi) and Poria (Fuling) in the formula Anshen Dingzhi Wan. |
| Dosage: | 5-8 g (double dosage for the fresh herb) |