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Largehead Atractylodes Rhizome

Largehead Atractylodes Rhizome
Name
Largehead Atractylodes Rhizome
Latin Pharmaceutical Name
Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma
Chinese Name
白术
Category
Roots and rhizomes

Largehead Atractylodes RhizomeMore Info

Production Regions
Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Zhejiang, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui.
Macroscopic Features
Fist-shaped lumps, 3~13cm long, 1.5~7cm diameter. Externally grayish-yellow or grayish-brown, with growth-like projections and intermittent longitudinal wrinkles and rootlet scars; apex has remnants of stem base and sprout scar. Hard, not easily broken; fractured surface is not flat and yellowish-white to pale brown, with brownish-yellow oil spots scattered throughout. Clean fresh aroma odor; taste sweet and slightly scrid, sticky when chewed.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material is large, firm, with yellowish-white fractured surface, and a potent aroma.
Properties
Bitter, sweet; warm.
Functions
Fortifies the spleen, boosts qi, dries dampness, promotes urination, stops sweating, calms the fetus. Apply to deficiency-weakness of spleen, anorexia, and abdominal distension, and loose tools, dizziness induced by phlegm and retained fluids, edema, spontaneous perspiration, restless fetal movement.
Technical Terms
‘Ox horns(ru yi tou)’: This refers to the numerous growth-like projections on whole pieces of bai zhu, two portions expand laterally from the lower portion of the rhizome, giving the appearance of traditional female hair buns known as ‘ox horns’. It is also called yun tou, literally ‘cloud head’. ‘Crane’s neck(he jing)’: This refers the ‘white crane’ shape of the bai zhu rhizome, which sometimes still had remnants of the above-ground stem, and is said to be like a crane’s neck. Due to the woody nature of the stem, this feature also resembles legs, and so it is sometimes called ‘bai zhu legs(bai zhu tui)’.
Origin
The dried rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (Compositae).

Largehead Atractylodes RhizomeHerbs in the formula

Agastache Qi-Correcting Powder

Agastache Qi-Correcting Powder

Action:Releases the exterior and removes dampness, rectifies qi and harmonizes the center.
Indication:Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San is indicated for the contraction of exogenous wind-cold and internal damage by internal dampness. The symptoms include aversion to co1d with fever, headache, chest and diaphragm distension and depression, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, bowel sounds and diarrhea. The tongue has a white, greasy tongue coating. It can also be used to treat conditions that are contracted from the clouds and mists in the mountains, malaria, etc.
Immature Bitter Orange Stagnation-Moving Pill

Immature Bitter Orange Stagnation-Moving Pill

Action:Promotes digestion, removes stagnation, clears heat, and removes dampness.
Indication:Food accumulation with damp-heat, marked by distending pain of the abdomen and stomach cavity, diarrhea, constipation, dark, scanty urine, a greasy yellow tongue coating, and a deep, forceful pulse.
Immature Bitter Orange and Glomus-Dispersing Pill

Immature Bitter Orange and Glomus-Dispersing Pill

Action:Disperses and relieves fullness, fortifies the spleen and harmonizes the stomach.
Indication:Spleen deficiency and qi stagnation with cold and heat combined, characterized by fullness below the heart, no desire to eat or drink, tiredness, lack of strength, difficult defecation, greasy, slight yellow tongue coating, and a wiry pulse.
Storax Pill

Storax Pill

Action:Aromatically opens the orifices, moves qi and relieves pain.
Indication:Su He Xiang Wan is indicated for cold blockage. The symptoms are sudden fainting and locked jaw, unconsciousness, a white tongue coating, and a slow pulse. It is also indicated for sudden pain in the heart and abdomen as well as syncope due to cold blockage.
Spleen-Restoring Decoction

Spleen-Restoring Decoction

Action:Boosts qi, supplements blood; fortifies the spleen, and nourishes the heart.
Indication:1. Qi and blood deficiency of the heart and spleen marked by palpitations, amnesia, insomnia, night sweat, deficiency-heat, tiredness, reduced food intake, withered-sallow complexion, a pale tongue with a thin, white coating, and thready, weak pulses.
Spleen-Strengthening Powder

