Asarum, Asarabacca, Xi Xin 细辛Asarabacca, Wild Spikenard, HazelwortAsaroon (Unani) Xi Xin (TCM) |
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Gart der Gesundheit, Cuba, 1485
Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485
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Dioscorides Materia Medica, Mathias, 1563 |
Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578 |
Asarum europeum,Flora von Deutschland (21), Kohler, 1885
Chinese Asarum Xi Xin (A. sieboldi) |
Asarum Xi Xin root |
Botanical name:
Asarum spp..
- A. europeum (syn. A. officinale, A. rotundifolium) is the standard Western species
- A. heterotropoides, A. sieboldi, A. chinense (syn. A. fargesi), A. crispulatum, A. ichangense, A. delavayi, etc. (TCM)
The Western and Eastern varieties are very similar in appearance, quality, function, and use.
Parts used:
Root; less commonly the leaf
Temperature & Taste:
Hot, dry. Pungent. Slightly Toxic
Classification:
2A APERIENT MEDICINES. 2Q. ANODYNE.
3E. DIURETIC. 3G. EMMENAGOGUE. 3J. INCREASE SEMEN. 3Q. ANTHELMINTIC
4f. SPLENETIC. 4g. HEPATIC. 4k. ARTHRITIC
TCM:
A. Clears Exterior Wind-Cold
M. Warm to Expel Cold
Uses:
1. Clears Wind-Cold, Promotes Sweat, Resists Poison (TCM, West):
-Wind-Cold type Cold, Flu
-Sinusitis, acute nasal congestion
-acute pain associated with Wind-Cold; Headache, Toothache, muscular aches and pains
-Chronic and Tedious Fevers; Tertian and Quartan Fevers
-half–1 dram (with wine) given before the Fit in Fevers can cure in 3 doses;
-It relieves the shivering and causes the hot fit to be more gentle (Pemell, 1652)
-‘Warms the whole body’. (Galen)
2. Clears Cold Phlegm, Stops Cough (TCM, West):
-Cough, chronic Bronchitis, Asthma; also Pneumonia
-Cough with profuse, watery sputum (Cold Phlegm) in TCM.
3. Clears Cold, Wind and Damp, Moves the Blood, Eases Pain (TCM, West):
-Arthritis, Rheumatism, Sciatica
-Chest Pain, Angina Pectoris; Abdominal Pain
-Headaches and Migraine from Blood stagnation or Wind-Cold obstruction
-useful for pain or obstruction anywhere in the body from Blood obstruction as a result of Cold, Damp, Phlegm or Bruising
-dissolves Wens (sebaceous Cysts) and hard Swellings; ‘eminent against the Kings Evil [Scrofula]’. (Salmon)
–Culpeper said the root ‘may prove beneficial in such as have Cancers, or old putrified Ulcers, or Fistulas upon their bodies’
4. Moves the Blood, Promotes Menstruation (TCM, West):
-strongly promotes Menstruation; Amenorrhea; Chlorosis, Dysmenorrhea
-useful for gynecological disorders associated with stagnation; Cysts, Fibroids, Endometriosis etc.
5. Clears Cold and Damp, Promotes Urine (West):
-Edema, Dysuria; urinary obstructions
6. Clears Phlegm, Promotes Vomiting:
-whole plant in powder, or 2 drams infused in a pint of white wine (West)
-fresh leaves are strongest to promote vomiting
7. Externally:
-the powdered leaf has traditionally been used as a sneezing powder in chronic Rhinitis and Sinusitis.
-as a snuff for Nasal Polyps (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
-decoction is used as a wash for swollen gums (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
Dose:
1. With Hydromel as a Purgative
2. With wine to move the Blood and open Obstructions.
Infusion or Brief Decoction; 1.5–6 grams
Powder: 500mg–3 grams; The powder was commonly given in doses of half–1 dram (2–3.8 grams) in the west.
