Acorus

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I'm always interested in hearing new things about one of my favorite herbs -

Acorus.

1. Does anyone have any clinical experience comparing gramineus (the chinese

species - i.e. shi chang pu) & calamus (the american species - i.e. sweet

flag)?

I'm tempted to use calamus in my practice since I've heard it doesn't

contain the carcinogen beta-asarone & also is more aromatic (and therefore

stronger to open the orifices) than shi chang pu.

2. Does anyone have any experience with the use of this herb for ADD/ADHD?

3. Does anyone have any experience comparing the use of fresh vs. dried

acorus?

 

For (part of) my OCOM thesis, my classmate Li Xu translated & I edited

articles from the (Chinese) Journal of Traditional based on

modern research on four herbs - wu wei zi, wu bei zi, zi cao, and shi chang

pu. Some of the information has probably not been published in English

before, so we thought it a useful endeavor.

Following, for general interest, I've pasted some excerpts on shi chang pu

from the paper. If anyone is interested in the articles on the other three

herbs, I'd be happy to submit them to CHA or email them to you. Hope this

is informative.

 

Shi Chang Pu Can Take the Place of Sleeping Pills

Ya Xian Liu. He Bei University of TCM. Journal of Traditional Chinese

Medicine. Chinese

Association of TCM and Pharmacology. Volume 37, Number 10, 1996, p. 581.

Sleeping pills are widely used by many insomnia sufferers. In treating

insomnia with Chinese medicine, I always took the approach of nourishing the

heart and calming the shen, but the results were not impressive.

Considering the great number of patients taking sleeping pills which have a

calming function, I decided it was not a good idea to use herbs to calm the

shen. After taking the sleeping pills for a long time, the orifices of the

heart are blocked by phlegm. Therefore, I now take the approach of opening

the orifices of the heart and transforming phlegm. I use the formula Wen

Dan Tang with shi chang pu, yuan zhi, and he huan pi, etc., which gives

great results. When taking the formula, patients can stop using sleeping

pills.

Shi chang pu can open the orifices, soothe heart Qi, and transform phlegm.

It is recorded in Ben Cao Gang Mu that shi chang pu is warm, and it can

tonify the heart Qi if the patient's heart Qi is deficient. It is recorded

in Cong Ging Tang Shui Bi that shi chang pu can soothe heart Qi, calm the

shen, and benefit the heart will. It is a excellent herb.

 

Shi Chang Pu Can Clear the Mind and Treat Drowsiness

Zhao Feng Xie. Jiang Su Province, Jiang Yan City Hospital of TCM. Journal

of Traditional . Chinese Association of TCM and

Pharmacology. Volume 37, Number 11, 1996, p. 645.

Duo mei (somnolence) is the condition of feeling sleepy all the time, and

sleeping too much with difficulty waking up. It is a common sleep disorder.

It is recorded in Shen Long Ben Cao Jin that it can open the orifices of the

heart, tonify the five zang organs, unblock the nine orifices, and benefit

the ears, eyes, and throat. I have treated many cases of sleep disorders

with formulas containing shi chang pu, and I always get excellent results.

An 18-year-old male felt sleepy all the time. He fell asleep even when he

was eating. He also had dizziness, blurry vision, fatigue, shortness of

breath, gas and bloating, and undigested food in the stool. His tongue was

puffy and scalloped, and his pulse was deep and weak. He was diagnosed with

spleen Qi xu causing spleen Qi sinking; the clear Yang could not reach the

head. We used shi chang pu and Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang with herbs to help his

digestion. After taking five bags of herbs, his symptoms were much improved.

After another seven bags, he had completely recovered.

Another case was a 41-year-old female who had somnolence for 3 months. She

felt fatigued, sleepy all the time, snored loudly, was congested in the

chest, and had palpitations, dizziness, and lack of appetite. Her tongue

was puffy and red with a yellow greasy coating. Her pulse was wiry and

slippery. She was diagnosed with phlegm-heat flaring up and blocking the

orifices of the heart. We used shi chang pu with Huang Lian Wen Dan Tang.

