PinyinRòu Guì
Alias Mǔ Guì (“Běn Jīng”), Zǐ Guì (“Yào Xìng Lùn”), Dà Guì (“Táng Běn Cǎo”), Là Guì (“Rén Zhāi Zhí Zhǐ Fāng”), Guì Pí (“Běn Cǎo Shù”), Yù Guì (“Běn Cǎo Qiú Yuán”).
Source “Táng Běn Cǎo”
Origin The dried bark and branch bark of the Lauraceae plant, Cinnamon. Generally harvested from August to October, the bark is stripped from the tree at a certain width and processed into different specifications, mainly including the following types:
① Guān Guì: Bark stripped from the trunks and thick branches of cultivated young trees aged 5-6 years, sun-dried for 1-2 days, then rolled into cylindrical shapes and air-dried.
② Qì Biān Guì: Bark stripped from trees over ten years old, with both ends trimmed evenly, placed between wooden concave and convex boards, and dried.
③ Bǎn Guì: Bark stripped from older cinnamon trees, with a circular incision made 30 cm above the ground, the bark peeled off, stacked and pressed until completely dried after about a month.
As for “Guì Xīn”, it refers to the edge strips removed during the processing of cinnamon. All types of cinnamon products should be stored in a dry, cool place or in sealed tin boxes.
Habitat Distribution Cultivated in sandy soil and sloped mountainous areas. Distributed in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, etc. Mainly produced in Guangxi, Guangdong, and Yunnan.
Plant Morphology Cinnamon, also known as Guì Mù (“Shān Hǎi Jīng”), Cōng, Mù Guì (“Ěr Yǎ”), Guì Tóng (“Ěr Yǎ” Guō Pú annotation), Kāng Guì.
It is an evergreen tree, 12-17 meters tall. The bark is gray-brown and aromatic, with young branches slightly quadrangular. The leaves are alternate, leathery; elongated oval to nearly lanceolate, 8-17 cm long, 3.5-6 cm wide, with a pointed tip and blunt base, entire margin, green and glossy on top, gray-green underneath with fine soft hairs; with three prominent veins at the base, and fine veins running parallel; petioles robust, 1-2 cm long. The inflorescence is a cone-shaped cluster, axillary or near the apex, 10-19 cm long, covered with short soft hairs; flowers small, about 3 cm in diameter; pedicels about 5 mm long; the corolla tube is about 2 mm long, with 6 lobes, yellow-green, oval, about 3 mm long, densely covered with short soft hairs inside and outside; there are 9 stamens in 3 whorls, the anthers are oval, 4-locular, with the outer 2 whorls having no glands, the inner whorl facing inward, the third whorl facing outward, with 2 glands at the base of the filaments, and one whorl of degenerate stamens inside, the anthers heart-shaped; the pistil is slightly shorter than the stamens, the ovary is oval, 1-locular, with 1 ovule, the style is slender and nearly equal in length to the ovary, the stigma is slightly disc-shaped. The fruit is oval or obovate, slightly flat at the tip, dark purple, about 12-13 mm long, with persistent calyx. The seeds are elongated oval and purple. Flowering period is from May to July. The tender branches (Guì Zhī) and immature fruits (Guì Dīng) are also used medicinally, detailed in specific sections.
Properties ① Guān Guì (“Běn Cǎo Tú Jīng”)
Also known as: Jūn Guì (“Běn Jīng” alternatively written as Jùn Guì), Tǒng Guì (“Táng Běn Cǎo”), Guì Ér Tōng, Guì Tōng, Tiáo Guì. It is semi-grooved or cylindrical, about 40 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, with a thickness of 1-3 mm. The outer surface is gray-brown, with fine wrinkles and small cracks, the bark pores are oval, occasionally with raised transverse lines and gray spots; when the cork is scraped off, the surface is smoother, reddish-brown, commonly referred to as “Guì Xīn”. The inner surface is dark reddish-brown and granular. It is hard and brittle, with a purple-red or brown-red cross-section, showing light-colored stone cell clusters, and the fracture is ring-shaped. It has a fragrant aroma and a sweet-spicy taste.
② Qì Biān Guì
Also known as: Qīng Huà Guì. It is long and flat, with both sides curling inward, the center slightly concave, 40-50 cm long, 4.5-6 cm wide, and 3-6 mm thick. The outer surface is gray-brown, and the inner surface is reddish-brown, showing brown oily patterns when scratched with a fingernail. It has a strong aroma, otherwise similar to Guān Guì.