The powder in doses of 1–2 grains is stimulant; ½–1 scruple is emetic. (Sobernheim, 1840)
It was said if very finely powdered, it promotes Vomit and Urine; if coarser powder is used, it purges by stool. (West)
For Malarial and Chronic Fever, 3–4 oz. doses of the distilled water was taken every morning.
Comment:
Asarum is an important medicine in both East and West. The Chinese variety and uses are compatible with the Western variety and its uses. Its actions derive from its hot, piercing and pungent qualities which penetrate through obstructions, open the capillaries and skin pores to resolve obstructions of Wind, Cold, Damp, Phlegm and Blood.
It is very useful for acute Wind-Cold Cold and Flu with nasal congestion, feeling of cold, cough with watery sputum and headache. It is also an important ingredient in formulas to clear Cold and Damp from the muscles and joints. In the West it was an important ingredient in a number of formulas used for ‘Obstruction’, usually a mixture of Phlegm, Damp with Qi and Blood Stagnation.
Substitutes:
1. Calamus is an acceptable substitute.
2. Avicenna recommended Ginger
3. Zedoary (Unani)
4. Polypody with half part Acorus and sixth part Amomum (Mesue)
5. When used for Joint pain or Blood stasis, Corydalis Yan Hu Suo is often substituted.
6. Herb True Love.
7. As an emetic: Ipecac, Violet root
8. Asarum was often used for Snake Root
Main Combinations:
1. Cold, Flu, Asarum with Angelica and fresh Ginger
2. Nasal congestion, Asarum with Peppermint and Angelica Bai Zhi. (TCM)
3. Quartan Fever, Asarum, Scolopendra, Senna leaf (Botanicon Continens Herbarum, Theodore Dorsten, 1540)
4. Cough, Wheezing, Asthma:
i. from Wind-Cold and Phlegm, Asarum with Ephedra. (TCM)
ii. from Cold-Phlegm, Asarum with Schisandra Wu Wei Zi. (TCM)
iii. Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema from Cold-Phlegm and fluid obstructing the Lungs, Asarum with Ginger (Gan Jiang), Poria Fu Ling, Honey-fried Licorice (Zhi Gan Cao), Schisandra Wu Wei Zi. (as in Ling Gan Wu Wei Jiang Xin Tang from Jin Gui Yao Lue [Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Coffer])
iv. from Wind-Cold, Asarum with Ginger (Gan Jiang), Cinnamon twig (Gui Zhi), Ephedra Ma Huang, Paeonia Bai Shao, Pinellia Ban Xia, Honey-fried Licorice (Zhi Gan Cao), Schisandra Wu Wei Zi. (as in Xiao Qing Long Tang of TCM)
v. Cough, Asthma, Asarum with Elecampane, Orris, Calamus, Licorice, Aniseed (Anti-Asthmatic Elixir, below)
vi. Asarum root (2 parts), Elecampane, Calamus, Violet root, Licorice juice (10 parts each), Aniseed (5 parts), Camphor (0.3 parts), Diluted Spirit (300 parts). (Anti-asthmatic Elixir of Boerhaave)
5. Headache, Migraine:
i. and Migraine, Asarum with Vervain and Betony
ii. from Trauma or Wind-Cold, Asarum with Bupleurum Chai Hu. (TCM)
iii. from Wind-Heat, Asarum with Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang (TCM)
iv. from exterior Wind-Cold, Asarum with Ephedra Ma Huang, Aconitum Fu Zi, Ligusticum Chuan Xiong (as in Xi Xin San from [Pu Ji Fang (Prescriptions of Universal Relief]).
v. Migraine, Asarum with Realgar (Xiong Huang) (as in Zhi Ling San from Sheng Ji Zong Lu [Complete Record of Holy Benevolence]).