Spleen-Strengthening Powder

Action:Warms yang and fortifies the spleen, moves qi, and promotes urination.
Indication:Shi Pi San is indicated for a pattern of yin edema caused by spleen-kidney yang deficiency and retention of water-dampness in the interior. The symptoms are swelling of the lower limbs, cold hands and feet, no thirst, fullness and distention of chest and abdomen, loose stool as well. The tongue coating is white and greasy and the pulse is deep, wiry and slow.
Center-Supplementing and Qi-Boosting Decoction

Center-Supplementing and Qi-Boosting Decoction

Action:Supplements the center and boosts qi; raises yang and lifts the sunken.
Indication:Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang is indicated for two patterns. The first pattern is deficient or sunken spleen qi with reduced food intake, general sluggish sensation, weak breathing, lack of desire to speak, sallow-yellow facial complexion, and loose unformed stool. The tongue is pale and the pulse is deficient. It is also used for rectal prolapse, uterine prolapse, chronic diarrhea, and flooding and spotting (beng lou). The second pattern is objective or subjective fever due to qi deficiency manifested by a feverish sensation, spontaneous sweating, thirst with a desire for hot drinks, shortness of breath, and lack of strength. The tongue is pale and the pulse is deficient, big, and weak.
Flower of Kudzuvine Drunk-Relieving Decoction

Flower of Kudzuvine Drunk-Relieving Decoction

Action:Promotes urination and disperses to separate and remove the invisible alcohol-dampness pathogenic accumulation, regulates qi and fortifies the spleen.
Indication:This formula is indicated for spleen damage due to alcohol accumulation, marked by dizziness, vomiting, fullness and oppression of the chest and diaphragm, aversion to food, tiredness, dysuria, loose stool, a greasy tongue coating, and a slippery pulse.
Chinese Angelica Pain-Alleviating Decoction

Chinese Angelica Pain-Alleviating Decoction

Action:Drains dampness and clears heat, scatters wind and relieves pain.
Indication:Dang Gui Nian Tong Tang is indicated for patterns that arise due to a conflict between dampness and heat with concurrent external wind contraction. The symptoms are aching pain of limbs and joints, heavy sensation of the shoulder and back, swelling and pain of the feet, sores on the feet and knees. The tongue coating is white and greasy mixed with yellow and the pulse is wiry and rapid.
Yellow Earth Decoction

Yellow Earth Decoction

Action:Warms yang and fortifies the spleen, nourishes blood and stanches bleeding.
Indication:Huang Tu Tang is indicated for pattern of spleen yang insufficiency, and spleen failing to control the blood. The symptoms are bloody stool, in which the stool comes out first, spitting of blood, nosebleed, flooding and spotting (beng lou) of dark colored menstrual blood, cold four limbs, sallow complexion, a pale tongue with a white coating, and a deep, thin and weak pulse.
Important Formula for Painful Diarrhea

Important Formula for Painful Diarrhea

Action:Supplements the spleen and softens the liver, dispels dampness and arrests diarrhea.
Indication:Painful diarrhea due to a deficient spleen and a vigorous liver, characterized by borborygmus, abdominal pain, diarrhea with abdominal pain, pain that is relieved after diarrhea, the guan pulses of both hands not in harmony (a wiry pulse on the left hand and a moderate pulse on the right).
Free Wanderer Powder

Free Wanderer Powder

Action:Soothes the liver and resolves constraint, nourishes blood and fortifies the spleen.
Indication:Xiao Yao San is indicated for the pattern of liver constraint, blood deficiency, and spleen weakness, characterized by rib-side pain, headache, dizziness, dry mouth, dry throat, mental fatigue, reduced food intake, menstrual irregularities, distending pain of the breasts, and a wiry, deficient pulse.
Center-Regulating Pill