After taking ten bags of herbs, her sleeping time and frequency decreased.

After another 20 bags of herbs her sleep was back to normal.

Duo mei has either a xu or shi presentation, or a combination of both. Shi

chang pu can be used in any case.

 

Shi Chang Pu Can Improve Hearing and Vision and Benefit the Throat

Zheng Zhi Wan. Tian Jin University of TCM. Journal of Traditional Chinese

Medicine. Chinese

Association of TCM and Pharmacology. Volume 37, Number 12, 1996, p. 709.

The addition of shi chang pu to a formula for the treatment of tinnitus and

deafness always makes a great difference. When EPIs attack, the seven

orifices are always the first to be affected. After EPIs have entered the

body, we must not tonify or close the orifices. The best approach is to

clear the blockage of the orifices, so we need to use herbs that can

powerfully push the Qi to the orifices and unblock them.

Herbs which are good at moving the Qi and opening the orifices include shi

chang pu, lu lu tong, ma dou ling, etc. For tinnitus and deafness, shi

chang pu, sheng ma, chai hu, and ge gen are all good herbs to lift the Qi

and push the Qi to the orifices. Shi chang pu can not only be taken

internally, but can be used externally as well. Fresh shi chang pu juice

dropped into the ear can unblock the ear and disperse EPIs. Shi chang pu is

aromatic and warm, and it has a very strong function to open the orifices,

so the dosage cannot be too high - usually 3 to 8g is fine. Shi chang pu is

effective at treating coma and blockage of the orifices after wind-stroke,

with such symptoms as tongue stiffness. The addition of shi chang pu to a

formula for these conditions always improves the results.

Shi chang pu is good for hoarse voice, loss of voice, and difficulty

speaking. Using the fresh (rather than dry) herb gives better results.

Every day, cut 15g shi chang pu into slices, soak in hot water, and drink

as a tea. Combing this with chan yi, xuan shen, and ma bo makes it more

effective.

 

Shi Chang Pu Effectively Treats Leukorrhea

Shi An Yao. Lan Tong City University of TCM. Journal of Traditional Chinese

Medicine. Chinese

Association of TCM and Pharmacology. Volume 37, Number 11, 1996, p. 647.

It is recorded in Ben Cao Gan Mu that shi chang pu can treat uterine

bleeding and leukorrhea. In the clinic, we use Hua Zhuo Tiao Jin Tang to

treat dampness and imbalance of the chong and dai mai leading to uterine

bleeding and leukorrhea. The formula includes shi chang pu 15g/day, chao yi

ren 30g, cang zhu 10g, bai zhu 10g, che qian zi 10g, and chao huang qin 12g.

A course lasts ten days. A group receiving this formula with shi chang pu

had better improvement (in the transformation of dampness and calming of

shen) than a group receiving the same formula without shi chang pu.

Scientific research into the pharmacology of shi chang pu shows that both

the root and leaf of shi chang pu contain volatile oil. A fraction of the

volatile oil (17%) has a powerful function to calm the mind. So when we use

it for its calming function, we should cook it for short time (so as to

preserve the volatile oil).

Shi chang pu has also been shown to inhibit the growth of fungus on the

skin. This is why it can treat leukorrhea and vaginal itching caused by

fungal infection. It also can promote the secretion of enzymes in the

stomach, and prevent abnormal fermentation in the stomach and intestines, so

it is especially good for women with both digestive disorders and

leukorrhea.

[Guest guest]

> I'm tempted to use (american) calamus in my practice since I've heard

it doesn't

> contain the carcinogen beta-asarone & also is more aromatic (and

therefore

> stronger to open the orifices) than shi chang pu.

 

I did very broad medline searches about beta asarones and found little

actual documentation to support the supposed carcinogencity of this

constituent, especially when used in normal therapeutic doses. Does of

60 mg/kg were required to induce cancer in inbred rats; this would

translate to 4.2 grams of beta asarone for a 70 kg human. It is not

possible to consume this dose unless one is being forcefed acorus in

amounts of hundreds of grams per day. Also, the beta-asarone apparently

is absent from water decotions. Just, as in saffrole, the much maligned

carcinogen in sassafras, it is likely that the minute amounts of

beta-asarone have never caused a single human cancer in all of history.

