Radix Glehniae (Beishashen) ——Glehnia Root
Origin
Glehnia Root is the dried root of Glehnia littoralis Fr. Schmidt ex Miq. The drug is collected in summer and autumn,removed from rootlet, washed clean,dried slightly in the air,treated with boiling water, peeled and dried, or dried immediatley directly after washing.
Description and Identification
Slenderly cylindrical,branching occassionally, 15 ~ 45cm long,0.4 ~ 1.2cm in diameter. Externally yellowish-white,slightly rough, occasionally with patches of cork adhering,or yellowish-brown when unpeeled,finely wrinkled longitudinally,and with brownish-yellow spotted rootlet scars. Top usually with yellowish-brown remains of rhizome. The upper part somewhat thin,the middle part relatively thick,and the lower part gradually tapering. Texture fragile,easily broken, fracture yellowish-white in bark and yellow in wood. Odour characteristic; taste .sweetish.
Chemical Ingredients
It has many kinds of coumarin genre compounds, including psoralen, bergapten, and xanthotoxin. And it also has amy lose, phospholipid, etc.
Property and Channel Tropism
Property: sweet and slightly bitter in taste, slightly cold in nature. Channel tropism: lung, stomach.
Action and Indications
To replenish yin of the lung and stomach, remove heat from the lung, and promote fluid secretion. Dry cough caused by heat in the lung; bloody sputum in phthisis; thirst in febrile diseases.
Precaution
Incompatible with Rhizoma et Radix Veratri.
Place of Production
Shangdong,Jiangsu,Hebei,Liaoning,etc.Hucheng village in Laiyang Shangdong province boasts the highest quality. Qinhuandao in Hebei and Dalian in Liaoning have the largest output and high quality.
Recipes of Medicated Diet
1. Sha Shen Mai Dong Dun Rou
Lean Pork Stewed with Glehnia Root and Dwarf Lib/turf Tuber Root
[Ingredients]
250g lean pork
30g bei sha shen , glehnia root ( Radix Glehniae )
18g mai dong, dwarf lilyturf tuber root ( Radix Ophiopogonis )
4 candied dates
suitable amount of ginger, salt, wine and monosodium glutamate
[Preparation]
Wash bei sha shen,mai men dong and candied dates ( without core ). Wash the pork and cut it into cubes. Put all the ingredients into the pot and add proper amount of water. Have it boiled over strong fire and then stewed over mild fire for two hours and finally season it. Take the soup and pork in proportion with the medical material.
[ Effects and Indications ]
Nourishing lung Yin, moistening lung and cheking cough.
It acts on the dry cough with little phlegm due to lung Yin deficiency. The old people can take this recipe frequently in fall.
2. Sha Shen Yu Zhu Zheng Ya
Duck Simmered with Glehnia Root and Fragrant Solomonseal Rhizome
[Ingredients]
1 duck
50g yu zhu, fragrant solomonseal rhizome ( Rhizoma Polygonati Odorati)
50g bei sha shen, glehnia root ( Radix Glehniae )
suitable amount of ginger, Chinese prickly ash, yellow wine and salt
[Preparation]
Slaughter the adult duck and remove the feather and viscera. Trim and wash yu zhu and bei sha shen. Put the adult duck,yu zhu and bei sha shen into the pot and then add proper amount of water,ginger,Chinese prickly ash,yellow wine and salt. Simmer for two hours. Done.
Characteristics: The duck smells good and tastes slightly bitter and delicious.
[Effects and Indications]
Replenishing Yin and clearing heat,moistening intestines and relaxing the bowels.
Consumptive disease,bone steaming or hectic fever,chronic cough due to lung heat and constipation