Center-Regulating Pill

Action:Warms the center and dispels cold, boosts qi and supplements the spleen.
Indication:This formula is indicated for:
Ginseng, Poria and Atractylodes Macrocephala Powder

Ginseng, Poria and Atractylodes Macrocephala Powder

Action:Boosts qi and fortifies the spleen, drains dampness and arrests diarrhea.
Indication:Shen Ling Bai Zhu San is indicated for patterns of spleen deficiency with excessive dampness accumulation marked by epigastric bloating or stuffiness, borborygmus, diarrhea, lack of strength in the four limbs, thin body, and lusterless yellow facial complexion. The tongue is pale with a white, greasy coating and the pulse is moderate and deficient.
Spleen-Fortifying Pill

Spleen-Fortifying Pill

Action:Fortifies the spleen and harmonizes the stomach, promotes digestion and arrests diarrhea.
Indication:Food accumulation with spleen deficiency, marked by indigestion, fullness and oppression of the abdomen and stomach cavity, loose stool, greasy, yellow tongue coating, and a weak pulse.
True Warrior Decoction

True Warrior Decoction

Action:Warms yang and promotes urination.
Indication:Zhen Wu Tang is indicated for edema due to yang deficiency. The symptoms are fear of cold, cold limbs, urination disturbance, palpitations under the heart, dizziness, muscular twitching, unsteady standing, pain and heaviness of four limbs, edema especially below the waist, abdominal pain, diarrhea, cough, asthma, vomiting and nausea. The tongue is pale and enlarged with teeth-marks with white and glossy coating, and the pulse is deep and thready.
Enlightened Master Viscera-Nourishing Decoction

Enlightened Master Viscera-Nourishing Decoction

Action:Astringes the intestines and rescues from desertion, warms and supplements the spleen and kidney.
Indication:This formula is used to treat chronic diarrhea or dysentery due to deficiency-cold of the spleen and kidney. Corresponding symptoms include fecal incontinence, excessive diarrhea or dysentery, abdominal pain that is relieved by pressure and warmth, fatigue, poor appetite or reduced food intake. Usually, the tongue is pale with a white coating. The pulse is deep and slow or slow and thready.
Cinnamon and Poria Sweet Dew Beverage

Cinnamon and Poria Sweet Dew Beverage

Action:Clears summerheat, resolves heat, transforms qi, and drains dampness.
Indication:This formula is indicated for summerheat-dampness. The symptoms are fever with headache, vexation and thirst, inhibited urination, cholera, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Poria, Cinnamon Twig, Atractylodes Macrocephala and Licorice Decoction

Poria, Cinnamon Twig, Atractylodes Macrocephala and Licorice Decoction

Action:Warms yang and dissolves rheum, fortifies the spleen and drains dampness.
Indication:Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang is indicated for phlegm-rheum due to deficiency of the middle-yang. The symptoms are distention and fullness of chest and rib-side, dizzy vision, palpitations, shortness of breath, and cough. The tongue coating is white and glossy. The pulse is either wiry and slippery or deep and tight.
Penetrating Vessel-Securing Decoction

Penetrating Vessel-Securing Decoction

Action:Boosts qi, fortifies spleen, and strengthens the chong mai to contain blood.
Indication:Gu Chong Tang is designed for the pattern of spleen and kidney deficiency with insecurity of the chong mai. Uterine bleeding may be profuse or it may routinely spot bleed in an irregular pattern. Profuse menstruation occurs with thin and pale menses, dizziness, cold extremities, palpitation, shortness of breath, mental fatigue, weakness, weak and aching waist and knees.
Stephania Root and Astragalus Decoction

Stephania Root and Astragalus Decoction

Action:Boosts qi and dispels wind, fortifies the spleen and promotes urination.
Indication:Fang Ji Huang Qi Tang is indicated for patterns of wind-water and wind-damp caused by an insecurity exterior due to exterior deficiency. The symptoms are sweating, aversion to wind, heavy body, slight swelling, pain of the limbs and joints, as well as dysuria. The tongue is pale with a white coating, and the pulse is floating.
Discharge-Ceasing Decoction

