Peach Seed (Taoren)
| Pharmaceutical Name: | Semen Persicae |
| Botanical Name: | Prunus Persica (L.) Batch Prunus Davidiana (Carr.) Franch. |
| Common Name: | Persica seed Peach seed |
| Source of Earliest Record: | Shennong Bencao Jing |
| art Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: | Ripe peaches are gathered in July or September. The seeds are removed and their shells broken. After the seeds are dried in the sun, the skin of the seeds is rubbed off. |
| Properties and Taste: | Bitter and neutral |
| Meridian: | Heart, liver, lung, and large intestine |
| Functions: | To invigorate blood and remove stagnation To lubricate the intestines and move feces downward |
| Indications and Combinations: | 1. Blood stagnation manifested as amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain and pain and swelling due to external injuries. *Use with Red peony (Chishao), Safflower (Honghua), Chinese angelica root (Danggui) and Chuanxiong rhizome (Chuanxiong) in the formula Tao Hong Siwu Tang. 2. Constipation due to dryness in the intestines. *Use with Chinese angelica root (Danggui), Arborvitae seed (Baiziren), Hemp seed (Huomaren) and Apricot Seed (Xingren). |
| Dosage: | 6-10 g |
| Cautions: | This herb is pounded into pieces before decoction. It is contraindicated during pregnancy. |