This article is a repost with corrections to some errors mentioned by everyone, adding aliases, original plant images, etc. You can read the original text in the lower left corner! If you find it useful, feel free to share it with other classmates. For those who want to see previous content, there is a person icon in the upper right corner of the WeChat dialogue box with the medicine circle, click it to view historical messages! The article is compiled from the practicing pharmacist textbook, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 edition), “Identification of Common Chinese Medicinal Herbs” and the image database of medicinal materials from the Hong Kong Baptist University Chinese Medicine Society, among other online resources! Below is the content shared today: Bai Shao (PAEONIAE RADIX ALBA) is derived from the dried root of the plant Paeonia lactiflora Pall. of the family Ranunculaceae. Other names include
Shaoyao, Bai Shao, Bai Shao Yao, Bo Shao, Bo Bai Shao, Hang Shao, Hang Bai Shao, Chao Bai Shao, Jiao Bai Shao, Jiu Bai Shao, Hua Hou, Guan Fang, Yan You, Yu Rong, He Li, Yu Dou, Fu Ding, Fu Wang, Yu Kui, Tian Kui
provided by Lizhan (two images today)
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Main production areas include Zhejiang, Anhui, Sichuan, Guizhou, Shandong, and other provinces, all cultivated. Harvesting and processing occur in summer and autumn, where the roots are dug, cleaned, and the heads and fine roots are removed. They are boiled in water to remove the outer skin or peeled before boiling, then dried. Identification of the medicinal material
It is cylindrical, straight or slightly curved, with flat ends, measuring 5-18 cm in length and 1-2.5 cm in diameter. The surface is whitish or light brownish-red, smooth or with longitudinal wrinkles and fine root marks, occasionally with remnants of brownish outer skin. The texture is solid, not easily broken, with a relatively flat cross-section, whitish or slightly brownish-red, with distinct growth rings and radiating rays. The aroma is faint, with a slightly bitter and sour taste.
White Peony Slices
They are thin, round slices. The surface is light brownish-red or whitish, smooth. The cut surface is whitish or slightly brownish-red, with distinct growth rings, and slightly raised vein patterns arranged radially.
Fried White Peony
They resemble white peony slices. The surface is slightly yellow or light brownish-yellow, with occasional scorched spots. The aroma is faintly fragrant.
Wine White Peony
They resemble white peony slices, with a slightly yellow or light brownish-yellow surface, and occasional scorched spots. There is a faint wine aroma.
Processing methods include the following names: Bai Shao, Chao Bai Shao, Sa Bai Shao, Cu Bai Shao, Tu Chao Bai Shao.
① Bai Shao: Take the original medicinal material, remove impurities, separate by size, wash, soak until 60-70% translucent, take out and let it rest until translucent, slice thinly, and dry. Sift out fragments.
② Wine Bai Shao: Take white peony slices, add a specific amount of yellow wine, mix well, let it rest slightly, and after the wine is absorbed, place it in a frying container, heat gently, fry until dry, and let cool. Sift out fragments. For every 100 kg of white peony slices, use 10 kg of yellow wine.
③ Fried Bai Shao: Take white peony slices, place them in a frying container, heat gently, fry until the surface is slightly yellow, take out and let cool. Sift out fragments.
④ Vinegar Bai Shao: Take white peony slices, add a specific amount of rice vinegar, mix well, let it rest slightly, and after the vinegar is absorbed, place it in a frying container, heat gently, fry until dry, take out and let cool, and sift out fragments. For every 100 kg of white peony slices, use 15 kg of rice vinegar.
⑤ Tu Chao Bai Shao: Take a specific amount of stove heart soil (Fu Long Gan) fine powder, place it in a frying container, heat over medium heat until the soil is in a flexible state, add white peony slices, fry until the surface is coated with soil color and slightly scorched yellow, take out, sift out the soil powder, and spread out to cool. For every 100 kg of white peony slices, use 20 kg of stove heart soil powder.
Processing effects: Bai Shao is bitter, sour, and slightly cold. It enters the liver and spleen meridians. It has the functions of draining liver fire, calming liver yang, nourishing yin, and alleviating irritability. It is often used for liver yang rising, headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, yin deficiency with heat, irritability, and anger.
