Pharmaceutical name:

Radix Paeoniae Lactiflorae

Latin botanical name:

Paeonia lactiflora Pall.

Pron. in Japanese:

byakushaku

Pron. in Korean:

paekchak

Pron. in Cantonese:

pak shiok

Common Name:

white dahlia root, Chi shao yao means red dahlia

Distribution:

Provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, Sichuan, Guizhou, Shandong of China

Properties (characteristics)

bitter, sour, cool

Channels (meridians) entered:

liver, spleen

Actions & Indications:

Bai shao is being used for removing sludge in the blood and as a mild pain killer. For menstrual dysfunction, vagina yeast infection, uterine bleeding. Lessens liver yang, alleviates abdominal pain. For headache and dizziness due to excessive liver yang. For spermatorrhea. For pain in abdomen and diarrhea. For common cold and flu. (as in gui zhi tang, ma huang tang)

Chi shao yao has a much stronger effect in removing sludge (yu) in the blood. It is being used more often than bai shao in injuries like broken bones, dislocated joints, sprains and injuries from impacts also in blood clots. Do not use chi shao after giving birth. It is use as a tonic, pain killer, diuretic and for ridding of gas from stomach and intestine and for child birth difficulty.

Dosage:

6 ~ 15 grams

Chemical ingredients:

paeoniflorin, paeonol, paeonin, albiflorin, triterpenoids, sistosterol, oxypaeoniflorin, benzoylpaeoniflorin, benzoic acid, β sitosterol, gallotannin, pedunculagin, 1-O-Galloylpedunculagin , eugeniin,  tannin acid, fat, essential oil, resin, sugar, starch, and protein.

Modern use:

Muscle spasm of limbs, back and neck, face. Jerky legs. As pain killer. Bone spurs of the heels. Viral hepatitis. Chronic constipation. Asthma. Whooping coughs. Diabetes. Ulcer of duodenum and stomach.

Samples of Formulae:

dang gui jian zhong tang 當歸健中湯,

gui zhi tang 桂枝湯

ma huang tang 麻黃湯

shi quan da bu tang 十全大補湯

si wu tang 四物湯,

ren shen yang rong tang 人參養榮湯