It is certainly not considered an unsafe herbs in TCM (in contrast to

aristolochia, which the chinese have limited to short term use for a

thousand years). I would not so quick to dismiss the use of shi chang

pu without further real evidence that this is a concern for humans.

According to Subhuti Dharmananda, many common plant foods contain minute

amounts of constituents, which if superconcentrated, would also result

in cancer, yet most of these same foods are actually considered health

foods (as they are vegetables and fruits). I want some solid evidence

before anyone gets alarmed. I think this is a vacuous issue. As to

whether american calamus would be better because it lacks this alleged

carcinogen, it may be a moot point or it may be that small amounts of

beta-asarone are both perfectly safe and essential to the TCM properties

of shi chang pu. Shi chang pu is more than just opening the orifices.

Maybe you should experment and describe an american chang pu like an

american ginseng , which will have simlar but distinct properties, I

would suspect. But the Chinese research cannot be used to justify the

use of american calamus, in my opinion, as these are clearly different

medicines, based upon chemical analysis.

 

todd

[Guest guest]

Translations of such JTCM articles are always of interest. I, for one, would

suggest that posting the articles on the other 3 herbs to the group would

be much appreciated all around. (I'm just one vote, but I'm in favor). Short

of that, I certainly would like to receive them....at

snakeoil.works.

 

Many thanks, Peter.

Ann

 

-

" Peter Borten " <innergate

 

Saturday, August 05, 2000 8:39 PM

Acorus

> For (part of) my OCOM thesis, my classmate Li Xu translated & I edited

> articles from the (Chinese) Journal of Traditional based

on

> modern research on four herbs - wu wei zi, wu bei zi, zi cao, and shi

chang

> pu. Some of the information has probably not been published in English

> before, so we thought it a useful endeavor.

> Following, for general interest, I've pasted some excerpts on shi chang pu

> from the paper. If anyone is interested in the articles on the other

three

> herbs, I'd be happy to submit them to CHA or email them to you. Hope this

> is informative.

[Guest guest]

Group,

 

I would also like to receive the articles on the herbs, esp. Zi Cao, either

directly, or in the group.

 

Thank you!

 

Julie

[Guest guest]

on 8/6/00 8:55 PM, juliej8 at juliej8 wrote:

 

> Group,

>

> I would also like to receive the articles on the herbs, esp. Zi Cao, either

> directly, or in the group.

>

> Thank you!

>

> Julie

>

>

>

> Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed healthcare

> practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate academics specializing

> in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety of professional services,

> including board approved online continuing education.

>

>

>

>

I would also like to receive the articles.

 

 

zrosenberg

[Guest guest]

, " " <

zrosenberg@e...> wrote:

 

> >

> I would also like to receive the articles.

>

>

> zrosenberg@e...

 

Peter, please send articles to the list, if possible. No more

requests

please.

 

[Guest guest]

Camphor Hepatotoxicity Aliye Uc, MD, Warren P. Bishop, MD, and Kathleen D. Sanders, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa.

 

 

AbstractWe report a case of hepatotoxicity in a 2-month-old baby after a camphor-containing cold remedy was applied dermally. Liver function tests returned to normal after the application of the cold remedy was discontinued. Ingestion of camphor can cause severe liver and central nervous system injury, and neurotoxicity has been observed after exposure to camphor through the skin. Hepatotoxicity after dermal application of camphor has never been reported. This report emphasizes the common use of cold remedies that are usually not beneficial and may be potentially dangerous. [south Med J 93(6):596-598, 2000. © 2000 Southern Medical Association]

 

 

 

 

IntroductionAlthough their medical benefits are questionable, over-the-counter home remedies are widely used in the United States, even in small children. Their ingredients are usually harmless, but some of them contain harmful substances. Camphor is a toxic compound that has nevertheless been marketed in cold remedies for its anesthetic and rubefacient effects.[1,2] Although the vast majority of reported cases of camphor toxicity are due to oral ingestion,[3] a few case reports suggest absorption by inhalation or through the skin.[4-6] This report describes an infant who developed elevated liver function test values after camphor application, a toxicity that was fortuitously discovered by monitoring blood chemistries for another reason. Alon Marcus

 

continued...

