This product is the mature pericarp of the shrub or small tree plant Pricklyash Peel (Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxia.) or Green Pepper (Z. schinifolium Sieb. et Zucc.) from the beautiful steetgum resin family. It is distributed in most regions of the mainland, but the best quality is produced in Sichuan, hence it is also known as Pricklyash Peel, Pricklyash Peel. The mature fruits are harvested in autumn, dried, and the seeds and impurities are removed. It is used raw or stir-fried.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Acrid, hot. act on spleen, stomach and kidney channels.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Warming the middle to relieve pain, killing worms, and stopping itching.

bubble_chart Indications

1. Used for cold in the middle abdominal pain, cold-dampness vomiting and diarrhea. This product is pungent and dispersing, warm and drying, especially effective in warming the middle and drying dampness, dissipating cold to relieve pain, and stopping vomiting and diarrhea. For treating external cold invading internally, stomach cold abdominal pain, and vomiting, it can be used in combination with Fresh Ginger Rhizome, Cardamon Fruit, etc. For treating deficiency-cold of spleen and stomach, epigastric cold pain, vomiting, and poor appetite, it is often used with Dried Ginger, Ginseng, etc., such as Major Center-Fortifying Decoction. For treating cold-dampness obstructing the middle, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, it is mostly used with Atractylodes Rhizome, Villous Amomum Fruit, Alpinia Seed, etc.
2. Used for abdominal pain due to parasitic infestation. This product has the function of expelling ascaris and killing worms. For treating abdominal pain due to parasitic infestation, cold reversal of limbs, restless vomiting of ascaris, it can be used with Smoked Plum, Dried Ginger, Phelloendron Bark, etc., such as Mume Pill. For milder cases of abdominal pain due to parasitic infestation, it can be used with Smoked Plum, Grand Torreya Seed, Quisqualis Fruit, etc. If treating enterobiasis, the decoction of this product can be used for retention enema.
3. Used for eczema cutaneous pruritus, and pruritus vulvae in women. This product has the function of killing worms, dispelling dampness, and relieving itching. It can be used alone for external washing with hot water.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Benjing: "Main pathogenic qi cough and counterflow, warming the middle, expelling dead muscles in joints and skin, cold-dampness bi pain, lowering qi."
2. Bencao Gangmu: "Dissipating cold and eliminating dampness, relieving depression and stagnation, eliminating retained food, unblocking the triple energizer, warming the spleen and stomach, tonifying the right kidney life gate, killing roundworms, stopping diarrhea."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Decoct and take 3-10g. Apply an appropriate amount externally.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains volatile oil, with the main components being geraniol, limonene, cumic alcohol, and iso-fennel fruit ether, among others. The volatile oil in this product has anesthetic and analgesic effects. It exhibits inhibitory effects against diphtheria bacillus, anthrax bacillus, pneumococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, cold-damage disease bacillus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and certain skin fungi. It also has the effect of killing Ascaris suum.

bubble_chart Supplementary Medicinals

Pricklyash Seed: The seed of Pricklyash Peel. It has a bitter and cold nature. It belongs to the lung, kidney, and bladder meridians. Its functions include unblocking water and dispersing edema, descending qi, and relieving dyspnea. It is used for conditions such as edema and fullness, phlegm-fluid retention, cough, and asthma. It is decocted and taken in doses of 3-10g.