沙苑蒺藜

Naming

Sha Yuan Zi (Semen Astragali Complanati) ——Ben Cao Tu Jing (Illustrated Manual of Materia Medica)

The Processing of 沙苑蒺藜

Origin

The ripe seed of the perennial herbaceous plant Astragalus complanatus R. Br. of family Fulse.

Location

Mainly produced in Shaanxi, Hebei and Shanxi provinces in China.

Harvest

Collected the ripe fruit before cracked from late autumn to early winter.

The actual smell and taste

Without smell, light flavor.

Best quality

Large, full and green-brown.

Processing

Unprocessed or stir-baked with salt solution.

The Effect of 沙苑蒺藜

Property

Sweet, astringent, warm; kidney and liver meridians entered.

Actions

Tonify kidney, nourish essence, and nourish liver to improve vision, secure essence, reduce urination and stop leukorrhagia.

Indications

A. Seminal emission, spermatorrhea, enuresis, frequent urination, leukorrhagia and lumbar pain

It has similar function to Tu Si Zi——tonifying kidney, nourishing and securing essence, reducing urination and stopping leukorrhagia. The tonifying action of the herb is inferior to Tu Si Zi but astringing action is stronger than that. For seminal emission, spermatorrhea, enuresis, frequent urination and leukorrhagia due to insecurity of kidney deficiency, it is combined with herbs to tonify kidney and astringe. For seminal emission, spermatorrhea due to insecurity of kidney deficiency, it is combined with Qian Shi, Lian Zi, Long Gu and Mu Li in the formula Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan from Yi Fang Ji Jie; for enuresis due to kidney deficiency, it could be combined with Shan Zhu Yu and Sang Piao Xiao; for leukorrhagia due to kidney deficiency, it is combined with Lu Rong, Tu Si Zi, Qian Shi and toast Long Gu; for lumbar pain due to kidney deficiency, it is combined with kidney-tonifying and lumbar-strengthening herbs, such as Du Zhong and Xu Duan. It is also indicated for impotence due to kidney deficiency because of its action of tonifying kidney and nourishing essence

B. Deficiency of both liver and kidney, dim and poor vision

It is indicated for dim and poor vision, hypopsia due to both liver and kidney deficiency, because it can tonify kidney, nourish essence, nourish liver to improve vision. It is combined with herbs of tonifying liver and kidney, nourishing essence and blood, improving vision, for instance, it is used with Gou Qi Zi, Tu Si Zi, and Ju Hua.

Dosage and Administrations

Decoct 10~15 g.