③ Bǎn Guì (“Běn Cǎo Tú Jīng”)
Also known as: Guì Nán. It is plate-like, usually 30-40 cm long, 5-12 cm wide, and about 4 mm thick, with rough cut surfaces at both ends.
All of the above are best when the bark is fine and the flesh is thick, with a purple-red cross-section, high oil content, strong aroma, sweet and slightly spicy taste, and no residue when chewed.
Toxicity Cinnamon is a warm and spicy herb, with “slight toxicity” recorded in herbal texts, and should not be used in excessive amounts. There have been reports of dizziness, blurred vision, eye pressure, cough, reduced urination, thirst, and rapid pulse after taking 1.2 taels of cinnamon powder at once, which gradually subsided after switching to cold herbs for 1-2 weeks.
Chemical Composition The bark contains volatile oil (known as cinnamon oil) at 1-2%, with the main component being cinnamaldehyde at 75-90%, along with small amounts of cinnamic acid esters and phenylpropanoids. This product does not contain eugenol. It also contains mucilage, tannins, etc.
Pharmacological Effects ① Effects on the Central Nervous System
Cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon has a significant sedative effect on mice, manifested as reduced spontaneous activity. It counteracts excessive activity induced by methamphetamine, motor coordination issues in the rotarod test, and prolongs the anesthetic time of cyclohexyl barbiturate. It has been proven to have analgesic effects through tail pressure stimulation in mice or intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid to observe twisting movements. It has a cooling effect on normal body temperature in mice and on artificially induced fever caused by typhoid and paratyphoid mixed vaccines. Cinnamaldehyde and sodium cinnamate have antipyretic effects on rabbits with fever induced by thermal stimulation. It can delay the onset of tonic seizures and death caused by strychnine and reduce the incidence of tonic seizures and death caused by nicotine. It is ineffective against those induced by pentobarbital.
② Antihypertensive Effects
The combination of Fu Zi and cinnamon has antihypertensive effects on rats with adrenal cortical hypertension (model formed by burning one side of the adrenal gland); it has no effect on renal hypertension rats (model formed by ligating the kidney in a figure-eight shape). This effect may be due to the promotion of reduced adrenal activity, bringing it back to normal.
③ Preventive Effects against Schistosomiasis
Mice were given an oral decoction (variety unspecified) of 0.2 ml/10 g body weight (10.8 g/180 ml) daily for 15 days, and there was no preventive effect against schistosomiasis infection on the third day of medication; however, when used in combination with realgar, betel nut, and ferula, it showed some effectiveness.
④ Other Effects
Cinnamon oil has a strong antibacterial effect, better against Gram-positive bacteria than negative ones. Due to its irritant nature, it is rarely used as an antibacterial drug, but it can be applied externally to treat stomach pain, gastrointestinal bloating, and cramping. Internally, it can be used as a stomach tonic and carminative. It also has significant antifungal effects and has been used in a mixture containing 1.5% cinnamon oil and 0.5% thyme phenol to treat tinea capitis. Cinnamaldehyde and sodium cinnamate can cause vasodilation in frog web membranes and increase white blood cells in rabbits.
Preparation Clean impurities, scrape off the rough bark, crush when needed; or scrape off the rough bark, soak in warm water for a moment, slice, and dry.
Meridian Entry Enters the Kidney, Spleen, and Bladder meridians.
① “Zhēn Zhū Náng”: “Tai Yang Meridian.” “Foot Shao Yin Meridian.”
② “Léi Gōng Pào Zhì Yào Xìng Jiě”: “Enters the Heart, Spleen, Lung, and Kidney meridians.”
③ “Běn Cǎo Jīng Shū”: “Enters the Hand and Foot Shao Yin, Jue Yin blood divisions.”
Flavor and Properties Spicy and sweet, warm,
① “Běn Jīng”: “Taste is spicy, warm.”
② “Bié Lù”: “Taste is sweet and spicy, very warm, with slight toxicity.”
③ “Yào Xìng Lùn”: “Taste is bitter and spicy, non-toxic.”
④ “Yī Xué Qǐ Yuán”: “Aroma is warm, taste is very spicy.”
Precautions Avoid use in cases of Yin deficiency with excess heat, and use cautiously in pregnant women.
