bubble_chart Source

This product is the above-ground part of the perennial herb patchouli (Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth.) from the Lamiaceae family. It is mainly produced in Guangdong. It is harvested during the summer and autumn when the branches and leaves are lush. It is used fresh by cutting into sections, or dried in the shade for use.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Acrid, slightly warm. act on spleen, stomach and lung channels.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Resolving dampness, relieving summer heat, and stopping vomiting.

bubble_chart Indications

1. This product is an essential medicine for resolving dampness and turbidity, used for damp stagnation in the middle energizer syndrome/pattern. If dampness turbidity internally obstructs, causing middle qi to not circulate, resulting in symptoms such as abdominal stuffiness, reduced appetite, nausea, mental fatigue, and physical tiredness, it is often used in combination with Atractylodes Rhizome, Magnolia Bark, etc., such as in Priceless Qi-Righting Powder.
2. It is used for summerheat-dampness syndrome/pattern and the initial stage of dampness warm disease, capable of both resolving dampness and releasing the exterior. It treats external contraction of wind-cold in the summer months, internal damage from cold and raw foods, leading to aversion to cold with fever, headache, abdominal stuffiness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It is combined with Perilla Leaf, Magnolia Bark, Pinellia, etc., such as in Patchouli Qi-Righting Powder. If dampness warm disease is in its initial stage with equal emphasis on dampness and heat, it is often used with Skullcap Root, Talc, Virgate Wormwood, etc., such as in Sweet Dew Detoxicating Pill.
3. It is used for vomiting, capable of both resolving dampness and harmonizing the middle to stop vomiting. It is most effective for vomiting caused by dampness turbidity obstructing the middle, often combined with Pinellia; for cases leaning towards cold-dampness, it can be combined with Clove, Cardamon Fruit, etc.; for cases leaning towards dampness-heat, it is combined with Coptis Rhizome, Bamboo Shavings, etc.; for vomiting of pregnancy, it is combined with Villous Amomum Fruit, cultivated purple perilla stem, etc.; for spleen-stomach weakness, it is combined with Tangshen, White Atractylodes Rhizome, etc.

Patchouli leaves are more inclined to release the exterior, while Patchouli stems are more inclined to harmonize the middle. Fresh Patchouli has a stronger ability to relieve summerheat. In summer, it can be brewed as a tea substitute and used as a clearing summerheat beverage.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Bencao Tujing: "It is the most essential medicine for treating vomiting due to spleen and stomach disorders."
2. Bencaozheng Yi Pill: "Patchouli is fragrant without being overly intense, warming without being excessively drying. It can dispel dampness and evil pathogens, aiding the healthy qi of the spleen and stomach. It is the most effective medicine for conditions such as spleen yang constrained by dampness, fatigue and weakness, poor appetite, and a turbid tongue coating."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Decoct and take 5-10g. Double the amount for fresh products.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

Patchouli contains volatile oil, with the main components being patchouli alcohol and pogostemon alcohol. The volatile oil can promote gastric juice secretion, enhance digestion, and has an antispasmodic effect on the gastrointestinal tract. It also has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Additionally, it has astringent and antidiarrheal effects, as well as the ability to slightly dilate capillaries and induce mild sweating.