Pharmaceutical Name:

Cortex Acanthopanacis

Botanical Name:

Acanthopanax gracilistylus W. W. Smith

Common Name:

Acanthopanax bark

Source of Earliest Record:

Shennong Bencao Jing

Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations:

The bark of the root is gathered in summer or autumn and then dried in the sun.

Properties and Taste:

Pungent, bitter and warm

Meridian:

Liver and kidney

Functions:

To dispel wind and dampness
To strengthen the tendons and bones
To benefit urination

Indications and Combinations:

1.     Wind-damp obstruction syndrome manifested as rheumatic pain and spasms of the limbs.
*Use alone or with Clematis root (Wei ling xian), Pubescent angelica root (Du huo), Mulberry twigs (Sang zhi) and Chaenomeles fruit (Mu gua).

2.      Deficient liver and kidney manifested as soreness, weakness and pain in the lumbar region and the knees.
*Use with Eucommia bark (Du zhong), Cyathula root (Niu xi), Mulberry mistletoe (Sang ji sheng) and Teasel root (Xu duan).

3.     Edema.
*Use with Poria peel (Fu ling pi) and Areca nut shell (Da fu pi) in the formula Wupi Yin.

Dosage:

5-10 g