Chinese herbal medicine Atractylodes

Atractylodes is a relatively common Chinese herbal medicine. It can treat a variety of diseases. For example, it is very effective in treating colds and colds. It also has certain effects in treating blurred vision and night blindness. When using Atractylodes, it is often necessary to cooperate with some other Chinese medicines. For example, if you want to remove dampness, you can use it together with Angelica dahurica, etc. Let us briefly understand some of the contents of the Chinese herbal medicine Atractylodes.

Chinese herbal medicine Atractylodes

Atractylodes, a traditional Chinese medicine name. It is the dried rhizome of Atractylodes lancea, a plant of the Asteraceae family. Dig it up in spring and autumn, remove the mud and sand, dry it in the sun, and pick off the fibrous roots.

Indications

It is used for dampness blocking the middle burner, abdominal distension, diarrhea, edema, beriberi, paralysis, rheumatic pain, colds, night blindness, and blurred vision.

Related Combinations

1. Used to treat spleen deficiency and dampness accumulation, phlegm and fluid retention, diarrhea or overflow of edema: used together with diuretic and dampness-injecting drugs such as Poria, Alisma orientalis, and Polyporus. (《Evidence and Treatment Standards》)

2. Used to remove dampness and treat arthralgia caused by dampness: can be used together with anti-rheumatic drugs such as coix seed and angelica dahurica. (Lei Zheng Zhi Zai)

3. Used to treat wind-cold exterior syndrome accompanied by dampness: often used together with Notopterygium wilfordii, Angelica dahurica, Saposhnikovia divaricata, etc. ("He Ji Ju Fang")

Physiological characteristics

1. Atractylodes lancea: Irregular bead-like or nodular cylindrical, slightly curved, occasionally branched, 3 to 10 cm long, 1 to 50 cm in diameter. The surface is gray-brown with wrinkles, transverse lines and residual fibrous roots, and the top has stem scars or residual stem base. It is solid in texture, with yellowish white or off-white cross section, and scattered with numerous orange-yellow or brown-red oil chambers. If exposed for a while, white fine needle-shaped crystals may precipitate. It has a unique aroma and tastes slightly sweet, spicy and bitter.

2. Atractylodes macrocephala: It is lump-shaped or nodular cylindrical, 4 to 225px long and 1 to 100px in diameter. The surface is dark brown, and yellow brown after removing the skin. The texture is relatively loose, with scattered yellow-brown oil chambers on the cross section. The aroma is light and the taste is spicy and bitter.