6. Headache, Toothache or bleeding painful gums and mouth sores from Stomach Heat, Asarum with Gypsum (TCM)
7. Deafness, prepared Pills from Asarum Xi Xin and Bees Wax (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
8. Chest Pain:
i. Asarum with Cinnamon and Saffron
ii. Asarum with Cinnamon twig Gui Zhi (TCM)
9. Painful Breast Lumps, or other pain from Blood stagnation, Asarum with Angelica Dang Gui and Safflower. (TCM)
10. Fibroid Tumors, Asarum decocted in equal parts water and wine. (Herbarium Horstianum, 1630)
11. Edema:
i. Asarum infused in Wine and taken morning and night (The Secrets of Alexis, 1615)
ii. Asarum decocted in equal parts water and wine. (Herbarium Horstianum, 1630)
12. To Promote Menstruation:
i. Asarum with Myrrh, Cinnamon
ii. Asarum with with Myrrh, Cinnamon, Savin, Celery seed, Parsley seed, Indian Spikenard
13. As an emetic to clear Cold Phlegm:
i. Asarum with Radish seed, boiled in Hydromel or Water and Honey (Pemell, 1652)
ii. Asarum with Broom flower, Broom seed (equal parts, half dram dose), taken with Barley water. (Pemell, 1652)
iii. Asarum 18–20 grains taken with Diaturbith (Herbarium Horstianum, 1630)
14. Mouth and Tongue Sores and Blisters, Asarum Xi Xin and Copstis Huang Lian mixed with vinegar (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
Major Formulas:
Powder of Gum Lacca Greater (Dialacca Majores) (Mesue)
Troches of Rhubarb (Mesue)
Troches of Wormwood Greater
Hiera Picra
Antidote for Edema (Nicholas)
Antidotum Haemagogum (Nicholas)
Electuary for the Joints (Unani)
Electuary of Saffron Greater (Diacrocon Majores) (Mesue)
Electuary of Costus (Mesue)
Arabian Pills (Nicholas)
From TCM:
Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang
Ling Gan Wu Wei Jiang Xin Tang
Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang
She Gan Ma Huang Tang
Xiao Qing Long Tang
Zai Zao San
1. Compound (Sternatory) Powder of Asarum:
i. Asarum leaf (1 oz.), Lavenders (1 dram) (Dublin)
ii. Asarum leaf (3 parts), Marjoram, Lavender (1 part each) (Edinborough)
iii. Asarum leaf (24 parts), White Hellebore root (1 part)
iv. Asarum leaf, White Hellebore root (equal parts)
v. Asarum leaf (half oz.), Betony, Marjoram, Lily of the Valley flowers (1 oz. each) (Pharmacopoeia Generalis, 1783)
vi. Asarum leaf, Marjoram (2 drams ea.), Orris, Lavender (1 dram ea.), Clove oil (7 drops)
vii. Asarum leaf, Marjoram, Betony, Pennyroyal, Basil, Mastic, Lavender, Rosemary
2. Anti-Asthmatic Elixir:
i. Asarum root (3 parts), Florentine Orris (5 parts), Elecampane, Calamus (10 parts each), Licorice (15 parts), Aniseed (5 parts), Proof Spirit (80 parts). Infuse cold for several days, strain, and add Camphor (1 part). Dissolve. Stimulant, principally for humid Asthma.
Dose: 10–30 dops. (Pharmacopee Usuelle, Louvain, 1821)
Cautions:
1. Toxic in overdose. Avoid long-term use. It is a member of the Aristolchia family; some species contain high levels of safrole.
2. Not used during Pregnancy, in the very young or old. Avoid use in those with Liver or Kidney disease. Pemell (1652) said it was not for weak and tender people.
3. Not used in Yin deficiency (dryness)
4. In TCM, Asarum is considered antagonistic to Cornus Shan Zhu Yu and Astragalus. It is incompatible with Veratrum nirgum and counters the effect of Talcum.
Toxicity:
The herb is toxic and is banned in many countries due to its Safrole and Aristolchic acid content
Main Preparations used:
- Extra Info
- Research