This product is the tuber of the perennial herb Pinellia (Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit.) from the Arisaema family. It is widely distributed in most regions of mainland China, primarily produced in Sichuan, Hubei, Jiangsu, and Anhui. The tubers are harvested during the summer and autumn when the stems and leaves are lush. After removing the outer skin and fibrous roots, they are dried to produce raw Pinellia, which is typically processed with ginger juice and alum for medicinal use.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

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

bubble_chart Efficacy

Drying dampness and resolving phlegm, downbearing counterflow to stop vomiting, relieving stuffiness and dissipating masses; external application for subduing swelling to relieve pain.

bubble_chart Indications

1. Used for damp phlegm, cold-phlegm pattern. This product is pungent, warm, and drying, serving as an essential herb for drying dampness and resolving phlegm, warming and resolving cold-phlegm. It is particularly effective in treating damp phlegm in the zang-fu organs. For treating cough with qi counterflow due to phlegm-dampness obstructing the lungs, with thick and sticky sputum, it is often combined with tangerine peel, such as in Two Old Ingredients Decoction; for treating damp phlegm vertigo, it is combined with Gastrodia Tuber, White Atractylodes Rhizome to resolve phlegm and calm wind, as in Pinellia, White Atractylodes and Gastrodia Decoction. In recent years, clinical practice has shown that a decoction primarily composed of Pinellia for resolving phlegm and relieving stuffy orifices (Pinellia, White Atractylodes Rhizome, raw Arisaema, Alisma, Acorus, Cinnamon Twig, Chrysanthemum Flower) is effective in treating otogenic vertigo. For treating excessive damp phlegm and disharmony of stomach qi leading to restless sleep at night, it is combined with Glutinous Sorghum to resolve phlegm, harmonize the middle, and tranquilize the mind.
2. Used for stomach qi ascending counterflow vomiting. Pinellia is an essential herb for stopping vomiting. It can be used in combination with other medicinals according to the syndrome for vomiting due to various causes, especially for vomiting due to phlegm-fluid retention or stomach cold. It is often combined with Fresh Ginger Rhizome, such as in Minor Pinellia Decoction; for stomach heat vomiting, it is combined with Coptis Rhizome; for stomach yin deficiency vomiting, it is combined with stone, Ophiopogon Tuber; for stomach qi deficiency vomiting, it is combined with Ginseng, white honey, such as in Major Pinellia Decoction. As for vomiting of pregnancy, although there is a contraindication during pregnancy, it has been used in combination with herbs that support the body and calm the fetus throughout history. In modern times, it has been made into an injection for intramuscular use to treat various types of vomiting.
3. Used for epigastric stuffiness, thoracic accumulation, globus hystericus, etc. Pinellia is pungent and opens, disperses accumulation, resolves phlegm, and relieves stuffiness. For treating epigastric stuffiness and fullness due to dampness-heat obstruction, it is combined with Dried Ginger, Coptis Rhizome, Skullcap Root, to disperse stagnation and purge heat with bitter and pungent medicinals, open stuffiness, and disperse accumulation, such as in Pinellia Heart-Draining Decoction; for treating phlegm heat accumulation in the chest, it is combined with Trichosanthis Fruit, Coptis Rhizome, such as in Minor Chest Bind Decoction; for treating globus hystericus due to qi depression and phlegm coagulation, it is combined with Perilla Leaf, Magnolia Bark, Poria, etc., to regulate qi and relieve depression, resolve phlegm and dissipate mass, such as in Pinellia and Magnolia Bark Decoction.
4. Used for goiter, subcutaneous nodules, Yongju swelling and toxins, and poisonous snake bites, etc. This product can be taken internally to disperse phlegm and dissipate accumulation, and applied externally to subdue swelling and relieve pain. For treating goiter and subcutaneous nodules, it is combined with kelp, seaweed, Fritillaria Bulb, etc.; for treating Yongju back gangrene, innominate swelling pain, and poisonous snake bites, the raw product is ground into powder and applied topically or the fresh product is pounded and applied.
5. Modern clinical practice also uses the raw product ground into powder for local external application to treat cervical erosion effectively, and its chloroform extract is even better; it is also used in combination with Arisaema in equal amounts, ground into powder and taken as pills to treat coronary heart disease, with certain efficacy in relieving heart colicky pain and improving electrocardiogram; it is combined with Acorus, ground into powder, and blown into the nose to induce sneezing for treating supraventricular tachycardia; and the raw Pinellia is combined with other drugs to treat tumors, etc.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Bielu: "Resolves phlegm-heat fullness and binding in the heart, abdomen, chest, and diaphragm, cough with abnormal rising of qi, epigastric distress and pain, hardness and stuffiness, seasonal epidemic with retching and counterflow, disperses welling-abscesses and swelling, early abortion."
2. Yixue Qiyuan: "Treats cold phlegm and cough due to injury of the lung by cold drinks and cold form, greatly harmonizes stomach qi, eliminates stomach cold, promotes eating and drinking. Treats taiyin phlegm syncope headache, which cannot be resolved without this."
3. "The Secret Essentials of Treatment" states: "Dries stomach dampness, resolves phlegm, boosts spleen and stomach qi, subdues swelling and dissipates bind, eliminates phlegm and saliva in the chest."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Decoct and take 3-10g, generally processed before use. Processed Pinellia includes Ginger Pinellia, Pro Formula Pinellia, etc. Ginger Pinellia is effective in downbearing counterflow to stop vomiting; Pro Formula Pinellia excels in drying dampness and has a milder warm nature. Fermented Pinellia has the function of resolving phlegm and promoting digestion. As for Bamboo Juice Pinellia, its medicinal property changes from warm to cool, capable of clearing and resolving heat phlegm, mainly treating heat phlegm and wind phlegm syndromes. Apply an appropriate amount externally.

bubble_chart Cautions and Contraindications

Aconite Mother Root is warm and dry in nature. Generally, it should be used with caution for yin deficiency with dry cough, hemorrhagic syndrome, heat phlegm, and dry phlegm. However, it can also be used for heat-phlegm pattern when combined with other medicinals.

This product contains β-sitosterol and glucosides, various amino acids and volatile oils, saponins, pungent alcohols, choline, levo-ephedrine alkaloids, and a small amount of fat, starch, etc.

• It has a sedative effect on the cough center, can relieve bronchial spasms, and reduce bronchial secretions, thus exerting a cough-relieving and phlegm-dispelling effect;
• it can inhibit the vomiting center to stop vomiting;
• the derivatives of glucuronic acid contained in it have a significant detoxifying effect;
• Pinellia has a notable anti-early pregnancy effect in mice, and its decoction can reduce intraocular pressure in rabbits.