This product is the rhizome of the perennial herb Lesser Galangal Rhizome (Alpinia officinarum Hance) from the ginger family. Also known as Galangal. It is mainly produced in Guangdong, Guangxi, Taiwan, and other regions. The rhizomes, which have grown for 4 to 6 years, are excavated in late summer and early autumn. The above-ground stems, fibrous roots, and residual scales are removed, then washed, cut into sections, and dried in the sun. Used in its raw form.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Acrid, hot. act on spleen and stomach channels.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Dissipating cold to relieve pain, warming middle and arresting vomiting.

bubble_chart Indications

1. Used for stomach cold and cold pain. This product is pungent and dispersing, warm and unblocking, good at dissipating cold to relieve pain, and is a commonly used medicine for treating stomach cold and epigastric cold pain. It is often used in mutual reinforcement with Blast-Fried Ginger, such as in Two Ginger Pills. If treating stomach cold and liver depression, epigastric distension and fullness pain, it is often used in combination with Cyperus to soothe the liver and relieve depression, dissipate cold and relieve pain, such as in Lesser Galangal and Cyperus Pill.
2. Used for stomach cold vomiting syndrome. This product has the effects of warming and dispersing cold pathogens, downbearing counterflow to stop vomiting, and can be used with Pinellia, Fresh Ginger Rhizome, etc. If treating deficiency-cold vomiting, it can be used with Tangshen, Poria, White Atractylodes Rhizome, etc.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Bielu: "The lord suffers from severe cold, cold reversal in the stomach, cholera abdominal pain."
2. Bencao Gangmu: "Shiquan Fangyan: For cold pain in the heart and spleen, use Lesser Galangal Rhizome, finely chopped and slightly fried into powder, take one qian with rice water, and it will stop immediately."
3. Bencao Congxin: "Warms the stomach, disperses cold, aids digestion, sobers up, treats cold pain in the stomach."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Decoct and take 3-10g; take as powder, 3g each time.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains volatile oil. The main components in the oil are 1,8-cineole and methyl cinnamate. In addition, it also contains Lesser Galangal Rhizome element, Lesser Galangal Rhizome phenol, etc.

• The 0.25%～0.75% decoction of this product with water has an excitatory effect on isolated intestinal tubes; the 1%～1.25% decoction with water and the saturated water solution of volatile oil show inhibitory effects.
• The decoction of this product has varying degrees of inhibitory effects on Bacillus anthracis, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, hemolytic streptococcus, Bacillus subtilis, Diplococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, etc.