Schizonepeta, Jing Jie 荆芥

Japanese Catnip, Fineleaf Schizonepeta Spike
Jing Jie (TCM)
Picture Schizonepeta tenuifolia

Picture Schizonepeta multifida
(Photo by Doronenko) (Wikimedia)

Botanical name:


Schizonepeta tenuifolia (syn. Nepeta tenuifolia), S. multifida (syn. Nepeta multifida)

Parts used:


Herb

Temperature & Taste:


Warm, dry. Pungent

Classification:


A. Clear Exterior Wind-Cold

Uses:


1. Clears Wind-Cold, Promotes Sweat: 
-Cold, Flu, Fever with Headache, Sore Throat

2. Clears Wind, Promotes Eruption:
-especially for Measles; Rubella to help promote the expression of the rash
-Early stages of Sores to help promote eruption or pus formation

3. Stops Bleeding:
-Uterine Bleeding and weakness due to postpartum bleeding
-also for Blood in the Urine, Stool, or Vomiting Blood
-the carbonised herb is used for this purpose.


Dose:


The dried and carbonised herb can be used in similar doses.
Decoction: 5–10 grams, added towards the end
Powder: 500mg–3 grams

Preparation:


1. Carbonised Jing Jie:
  To carbonise the herb, dry fry in a wok until charred black on the outside and the inside becomes yellowish. This is used for bleeding.

Main Combinations:


Often Combined with Peppermint (Bo He)

1. Wind-Cold Common Cold or Flu:
i. Schizonepeta Jing Jie with Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, and Peppermint (Bo He)
ii. Schizonepeta Jing Jie with Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Angelica Du Huo, Poria Fu Ling, Bupleurum Chai Hu,
2. Wind-Heat Common Cold or Flu, Schizonepeta Jing Jie with Chrysanthemum Ju Hua, Morus Sang Ye, Peppermint (Bo He)
3. Acute Cough:
i. Schizonepeta Jing Jie with Platycodon Jie Geng and Licorice
ii. Schizonepeta Jing Jie with Platycodon Jie Geng, Stemona Bai Bu, Cynanchum Bai Qian, Citrus Chen Pi, Licorice (as in Zhi Sou San from Yi Xue Xin Wu [Medical Revelations]).
4. Red, Sore eyes from Wind-Heat, Schizonepeta Jing Jie with Peppermint (Bo He), Scutellaria Huang Qin, Chrysanthemum Ju Hua
5. Swelling and pain of the Ear or Sinus, Schizonepeta Jing Jie with Forsythia Lian Qiao, Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Dang Gui, Ligusticum Chuan Xiong (as in Jing Jie Lian Qiao Tang from Wan Bing Hui Chun (The Recovery of Ten Thousand Diseases).
6. Initial stages of Measles, Schizonepeta Jing Jie with Peppermint and Burdock seed (Niu Bang Zi)
7. Postpartum weakness, Schizonepeta Jing Jie with Dang Gui

Major Formulas:


Dang Gui Yin Zi
Ding Jing Tang
Fang Feng Tong Sheng San
Si Wu Xiao Feng Yin
Xiao Feng San
Yin Qiao San
Zhi Sou San

Cautions:


1. Weakness of the exterior marked by spontaneous Sweating or easily catching Cold and Flu
2. Generally only used in the presence of acute Wind (acute diseases).
3. Not used for Sores that have already erupted.
4. Care in those with Liver disease.

Main Preparations used: