Fleeceflower root (Zhi he shou wu)

Common name: Processed fleeceflower root
Chinese name: Zhi he shou wu
Pharmaceutical name: polygoni multiflori Radix preparata


Properties: bitter, sweet, astringent, slightly warm
Channels entered: Liver, Kidney

• Tonifies the Liver and Kidneys, nourishes the blood, and augments the essence: for patterns of yin or blood deficiency with such signs as dizziness, blurred vision, premature greying of the hair, weakness in the lower back and knees, soreness in the extremities, nocturnal emissions, and insomnia.
• Expel wind from the skin by nourishing the blood: for wind rash due to blood deficiency.

Ref: Materia Medica

Cooked rehmannia root (Shu di huang )

English name: Cooked rehmannia root
Chinese name: Shu di huang
Pharmaceutical name: rehmanniae Radix preparata




Properties: sweet, slightly warm

• Tonifies the blood: for blood deficiency with such symptoms as facial pallor, dizziness, palpitations, and insomnia. Very commonly used when blood deficiency leads to such a problems as irregular menstruation, uterine bleeding, and postpartum bleeding.
• Nourishes the Yin: for liver and kidney yin deficiency with symptoms as weak lower back and limbs, dizziness, tinnitus, tidal fevers, night sweats, and nocturnal emissions.
• Strongly enriches the yin and relieves wasting and thirsting disorder: especially useful for lower burner wasting; can be used as a stand-alone herb in large doses for this problem.
• Nourishes the blood and tonify the essence: for problems with both blood and essence such as delayed development during childhood, blunted effect, premature againg, diminished mental acuity, greying of hair, impotence, and memory loss.

Ref: Materia medica, Bensky Dan, Clavy Steven, Stoger Erich.3rd edition. 2004.

Tonifying Blood herbs

Introductory:

The herbs in this section are used for treating patterns of blood deficiency; they nourish the blood. Among the primary manifestations of blood deficiency are pallid face and lips, dizziness, vertigo, diminished vision, lethargy, palpitation, dry skin, menstrual irregularities, pale tongue, and a fine pulse.

These herbs are usually very effective when combined with other herbs that tonify yin and Qi.

It is important to remember that because most of these herbs are cloying in nature, overuse causes indigestion, to counteract this effect, herbs that strengthen the stomach are often added to prescriptions for tonifying the blood.