Zedoary (Ezhu)

Zedoary (Ezhu)

Pharmaceutical Name: Frutus Xanthii
Botanical Name: Xanthium sibiricum Patr.
Common Name:Xanthium Fruit
Cocklebur Fruit
Source of Earliest Record: Shennong Bencao Jing
Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The fruit is gathered in autumn, dried in the sum and then baked till the thorns fall off.
Properties and Taste: Pungent, bitter, warm and slightly toxic
Meridian: Lung
Functions: To open the nasal cavities
To dispel wind an dampness
To stop pain
Indications and Combinations: 1. Rhinorrhea manifested as headache, nasal obstruction, runny nose and loss of smell.
*Use with  Magnolia flower (Xinyi) and Durhurian angelica root (Baizhi) in the formula Cang'er San.

2.    Wind-damp bi syndrome manifested as joint pain and spasms of the limbs.
*Use with Clematis root (Weilingxian), Cinnamon bark (Rougui), Atractylodes rhizome (Canzhu) and Chuanxiong rhizome (Chuanxiong).
Dosage: 3-10 g
Cautions: This herb is contraindicated in headache due to blood deficiency. Overdose will produce toxins and give rise to vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.