Alternative Names: Chinese Wild Ginger, Manchurian Wild Ginger.
Botanical Name:
- Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt var. mandshuricum (Maxim.) Kitag.
- Asarum sieboldii Miq. var. seoulense Nakai.
- Asarum sieboldii Miq.
Plant Type: Perennial herb from the Aristolochiaceae family.
Medicinal Part: The dried whole plant.
Main Production Areas:
- “Liao Xi Xin” (Asarum heterotropoides and Asarum sieboldii var. seoulense) is mainly produced in Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang provinces.
- Asarum sieboldii is mainly produced in Shaanxi province.
Harvesting & Processing: Collected in summer, shade-dried, and used raw.
[Properties]
Taste & Nature: Pungent, warm; slightly toxic.
Meridians Entered: Lung, Kidney, and Heart meridians.
[Functions]
- Expels wind and releases the exterior.
- Disperses cold and alleviates pain.
- Warms the lungs and transforms phlegm.
- Opens the orifices.
[Clinical Applications]
- Used for wind-cold colds, fever with chills, headache, body aches, and nasal congestion.
- Used for headaches, toothaches, and wind-damp arthralgia (pain due to wind-dampness).
- Used for excessive phlegm and cough.
[Dosage & Administration]
- Decoction: 3-5g.
- Powder or pill form: 0.5-1g.
- External use: Appropriate amount.
[Precautions]
- Contraindicated in cases of qi deficiency with excessive sweating, yin deficiency with yang hyperactivity, or blood deficiency-induced headaches.
- Antagonistic with Veratrum (Li Lu).
- Excessive dosage or insufficient decoction time may cause toxicity, leading to symptoms such as headaches, vomiting, jaw tightness, convulsions, and, in severe cases, respiratory paralysis and death.