① “Bié Lù”: “If combined with ginseng, licorice, Ophiopogon, rhubarb, and Scutellaria, it can regulate the middle and tonify Qi; if combined with Bupleurum, purple stone quartz, and Rehmannia, it can treat nausea and vomiting.”
② “Yào Duì”: “Avoid with stone resin.”
③ “Běn Cǎo Jīng Shū”: “Avoid in cases of blood collapse, blood in urine, Yin deficiency with vomiting blood, coughing blood, nasal bleeding, and tooth bleeding, sweating blood, urinary issues due to heat, constipation due to heat, lung heat cough, excessive postpartum bleeding, and blood deficiency with fever, postpartum blood deficiency with cold and heat, and various other conditions related to Yin deficiency and excess heat.”
④ “Běn Cǎo Tōng Xuán”: “Avoid exposure to fire.”
⑤ “Dé Pèi Běn Cǎo”: “Avoid in cases of phlegm cough, throat pain, blood deficiency with internal dryness, pregnancy, and postpartum blood heat.”
⑥ “Běn Cǎo Qiú Zhēn”: “Avoid in cases of essence deficiency and blood loss, and excessive liver fire.”
Functions and Indications Tonifies the Yang, warms the Spleen and Stomach, eliminates cold accumulation, and promotes blood circulation. Treats kidney Yang deficiency, cold limbs, weak pulse, Yang collapse, abdominal pain and diarrhea, cold hernia, low back and knee pain, menstrual disorders, Yin sores, and floating Yang with upper heat and lower cold.
① “Běn Jīng”: “Indicated for cough with Qi counterflow, throat obstruction, joint pain, and tonifying the middle and benefiting Qi.”
② “Bié Lù”: “Indicated for heart pain, flank wind, flank pain, warming the tendons, promoting circulation, stopping restlessness, and sweating. Indicated for warming the middle, benefiting liver and lung Qi, cold and heat in the heart and abdomen, cholera, cramping, headache, low back pain, stopping salivation, cough, and nasal congestion; can induce labor, strengthen bones and joints, promote blood circulation, and assist in the absorption of other herbs.”
③ “Yào Xìng Lùn”: “Indicated for various types of heart pain, killing three worms, breaking blood stasis, promoting menstruation, treating soft feet, numbness, retained placenta, relieving cough and counterflow, treating abdominal cold pain, and stopping diarrhea and nasal polyps. Kills plant and animal toxins.”
④ “Rì Huā Zǐ Běn Cǎo”: “Treats all wind conditions, tonifies the five labor injuries, opens the nine orifices, promotes joint health, benefits essence, brightens vision, warms the lower back and knees, breaks phlegm and stasis, and treats wind bi and joint contractions, and promotes muscle growth.”
⑤ “Zhēn Zhū Náng”: “Eliminates wind evil, treats lower abdominal pain in autumn and winter.”
Dosage and Administration Internal use: decoction, 0.5-1.5 qian; or in pills or powders. External use: ground into powder for topical application or soaked in alcohol for rubbing.
Formulas ① For kidney Qi deficiency, lower back coldness, abdominal pain, frequent urination at night, weak legs, fatigue, dark complexion, loss of appetite; foot Qi rising, numbness in the lower abdomen; deficiency fatigue, thirst; heavy low back pain, tightness in the lower abdomen, difficulty urinating; male diabetes with frequent urination; female menstrual issues with difficulty urinating, etc.: Peony root, white poria, and water plantain each 3 liang, cooked Rehmannia 8 liang, cornelian cherry and Chinese yam each 4 liang, Fu Zi (processed, peeled, and pitted) and cinnamon (peeled) each 2 liang. Grind into powder, mix with honey to form pills the size of a wutong seed. Take 15-25 pills with warm wine before meals, twice daily. (“Jù Fāng” Eight Flavor Pill, also known as “Jīn Guì” Kidney Qi Pill)
② For insufficient original Yang, declining Mingmen fire, cold Spleen and Stomach, reduced appetite, or nausea and bloating; or stomach upset, or fear of cold, or abdominal pain, or loose stools, or frequent urination, or cold hernia, or cold invading the lower body causing joint pain, or cold in the lower body causing water retention, and true Yang deficiency with fatigue and weakness, palpitations, and inability to gather energy: Cooked Rehmannia 8 liang, Chinese yam (stir-fried) 4 liang, cornelian cherry (slightly stir-fried) 3 liang, goji berries (slightly stir-fried) 4 liang, deer antler glue (stir-fried) 4 liang, dodder seed (processed) 4 liang, eucommia (stir-fried with ginger soup) 4 liang, angelica 3 liang (avoid if loose stools), cinnamon 2 liang (can gradually increase to 4 liang), processed Fu Zi 2 liang (can gradually increase to 5-6 liang). First, steam the cooked Rehmannia until soft, then grind into a paste, mix with honey to form pills the size of a ball. Chew 2-3 pills and take with warm white soup. (“Jǐng Yuè Quán Shū” Right Return Pill)
③ For summer heat invasion, excessive drinking, Spleen and Stomach dampness, inability to distinguish clear from turbid, Yin and Yang Qi counterflow, cholera, vomiting, and organ dysfunction: Licorice (chopped, 30 jin), dried ginger (stir-fried) 4 jin, apricot kernels (peeled, pointed, sand-fried) 4 jin 4 liang, cinnamon (peeled, roasted) 4 jin. First, stir-fry licorice with white sand until 80% cooked, then add dried ginger and stir-fry until the ginger cracks, then add apricot kernels and stir-fry until they stop making noise, then sift and grind the cinnamon into powder. Take 2 qian, decoct until 70% remaining, strain and take warm. If restless, can be mixed with well water for drinking, or hot soup can also be used. (“Jù Fāng” Dà Jiǎo San. Note: The preparation method and dosage of dried ginger and apricot kernels are originally missing, according to “Pǔ Jì Fāng” reference to Sān Yí Táng for supplementation)
④ For cold Qi attacking the heart and abdominal pain, frequent vomiting, and loss of appetite: Guì Xīn 1 liang, high-quality ginger 1 liang (chopped), angelica 1 liang (chopped, slightly stir-fried), cardamom 1.5 liang (peeled), magnolia bark 2 liang (peeled, coated with ginger juice (stir-fried) until fragrant). Ginseng 1 liang (remove the fibrous root). Grind and sift into powder, take 3 qian with 1 medium cup of water, decoct until 60% remaining, strain, and take warm without time limit. (“Shèng Huì Fāng” Guì Xīn San)
⑤ For prolonged cold accumulation, abdominal pain, flank distension, diarrhea, and self-sweating, food not digesting: Piper, cinnamon each 4 jin, dried ginger (stir-fried), high-quality ginger each 6 jin. Grind into fine powder, boil with flour to form pills the size of a wutong seed. Take 20 pills with rice soup before meals. (“Jù Fāng” Dà Yǐ Hán Wán)
⑥ For nine types of heart pain, causing discomfort: Guì Xīn 0.5 liang. Grind into powder, take with 1 cup of wine, decoct until half a cup remains, strain, and take warm. (“Shèng Huì Fāng”)
⑦ For prolonged diarrhea and water retention: Cinnamon (peeled), Fu Zi (stir-fried, peeled), dried ginger (stir-fried), red stone resin each 1 liang. Grind into powder, mix with honey to form pills the size of a wutong seed, take 20 pills with rice soup before meals, three times daily. (“Shèn Jì Zǒng Lù” Guì Fù Wán)
⑧ For cold hernia causing abdominal pain: Guì Xīn 4 liang, fresh ginger 3 liang, Wu Zhu Yu 2 liang. Cut into pieces, use 1 large sheng of wine, decoct until 3 cups remain, strain, and divide into three warm doses, taken after walking 6-7 li. Avoid raw scallions. (“Yáo Sēng Tǎn Jí Yàn Fāng” Zhù Xīn Tāng)
⑨ For hernia and abdominal distension: Cinnamon, dried ginger, and fennel each 5 qian, peony root, wood fragrance, and betel nut each 2 qian, licorice 5 fen; decoct in water. (“Fāng Mài Zhèng Zōng”)
⑩ For true cold low back pain, tight pulse, blue tongue, contracted scrotum, and shivering: Internal cinnamon 3 qian, Fu Zi 3-4 qian (use raw Fu Zi in emergencies), eucommia 2 qian, take warm. (“Huì Yuè Yī Jìng” Guì Fù Dù Zhòng Táng)
⑾ For postpartum abdominal pain: Cinnamon (powder), take with warm wine, 1 tablespoon, three times daily. (“Zhǒu Hòu Fāng”)
⑿ For postpartum residual cold, diarrhea with pus and blood, frequent bowel movements, abdominal pain with blood: Guì Xīn and licorice each 2 liang, white honey 1 sheng, dried ginger 2 liang, angelica 3 liang, red stone resin 10 liang (wrapped in cotton), Fu Zi 1 liang (stir-fried, peeled, broken). Combine the seven ingredients, boil with 6 sheng of water until 3 sheng remain, add honey, boil again, and divide into three doses. (“Qiān Jīn Yì Fāng” Guì Xīn Táng)
⒀ For children’s diarrhea with red and white: Guì Xīn and Huang Lián in equal parts. Grind into powder, form small white dough balls the size of a mung bean, take 30 balls with rice soup. (“Pǔ Jì Fāng” Guì Lián Wán)
⒁ For children’s nocturnal enuresis, unaware: Guān Guì (powdered), rooster liver in equal parts. Mash, form pills the size of green beans, take with warm soup, three times daily. (“Wàn Bìng Huí Chūn” Guì Gān Wán)
⒂ For wind-heel pain, bone sores, and all Yin sores: Cooked Rehmannia 1 liang, cinnamon 1 qian (peeled, ground), ephedra 5 fen, deer antler glue 3 qian, white mustard seed 2 qian, ginger carbon 5 fen, fresh licorice 1 qian. Decoction. (“Wài Kē Quán Shēng Jí” Yáng Hé Táng)
⒃ For trauma and internal bruising: Guì Xīn and angelica each 2 liang, pollen 1 sheng. Combine the three ingredients, strain, and take with wine, 1 tablespoon, three times daily. (“Qiān Jīn Fāng”)
⒄ For psoriasis: Guān Guì, ginger, and xixin each 5 fen, and ten blister beetles (crushed). Soak in 3 liang of white wine for seven days, shaking once daily to extract effective components, filter to obtain clear juice, and to moderate the local irritation of white wine, add 30 ml of glycerin. First, wash the affected area with warm water to soften, then apply the medicinal liquid once daily or every other day. Avoid alcohol and spicy foods. (“Zhōng Yào Tōng Bào” 1:10, 1957)
⒅ For throat pain and throat obstruction due to Yin deficiency and fire: Cinnamon, dried ginger, and licorice each 5 fen. Grind finely, steep in boiling water, place the bowl in boiling water, steep again, and swallow slowly. First, dip a goose feather in tung oil, insert it into the throat to roll out phlegm, and taking the medicine will be more effective. (“Wài Kē Quán Shēng Jí” Dù Jiāng Táng)
Clinical Applications Treatment of bronchial asthma: Take 1 gram of cinnamon powder, add 10 ml of anhydrous alcohol, let it sit for 10 hours, then take 0.15-0.3 ml of the supernatant mixed with 2% procaine to 2 ml, and inject into both sides of the Pēng Yú (肺俞) acupuncture point, 1 ml per point. In a study of 21 cases, except for 1 case with no effect and 1 case with reduced symptoms, the rest all achieved control over asthma attacks. Among them, 1 case only needed 2 injections, and asthma did not occur again. Follow-up after one month showed that 5 cases had not relapsed. For those with bronchitis and cough with phlegm, some expectorants such as Platycodon, Fritillaria, Aster, and White Peony root were given. No severe reactions were observed during the treatment, and generally, after the injection, only a feeling of warmth in the Pēng Yú area and chest was reported, or dryness in the throat, occasionally with a cinnamon taste in the breath, or slight pain radiating to the back, with a few local injections showing small raised lumps the size of a quail egg, with slight tenderness, which generally disappeared after about a week. As a precaution, those with asthma combined with progressive pulmonary tuberculosis, or heart function compensation failure and severe weakness should avoid use.
Note “Běn Jīng” mentions Mǔ Guì and Jūn Guì, while “Míng Yī Bié Lù” also establishes a separate entry for “Guì”. “Běn Cǎo Gāng Mù” considers Guì to be Mǔ Guì and combines the two into one entry. It also states: “Guì is also Ròu Guì,” indicating that Mǔ Guì and Ròu Guì are the same. As for Jūn Guì, Tao Hongjing described it as “perfectly round like bamboo,” while “Tú Jīng” states: “The bark is greenish-yellow, thinly rolled like a scroll, also known as Tǒng Guì.” Therefore, Jūn Guì is likely the same as Guān Guì today.
Excerpt from “Zhōng Yào Dà Cí Diǎn”