State/School

Pacific College Comps

Pharm Name

Aucklandiae Radix

Common Name

Costus Root

Category

Regulate the Qi

Ingredients

Taste

Acrid, Bitter

Pao Zhi

Temperature

Warm

Action / Indication

1. Moves stagnant qi in the middle jiao: used to treat lack of appetite, heavy sensation of food sitting in the stomach not digesting, nausea, bloating, and abdominal pain.
2. Moves stagnant qi in the intestines: used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, rectal tenesmus, and intestinal cramping.
3. Tonifies the Spleen and prevents stagnation: used to boost weak Spleen functions and to prevent cloying side-effects from tonic formulas.
4. Clears damp-heat: used to treat jaundice, bitter taste in the mouth, and yellow tongue coat that comes from Spleen and Liver disharmony leading to damp-heat aaccumulation.

Treatment Principles

Moves Qi Stagnation in the Middle
Moves Qi Stagnation in the Intestines
Tonifies the Spleen
Prevents Stagnation
Clears Damp-Heat

Contraindication

Yin deficiency fire, or depleted fluids.

Dosages

1.5-9g, decocted, or in pills or powders. Use raw for qi stagnation. Use roasted for diarrhea and tenesmus.

Meridians

GB, LI, ST, SP, SJ

Tom's Comment

1. Mu Xiang can regulate Intestinal Qi. It also has a slightly astringing property that is useful for dysenteric disorders.
2. Mu Xiang is often times in used in formulas that address Middle Jiao Qi Stagnation.
3. Mu Xiang DOES NOT Tonify the Spleen. It strengthens the Spleen to optimize its transformative and transporting functions. It has no long term Tonifying effects.

Source

Formula Type