Dried Ginger
(gan jiang)
Rhizoma Zingiberis
Properties: The herb is pungent in flavour, and hot
in nature. It acts on the spleen, stomach, heart and
lung channels. Being pungent, hot and extremely dry,
mainly warming the spleen and lung, dispersing cold and
fluid retention, the herb is often used for cold of both
excess type and insufficiency type in the middle-jiao,
and cough and asthma due to cold and fluid retention in
the lung. In additon, the herb can also warm and support
Yang of the heart and kidney to recuperate depleted Yang
and invigorate pulse. Therefore, it is used to treat
Yang depletion.
Effects:
Warming the middle-jiao, dispersing cold, recuperating
depleted Yang to rescue patients from collapse, warming
the lung and removing fluid retention.
Indications:
1. The herb is often used in combination with dangshen,
white atractylodes rhizome and liquorice for warming the
middle-jiao, dispersing cold, strengthening the spleen
and arresting diarrhea, such as Lizhong Decoction, to
treat cold of insufficiency type in the middle-jiao,
cold pain in the stomach and abdomen, anorexia and loose
stool; and with galangal rhizome for warming the
middle-jiao, dispersing cold, promoting Qi circulation
and alleviating pain, to treat cold in the middle-jiao,
distention, pain and vomiting belonging to excess
syndrome.
2. To treat retention of cold phlegm in the
lung, abundant expectoration, cough, white, clear and
thin sputum, cold appearance and chilly in the back, the
herb can be used in combination with asarum, pinellia,
ephedra and other herbs for warming the lung, removing
and fluid retention from the interior, relieving cough
and asthma, such as Xiao Qinglong Decoction.
3. To treat severe Yin-cold in the interior and Yang
depletion, the herb is often used in combination with
prepared aconite root for stengthening effect of
recuperating depleted Yang to rescue patients from
collapse, and for reducing the toxicity of prepared
aconite root.
Dosage and Administration:
3-10g.
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