Its source is from the dried entire herb of the perennial herbaceous plant, Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt var. mandshuricum (Maxim) Kitag., and A. sieboldii Miq., family Aristolochiaceae. The producing areas are mainly in the provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shandong, Anhui, and Shanxi, etc.. The Medicinal material is collected in summer and autumn, dried in shade and the crude form is used for medication. Medicinal Properties Pungent in flavor, warm in nature, mildly toxic and attributive to the lung, kidney and heart meridians. Actions Expel wind and dispel cold, remove the obstruction of the nose, relieve pain and warm the lung to remove the retention of fluids. Application 1. For exterior syndrome of wind-cold type manifested as headache and general pain, it can be used together with Qianghuo (Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii), Fangfeng ( Radix Saposhnikoviae ), etc., such as Jiuwei Qianghuo Tang (Decoction) ; for yang-deficiency exterior syndrome marked by aversion to cold with anhidrosis, fever and sinking pulse, used together with Mahuang (Herba Ephedrae ) and Fuzi (Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata), such as Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Tang (Decoction). 2. It is indicated for headache, toothache, Bi-syndrome of wind-cold-dampness type, etc.. For wind-syndrome of headache, it is often used together with Chuanxiong (Rhizoma Chuanxiong) and Fangfeng (Radix Saposhnikoviae); for toothache of wind-cold type, Xixin (Herba Asari ) is singly decocted as gargle, or combined with Baizhi (Radix Angelicae Dahuricae ), Ruxiang (Olibanum), etc. ; for Bi-syndrome of wind-cold-damp type, or arthralgia, used together with Duhuo (Radix Angelicae Pubescentis ) , Fangfeng (Radix Saposhnikoviae ), and Qinjiao (Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae), such as Duhuo Jisheng Tang (Decoction). 3. For retention of cold in the lung, cough with plenty of thin and clean sputum, it is often combined with Mahuang ( Herba Ephedrae ), Ganjiang ( Rhizoma Zingiberis), and Wuweizi (Fructus Schisandrae ), etc., such as Xiao Oinglong Tang (Decoction). 4. For the obstruction of nose, headache, and episodes of running nose, it is used together with Xinyi ( Flos Magnoliae ), Baizhi ( Radix Angelicae Dahuricae), and Cang'erzi (Fructus Xanthii), etc.. Usage and Dosage 1 -3 g is used in decoction for oral use; O. 5 -1 g can be used in pill or powder. Notes The dosage should not be excessively large, contraindicated in the patient with headache caused by hyperactivity of yang due to yin deficiency and dry cough due to yin-damage resulting from lung-dryness. It is incompatible with Lilu (Rhizoma et Radix Veratri).