 

Reprint requests to Aliye Uc, MD, Betton Clinic, 1505 W 11th St, Little Rock, AR 72202.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Abstract and IntroductionCase ReportDiscussionReferences

 

 

 

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Peter Borten

Saturday, August 05, 2000 5:39 PM

Acorus

Hello,I'm always interested in hearing new things about one of my favorite herbs -Acorus.1. Does anyone have any clinical experience comparing gramineus (the chinesespecies - i.e. shi chang pu) & calamus (the american species - i.e. sweetflag)?I'm tempted to use calamus in my practice since I've heard it doesn'tcontain the carcinogen beta-asarone & also is more aromatic (and thereforestronger to open the orifices) than shi chang pu.2. Does anyone have any experience with the use of this herb for ADD/ADHD?3. Does anyone have any experience comparing the use of fresh vs. driedacorus?For (part of) my OCOM thesis, my classmate Li Xu translated & I editedarticles from the (Chinese) Journal of Traditional based onmodern research on four herbs - wu wei zi, wu bei zi, zi cao, and shi changpu. Some of the information has probably not been published in Englishbefore, so we thought it a useful endeavor.Following, for general interest, I've pasted some excerpts on shi chang pufrom the paper. If anyone is interested in the articles on the other threeherbs, I'd be happy to submit them to CHA or email them to you. Hope thisis informative.Shi Chang Pu Can Take the Place of Sleeping PillsYa Xian Liu. He Bei University of TCM. Journal of Traditional ChineseMedicine. ChineseAssociation of TCM and Pharmacology. Volume 37, Number 10, 1996, p. 581.Sleeping pills are widely used by many insomnia sufferers. In treatinginsomnia with Chinese medicine, I always took the approach of nourishing theheart and calming the shen, but the results were not impressive.Considering the great number of patients taking sleeping pills which have acalming function, I decided it was not a good idea to use herbs to calm theshen. After taking the sleeping pills for a long time, the orifices of theheart are blocked by phlegm. Therefore, I now take the approach of openingthe orifices of the heart and transforming phlegm. I use the formula WenDan Tang with shi chang pu, yuan zhi, and he huan pi, etc., which givesgreat results. When taking the formula, patients can stop using sleepingpills.Shi chang pu can open the orifices, soothe heart Qi, and transform phlegm.It is recorded in Ben Cao Gang Mu that shi chang pu is warm, and it cantonify the heart Qi if the patient's heart Qi is deficient. It is recordedin Cong Ging Tang Shui Bi that shi chang pu can soothe heart Qi, calm theshen, and benefit the heart will. It is a excellent herb.Shi Chang Pu Can Clear the Mind and Treat DrowsinessZhao Feng Xie. Jiang Su Province, Jiang Yan City Hospital of TCM. Journalof Traditional . Chinese Association of TCM andPharmacology. Volume 37, Number 11, 1996, p. 645.Duo mei (somnolence) is the condition of feeling sleepy all the time, andsleeping too much with difficulty waking up. It is a common sleep disorder.It is recorded in Shen Long Ben Cao Jin that it can open the orifices of theheart, tonify the five zang organs, unblock the nine orifices, and benefitthe ears, eyes, and throat. I have treated many cases of sleep disorderswith formulas containing shi chang pu, and I always get excellent results.An 18-year-old male felt sleepy all the time. He fell asleep even when hewas eating. He also had dizziness, blurry vision, fatigue, shortness ofbreath, gas and bloating, and undigested food in the stool. His tongue waspuffy and scalloped, and his pulse was deep and weak. He was diagnosed withspleen Qi xu causing spleen Qi sinking; the clear Yang could not reach thehead. We used shi chang pu and Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang with herbs to help hisdigestion. After taking five bags of herbs, his symptoms were much improved.After another seven bags, he had completely