Zedoary (Ezhu)
| Pharmaceutical Name: | Frutus Xanthii |
| Botanical Name: | Xanthium sibiricum Patr. |
| Common Name: | Xanthium Fruit Cocklebur Fruit |
| Source of Earliest Record: | Shennong Bencao Jing |
| Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: | The fruit is gathered in autumn, dried in the sum and then baked till the thorns fall off. |
| Properties and Taste: | Pungent, bitter, warm and slightly toxic |
| Meridian: | Lung |
| Functions: | To open the nasal cavities To dispel wind an dampness To stop pain |
| Indications and Combinations: | 1. Rhinorrhea manifested as headache, nasal obstruction, runny nose and loss of smell. *Use with Magnolia flower (Xinyi) and Durhurian angelica root (Baizhi) in the formula Cang'er San. 2. Wind-damp bi syndrome manifested as joint pain and spasms of the limbs. *Use with Clematis root (Weilingxian), Cinnamon bark (Rougui), Atractylodes rhizome (Canzhu) and Chuanxiong rhizome (Chuanxiong). |
| Dosage: | 3-10 g |
| Cautions: | This herb is contraindicated in headache due to blood deficiency. Overdose will produce toxins and give rise to vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. |