① Fried Bai Shao has a milder cold nature, primarily nourishing blood and nutrients, and stopping sweating. It is used for blood deficiency, sallow complexion, abdominal pain, diarrhea, spontaneous sweating, and night sweats.
② Wine Bai Shao reduces the cold nature of its sourness, enters the blood aspect, is good at regulating menstruation and stopping bleeding, softening the liver and relieving pain, used for liver qi stagnation with blood deficiency, flank pain, abdominal pain, irregular menstruation, and limb cramping pain.
③ Vinegar Bai Shao has the strongest effect of guiding the medicine into the liver, nourishing blood, and soothing the liver to relieve depression.
④ Tu Chao Bai Shao can utilize the earth’s energy to enter the spleen, enhancing blood nourishment and stopping diarrhea, suitable for liver excess with spleen deficiency, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Properties and flavor: sour, sweet, bitter, slightly cold. It enters the liver and spleen meridians. The characteristics of this herb are that it nourishes blood, regulates menstruation, softens the liver, relieves pain, stops sweating, and calms liver yang, with slight heat-clearing properties. It is primarily used for symptoms of yin and blood deficiency, liver excess, and yang hyperactivity, and also treats conditions like physical weakness and excessive sweating. Efficacy: nourishes blood, regulates menstruation, stops sweating, softens the liver, and relieves pain. Indications include
(1) Blood deficiency with sallow complexion, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, and excessive bleeding.
(2) Yin deficiency with night sweats and spontaneous sweating.
(3) Chest and abdominal pain due to disharmony between liver and spleen, or limb cramping pain.
(4) Headaches and dizziness due to liver yang rising.
Dosage: For internal use: decoction, 5-15 g; or in pills or powders. For nourishing blood and regulating menstruation, it is often used fried; for calming the liver and stopping sweating, it is often used raw. Caution: avoid using with Li Lu. Pharmacology: This herb has effects on regulating immune function, sedation, analgesia, relieving spasms, inhibiting platelet aggregation, dilating coronary arteries, lowering blood pressure, anti-inflammatory, and liver protection. The story of Peony
It is said that the famous physician Hua Tuo from the Three Kingdoms period had his yard filled with medicinal herbs. He had a deep understanding of these herbs. One day, he planted a peony given by a friend outside his window and studied it for several days, but found no medicinal value, so he ignored it. One night, as Hua Tuo was dozing off, he heard someone crying outside his window. He opened his eyes and saw a woman in red standing outside in the moonlight. He quickly got up and ran outside to check. However, there was no one there, only the red-flowered peony swaying gently in the wind. He was puzzled and returned to the house to wake his wife to tell her what happened. His wife laughed and said, “The Peony girl has shown her spirit. She is unhappy with your indifference.” Hua Tuo replied, “The peony indeed has little use.” His wife said, “Sister Zheng at the village head uses peony root to treat menstrual disorders, and many women secretly go to her for help.” Hua Tuo said, “Gynecological diseases are my weak point. I will go find Sister Zheng tomorrow to ask for advice.”
After consulting with Sister Zheng, Hua Tuo learned that different processing methods could turn peony root into Bai Shao and Chi Shao. Bai Shao can treat excessive menstruation and dangerous bleeding, while Chi Shao can treat amenorrhea and injuries. The dosage for both Bai Shao and Chi Shao is three qian per dose, decocted for consumption. The dosage should generally not be increased to avoid overburdening the liver. Later, Hua Tuo conducted in-depth research on Bai Shao and discovered that it treats bleeding by nourishing blood. He believed that bleeding is not simply a matter of uncontrolled bleeding, but that there is a “pathogenic factor” in the blood causing it to “run amok” or behave abnormally, so the blood must first be nourished well, and then the menstrual blood will return to normal; one cannot simply use hemostatic drugs to stop the bleeding. Bai Shao possesses excellent blood-nourishing functions in gynecology.
Hua Tuo was later killed by Cao Cao, and the medical books he wrote were lost. However, some content, including the processing methods and effects of Bai Shao and Chi Shao, was passed down through his students.