Aromatic Herbs That Transform Dampness herbs traditional chinese medicine Bai Dou Kou Round Cardamon Fruit, White Cardamon Cang Zhu Atractylodes Cao Dou Kou Katsumadai, Grass Cardamon Hou Po Magnolia Bark Huo Xiang Patchouli Pei Lan Orchid Sha Ren Cardamon

Aromatic Herbs That Transform Dampness

Function Overview

  • The concept of dampness indicates a damp pathogenic influence which causes stagnation in the middle warmer (i.e. the Stomach and Spleen Channels).
  • General symptoms are - distension and fullness in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting or spitting up of sour fluids, absence of thirst, loss of appetite, diarrhea with some difficult in defecation, headache, body aches, etc.
  • The tongue will generally have a greasy coating (either white or yellow) and the pulse will often be soggy.
  • Aromatic herbs are used to revive the spleen with their fragrance and their strong effect in the transformation of dampness.
  • The majority of the herbs in this section are acrid, warm, aromatic, and dry - all properties which can potentially exhaust qi and injure the yin.

Summary & Key Herbs

  • Pei Lan, Huo Xiang - acrid and aromatic, transform dampness, good for damp-summerheat disorders, often used together.
    • Pei Lan - excess salivation, sticky sensation in mouth.
    • Huo Xiang - releasing exterior and stopping vomiting.
  • Cang Zhu, Hou Po - transform dampness and are often used together in treating abdominal distention, vomiting, diarrhea.
    • Cang Zhu - more effective for drying dampness and expelling wind-damp.
    • Hou Po - more for dispelling fullness and distention.
  • Sha Ren, Bai Dou Kou - used together in treating pain and distention of abdomen, vomiting, diarrhea.
    • Sha Ren - for middle and lower jiao issues, diarrhea.
    • Bai Dou Kou - for upper and middle jiao issues, vomiting.
    • Cao Dou Kou - similar to above 2 herbs, but stronger in the warming and drying functions - for ascendant damp-cold in the spleen and stomach.

7 herbs in this functional category.

BCHPS