Bitter Cardamom (Yizhiren)
| Pharmaceutical Name: | Fructus Alpiniae oxyphyllae |
| Botanical Name: | Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. |
| Common Name: | Black cardamom Bitter cardamom |
| Source of Earliest Record: | Bencao Shiyi |
| art Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: | The fruit is gathered in summer. It is dried in the sun, fried with sand and peeled. |
| Properties and Taste: | Pungent and warm |
| Meridian: | Spleen and kidney |
| Functions: | To warm and tonify the spleen and kidneys To prevent emissions and stop diarrhea |
| Indications and Combinations: | 1. Invasion of cold in the spleen and kidneys manifested as abdominal pain and vomiting. *Use with Pilose asiabell root (Dangshen), White atractylodes (Baizhu) and Dried ginger (Ganjiang). 2. Kidney deficiency manifested as enuresis and seminal emissions. *Use with Dioscorea (Shanyao) and Lindera root (Wuyao) in the formula Suoquan Wan. 3. Diarrhea and excessive salivation due to spleen deficiency. *Use with Poria (Fuling), Dioscorea (Shanyao), Pilose asiabell root (Dangshen) Pinellia tuber (Banxia). |
| Dosage: | 3-6 g |
| Cautions: | This herb is contraindicated in cases with deficiency of yin with excessive fire, seminal emissions, frequent urination and uterine bleeding caused by heat. |