Pharmaceutical Name:

Fructus Amomi kravanh

Botanical Name:

Amomum kravanh Pierre ex Gagnep.
Amomum compactum Soland. Ex Maton

Common Name:

Round Cardamom seed

Source of Earliest Record:

Kaibao Bencao

Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations:

The yellow fruit is gathered from October to December, dried in the sun and broken into pieces.

Properties and Taste:

Pungent and warm

Meridian:

Lung, spleen and stomach

Functions:

To promote qi circulation and transform dampness
To warm the spleen and stomach and stop vomiting

Indications and Combinations:

1.     Dampness blocking spleen and stomach or qi stagnation in the spleen manifested as distension, fullness and no appetite.
*Use with magnolia bark (Houpo), Atractylodes rhizome (Cangzhu) and Tangerine peel (Chenpi).

2.      Early stage of damp-heat febrile diseases manifested as stifling sensation in the chest, absence of hunger and sticky tongue coating.
*Use with Talc (Huashi), Coix seed (Yiyiren) and Amomum fruit (Sharen) in the formula Sanren Tang.  For cases of excess heat, the herb is used with Scutellaria root (Huangqin), Coptis root (Huanglian) and Talc (Huashi) in the formula Huangqin Huashi Tang.

3.     Vomiting due to cold in the stomach.
*Use with Agastache (Huoxiang) and Pinellia tuber (Banxia).

4.      Infantile vomiting due to cold in the stomach.
*Use with Amomum fruit (Sharen) and Licorice root (Gancao).

Dosage:

3-6 g