Warm, Spicy Herbs that Release the Exterior
Xiang Ru 香薷
Herba Elsholtziae Aromatic Madder, Elsholtzia
✓ CALE Exam ✓ National Exam
Materia Medica Data
- Temperature
- Slightly Warm
- Nature & Flavour
- Spicy, Aromatic, Slightly Warm
- Channels Entered
- LU, ST
- Latin (pharmaceutical)
- Herba Elsholtziae
- Chinese
- 香薷
- Tone Marks
- xiāng rú
Chinese Herb Actions
- Expels Summerheat From the Exterior and Dampness From the Interior For exterior disorders in the summer or dampness with chills, fever, headache, lack of sweat, diarrhea, and body ache.
- Promotes Urination For edema and dysuria, especially during an exterior disorder.
Chinese Herb Dosage
- 3-9 grams. Cook 10-15 minutes for exterior condition, cook longer for edema and make into a concentrated decoction.
- Part used: whole herb.
Chinese Herb Contraindications & Cautions
- Contraindicated for exterior deficiency syndrome with sweating. Add Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis (huang qin) or Rhizoma Coptidis (huang lian) to reduce tendency of this herb to cause vomiting, or take at a cool temperature.
Sources & References
Compiled and edited by Thomas Dehli, Founder & Editor, Sacred Lotus
The information here is referenced from numerous sources — teachers, practitioners, class notes from Five Branches University, the books below, and the published research literature, with citations given as resolvable PubMed identifiers. Where sources disagree, I have flagged the discrepancies directly. If facts couldn't be verified, I have left them out. How we source our content.
Reference information for students and practitioners — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner. Terms of use.
Chinese Herbs Books & References
https://amzn.to/3WfB3DK
https://amzn.to/3DR1VUh
https://amzn.to/42aMz73
https://amzn.to/3PuD4bt