Pharmaceutical Name:

Fructus Schisandrae

Botanical Name:

Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill.
Schizandra sphenanthera Rehd. Et Wils.

Common Name:

Schisandra fruit

Source of Earliest Record:

Shennong Bencao Jing

Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations:

The ripe fruit is gathered in autumn and dried in the sun.

Properties and Taste:

Sour and warm

Meridians:

Lung, kidney and heart

Functions:

To astringe the lungs and nourish the kidneys
To promote the production of body fluids and astringe sweat
To restrain the essence and stop diarrhea
To calm the heart and soothe the mind

Indications and Combinations:

1.     Chronic cough and asthma due to rebellion of lung qi caused by deficiency of the lungs and kidneys manifested a cough with scanty sputum and asthma aggravated by slight exertion.
*Use with Dogwood fruit (Shanzhuyu), Prepared rehmannia root (Shudihuang) and Ophiopogon root (Maidong) in the formula Baxian Changshou Wan.

2.     Deficiency of qi and body fluids manifested as spontaneous sweating, night sweating, thirst, palpitations, shortness of breath and deficient and forceless pulse.
*Use with Ginseng (Renshen) and Ophiopogon root (Maidong) in the formula Shengmai San.

3.     Diabetes manifested as thirst, preference for excessive fluid intake, shortness of breath, lassitude and deficient and forceless pulse.
*Use with Astragalus root (Huangqi), Fresh rehmannia root (Shengdihuang), Ophiopogon root (Maidong) and Trichosanthes root (Tianhuafen) in the formula Huangqi Tang.

4.     Seminal emissions and nocturnal emissions caused by deficiency of the kidneys.
*Use with Dragon’s bone (Longgu) and Mantis egg case (Sangpiaoxiao).

5.     Chronic diarrhea caused by deficiency of the spleen and kidneys.
*Use with Nutmeg (Roudoukou) and Evodia fruit (Wuzhuyu) in the formula Sishen Wan.

6.     Deficient yin and blood of the heart and kidneys manifested as palpitations, irritability, insomnia, dreamful sleep and forgetfulness.
*Use with Fresh rehmannia root (Shengdihuang), Ophiopogon root (Maidong) and Wild jujube seed (Suanzaoren) in the formula Tianwang Buxin Dan.

Dosage:

2-6 g

Cautions:

This herb is contraindicated in the early stage of cough or rubella and in excessive internal heat with unrelieved exterior syndrome.