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Why is Xiang Ru (Moslae herba) called Summer Ma Huang (Ephedrae herba)?
‘Xiang’ means ‘aroma’, ‘fragrance’; ‘Ru’ means ‘gentle’. As the name explains, this herb is pungent and slightly warm with an aromatic smell.
It enters the Spleen, Stomach, and Lung meridians. Xiang Ru can, on the one hand, disperse Wind and Cold, induce sweating and release the Exterior; on the other hand, it transforms Dampness and harmonizes the Spleen and Stomach.
The functions are similar to that of Ma Huang, but gentler. It is often used in summer when the weather is warm, the Wind-Cold is not so strong, the pores are not closed so tightly as in winter and the mild Wind-Cold attacks the body and causes an Exterior Wind-Cold syndrome.
Meanwhile, Xiang Ru is used to treat abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea in summer, if overconsumption of cold drinks has injured the Stomach and Spleen, such as in acute gastritis.
Like Ma Huang, Xiang Ru can also direct the Lung-Qi to descend and relieve wheezing, transform Dampness and reduce edema, but its actions are too gentle, so it is rarely used alone. Because Xiang Ru has similar actions to Ma Huang, and is more suitable for use in the summer, it is called ‘Summer Ma Huang’.
Xi Xin (Asari herba) is a commonly used herb for Exterior syndrome and Bi syndrome. What are its characteristics? What caution should be applied in clinical practice?
In Chinese, ‘Xi’ means ‘fine’, ‘thin’; ‘Xin’ means ‘pungent’. As described in the name, Xi Xin is a very pungent and hot herb with an aromatic smell. Its temperature and taste are as strong as Ma Huang (Ephedrae herba)* and Gui Zhi (Cinnamomi cassiae ramulus). However, Ma Huang and Gui Zhi enter the Bladder meridian and are often used to induce sweating. Xi Xin does not enter the Bladder meridian, but rather the Kidney meridian, which is why it has no function in inducing sweating. It is very effective in eliminating Cold and Wind in very deep layers of the body, such as the bones and tendons.
Because of its strong aromatic smell, pungent taste, and hot nature, it can easily penetrate into the deep layers. Meanwhile, entering the Kidney meridian makes it easy to reach the bones and tendons. It has the characteristic of searching out and eliminating Wind, Cold, and Dampness, even if they are in the ‘corners’ or ‘chinks’ of the deep layers of the body,
so it is often described as a ‘detector’ or ‘policeman’ in the body. Because of this characteristic, it is often used in clinical practice in Exterior Wind-Cold syndromes if there is Kidney-Yang deficiency-for instance in elderly people, patients suffering from chronic diseases with internal Cold and patients with Bi syndrome.
In these people, Wind and Cold may invade the body more deeply than usual, or the development can be very acute, the patient feels severe pain in the whole body and the pulse is deep and tight instead of superficial and tight. Because of the same characteristic, this herb is also often used to stop pain and treat Bi syndrome when Wind, Cold, and Dampness remain in the deep layers of the body and the Kidney-Yang is weak. In this case, patients not only have pain and a cold sensation in the affected joints, but also feel pain in the bones. They have difficulty with walking or cannot stand for long, and feel very stiff and painful in the tendons, especially in the lower body, feel cold in the extremities and are also afraid of cold.
In winter or humid weather all these symptoms worsen. Xi Xin can also be used for various stubborn pains, such as migraine, trigeminal neuralgia, and toothache. This is because this herb is hot, has a very strong aromatic smell and pungent taste. It possesses a penetrating power, removes obstructions and its speed is very high. It can treat pain which is caused by stagnation of Qi and Blood. Because of the same characteristic, it is also often used for opening the orifices. It enters the Lung meridian, and is effective in opening the nose, removing nasal obstruction, stopping a runny nose, transforming Dampness and pus and improving the sense of smell. In clinical practice, it is often usedfor treating sinusitis, acute and chronic rhinitis and allergic rhinitis.
The side-effects of Xi Xin can be shown in clinical practice when it is used improperly. Because it is very hot and pungent, it easily injures the Yin, Blood and Body Fluids and weakens the Qi. It should not be used, or used with caution, in patients suffering from Bi syndrome or Exterior Wind-Cold syndrome complicated with Excessive-Heat or Empty-Heat, or weakness of Yin, Blood, and Body Fluids.
The dosage of Xi Xin should also be controlled carefully within the range of 1-3 grams per day for crude herbs. If the concentrated herbal powder is used, this dosage should be reduced to 0.1-0.5 grams per day. Overdose may cause numbness in the throat and tongue, stifling in the chest and even death due to paralysis of the diaphragm. Modern research indicates that this herb should be used with particular caution in patients with renal problems as it has nephrotoxic effects. Moreover it is incompatible with Li Lu (Veratri nigri radix et rhizoma).