recovered.Another case was a 41-year-old female who had somnolence for 3 months. Shefelt fatigued, sleepy all the time, snored loudly, was congested in thechest, and had palpitations, dizziness, and lack of appetite. Her tonguewas puffy and red with a yellow greasy coating. Her pulse was wiry andslippery. She was diagnosed with phlegm-heat flaring up and blocking theorifices of the heart. We used shi chang pu with Huang Lian Wen Dan Tang.After taking ten bags of herbs, her sleeping time and frequency decreased.After another 20 bags of herbs her sleep was back to normal.Duo mei has either a xu or shi presentation, or a combination of both. Shichang pu can be used in any case.Shi Chang Pu Can Improve Hearing and Vision and Benefit the ThroatZheng Zhi Wan. Tian Jin University of TCM. Journal of Traditional ChineseMedicine. ChineseAssociation of TCM and Pharmacology. Volume 37, Number 12, 1996, p. 709.The addition of shi chang pu to a formula for the treatment of tinnitus anddeafness always makes a great difference. When EPIs attack, the sevenorifices are always the first to be affected. After EPIs have entered thebody, we must not tonify or close the orifices. The best approach is toclear the blockage of the orifices, so we need to use herbs that canpowerfully push the Qi to the orifices and unblock them.Herbs which are good at moving the Qi and opening the orifices include shichang pu, lu lu tong, ma dou ling, etc. For tinnitus and deafness, shichang pu, sheng ma, chai hu, and ge gen are all good herbs to lift the Qiand push the Qi to the orifices. Shi chang pu can not only be takeninternally, but can be used externally as well. Fresh shi chang pu juicedropped into the ear can unblock the ear and disperse EPIs. Shi chang pu isaromatic and warm, and it has a very strong function to open the orifices,so the dosage cannot be too high - usually 3 to 8g is fine. Shi chang pu iseffective at treating coma and blockage of the orifices after wind-stroke,with such symptoms as tongue stiffness. The addition of shi chang pu to aformula for these conditions always improves the results.Shi chang pu is good for hoarse voice, loss of voice, and difficultyspeaking. Using the fresh (rather than dry) herb gives better results.Every day, cut 15g shi chang pu into slices, soak in hot water, and drinkas a tea. Combing this with chan yi, xuan shen, and ma bo makes it moreeffective.Shi Chang Pu Effectively Treats LeukorrheaShi An Yao. Lan Tong City University of TCM. Journal of Traditional ChineseMedicine. ChineseAssociation of TCM and Pharmacology. Volume 37, Number 11, 1996, p. 647.It is recorded in Ben Cao Gan Mu that shi chang pu can treat uterinebleeding and leukorrhea. In the clinic, we use Hua Zhuo Tiao Jin Tang totreat dampness and imbalance of the chong and dai mai leading to uterinebleeding and leukorrhea. The formula includes shi chang pu 15g/day, chao yiren 30g, cang zhu 10g, bai zhu 10g, che qian zi 10g, and chao huang qin 12g.A course lasts ten days. A group receiving this formula with shi chang puhad better improvement (in the transformation of dampness and calming ofshen) than a group receiving the same formula without shi chang pu.Scientific research into the pharmacology of shi chang pu shows that boththe root and leaf of shi chang pu contain volatile oil. A fraction of thevolatile oil (17%) has a powerful function to calm the mind. So when we useit for its calming function, we should cook it for short time (so as topreserve the volatile oil).Shi chang pu has also been shown to inhibit the growth of fungus on theskin. This is why it can treat leukorrhea and vaginal itching caused byfungal infection. It also can promote the secretion of enzymes in thestomach, and prevent abnormal fermentation in the stomach and intestines, soit is especially good for women with both digestive disorders andleukorrhea.Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety of professional services, including board approved online continuing education.