Discharge-Ceasing Decoction

Action:Fortifies the spleen and soothes the liver, removes dampness, and arrests vaginal discharge.
Indication:Wan Dai Tang is designed to treat disorders of vaginal discharge caused by liver constraint and spleen deficiency. This pattern is marked by thin, clear-white vaginal discharge (similar to clear nasal discharge), a pale complexion, general sluggishness, and thin, unformed stool. The tongue is pale with a white coating and the pulse is moderate or soggy and weak.
Yang-Returning Emergency Decoction

Yang-Returning Emergency Decoction

Action:Restores yang to rescue from desertion, boosts qi and engenders pulse.
Indication:This formula treats pathogenic cold directly attacking the three yin channels, causing yang weakness. This pattern is characterized by reversal cold of the limbs, debilitated spirit, desire to sleep, aversion to cold, lying curled up, vomiting and diarrhea, stomach pain, no thirst, shivering, greenish-purple nails and lips, frothy saliva, a pale white tongue body with a white tongue coating, and a deep, feeble or barely perceivable pulse.
Jade Wind-Barrier Powder

Jade Wind-Barrier Powder

Action:Boosts qi, consolidates the exterior, and arrests sweating.
Indication:Yu Ping Feng San is indicated for patterns of spontaneous sweating due to exterior deficiency. Sweating, aversion to wind, a pale complexion, a pale tongue with a thin and white coating, and a floating, deficient pulse mark the clinical manifestations. It is also used to treat patients with a deficient constitution and deficient wei qi that is vulnerable to external wind pathogens.
Four Gentlemen Decoction

Four Gentlemen Decoction

Action:Boosts qi and fortifies the spleen.
Indication:Si Jun Zi Tang is indicated for patterns of spleen-stomach qi deficiency. Clinical manifestations include a pale, lusterless facial complexion, a faint, low voice, shortness of breath, and thin, unformed stool. The tongue is pale with a white coating. The pulse is deficient and weak.
Pinellia, Atractylodes Macrocephala and Gastrodia Decoction

Pinellia, Atractylodes Macrocephala and Gastrodia Decoction

Action:Dries dampness and dissolves phlegm, calms the liver and extinguishes wind.
Indication:Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang is designed to treat the pattern of wind-phlegm harassing the upper body. Symptoms include dizziness, headache, pi and oppression in the chest and diaphragm, nausea, and vomiting. The tongue coating is greasy and white. The pulse is wiry and slippery.
Five Substances Powder with Poria

Five Substances Powder with Poria

Action:Promotes urination and percolates dampness, warms yang and promotes qi transformation.
Indication:Wu Ling San is indicated for water amassment syndrome due to dysfunction of bladder qi transformation. The symptoms are dysuria, headache with mild fever, thirst and desire to drink, vomiting as soon as drinking, throbbing below the navel, spitting, dizziness, shortness of breath, cough, edema, and diarrhea. The tongue coating is white and the pulse is either floating or floating and rapid.
Large Gentian Decoction

Large Gentian Decoction

Action:Scatters wind and clears heat, nourishes and invigorates blood.
Indication:Da Qin Jiao Tang is indicated for an early stage of a wind attacking the channels and collaterals pattern. The symptoms are deviation of the eyes and mouth, difficulty in speaking due to stiff tongue, an inability to move the extremities, often accompanied by aversion to cold with fever, spasms and tension of the extremities, a white or yellow tongue coating, and a superficial, rapid pulse or wiry, thin pulse.
Eight-Gem Decoction

Eight-Gem Decoction

Action:Boosts qi and supplements blood.
Indication:Ba Zhen Tang is intended for a syndrome of qi and blood deficiency marked by pale or withered-yellow complexion, dizziness, auditory vertigo, lassitude of the four limbs, shortness of breath, reluctance to speak, palpitations, and decreased food intake. The tongue is pale with a thin, white coating and the pulse is thready, weak or deficient, big, and weak.
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