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Xi Xin (細辛), the herb Asarum, strongly disperses wind-cold, warms the Lung to transform thin phlegm, opens the nasal passages and relieves pain; a potent, warming herb used in small doses.
Latin / Pharmaceutical Name
Asarum spp. (Herba Asari)
Common English Name
Asarum / wild ginger
Taste
Acrid
Temperature
Warm
Channels Entered
Lung, Kidney, Heart
Actions & Functions
- Disperses wind-cold and relieves pain (headache, toothache)
- Warms the Lung and transforms thin, watery phlegm
- Opens the nasal passages
Indications
Wind-cold with severe headache and body pain; cough and wheezing with thin, watery phlegm from cold; and nasal congestion and toothache.
Dosage
1-3 g in decoction.
Common Combinations
With Ma Huang and Fu Zi (Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang) for exterior cold with yang deficiency.
Cautions & Contraindications
Potent; use only in small doses. Avoid in yin deficiency with heat and qi deficiency with sweating. Classically incompatible with Li Lu. Contains aristolochic-acid concerns in some sources - use only quality-assured material.