TCM Herbs with Aromatic Properties

Aromatic - General Concepts

Round Cardamon Fruit, White Cardamon
- Transforms dampness - low appetite, greasy tongue coat, stifling sensation in the chest.
- Warms the middle warmer (stomach/spleen) and descends rebellious qi - vomiting due to cold from spleen/stomach qi deficiency or stomach cold.
- Transforms stagnation - fullness in the chest.
Aromatic Herbs That Transform Dampness

Field Mint, Mentha
- Expels wind heat particularly from the head region - fever, headaches, red eyes, cough, sore throat.
- Vents rashes - accelerates the activity of rashes towards the surface to quicken healing.
- Resolves LV Qi Stagnation - emotional issues, PMS, menstrual issues, pressure in chest or sides of body.
Herbs That Release The Exterior Wind Heat
Cautions
- May contribute to insufficient lactation in nursing mothers
- Avoid excessive sweating/use in weak patients or those who sweat easily
- May injure yin, use caution in yin deficiency patients

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Atractylodes
- Strongly dries dampness, strengthens spleen - low appetite, diarrhea, epigastric distention, fatigue, vomiting, greasy tongue coat.
- Expels wind-damp-cold (bi-syndrome) in extremities.
- Clears damp-heat from lower burner (combine with clear-heat herbs, however, as this has a warm nature (for example, Er Miao San) - vaginal discharge, swollen and sore joints.
- Induces sweating, release the exterior.
- Improves vision.
Aromatic Herbs That Transform Dampness

Katsumadai, Grass Cardamon
- Dries dampness, warms middle burner - damp-cold the spleen and stomach with abdominal distention, vomiting, diarrhea.
Aromatic Herbs That Transform Dampness

Tangerine Peel
- Regulates Qi, improves transportive function of the spleen, relieves diaphragm - epigastric/abdominal distention, fullness, bloating, belching, nausea, vomiting (promotes movement of qi in general; specifically directing it downward - good for different types of nausea/vomiting).
- Important herb for drying dampness and the transformation of phlegm - coughs with stifling sensation in the chest/diaphragm, and copious viscous sputum (qi-level herb).
- Prevents stagnation - prevents cloying of tonifying herbs.
- Ju Hong is the red part of the tangerine peel - it is more drying and aromatic.
Herbs That Regulate The Qi

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Aloeswood
- Promotes the movement of Qi, alleviates pain - distention and pain in abdominal region due to cold from deficiency or blood stasis.
- Directs rebellious Qi downward - excess/deficiency wheezing, vomiting, belching, hiccups due to cold from deficiency of the middle jiao.
- Helps the kidneys grasp Qi - asthma and wheezing.
Herbs That Regulate The Qi

Magnolia Bark
- Promotes movement of Qi, transforms dampness, resolves stagnation - dampness in spleen/stomach, food stagnation, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal distention (*important herb for this).
- Warms and transforms phlegm and directs rebellious lung Qi downward - wheezing, phlegm with coughing, stifling sensation in the chest.
Aromatic Herbs That Transform Dampness
Cautions
- Avoid During Pregnancy

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Schizonepeta Stem
- Expels wind and releases the exterior - useful for either wind-cold or wind-heat
- Useful for boils, carbuncles, etc. in the initial stages
- Resolve itching (wind-heat in the blood level), may be used topically
- Stops bleeding, blood in stool (secondary herb), uterine bleeding
Herbs That Release The Exterior Wind Cold
Cautions
- Avoid in measles and/or w/open sores
- Caution with exterior deficiency
- Avoid with liver wind patterns

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Notopterygium Root
- Release exterior, disperse cold - useful with wind-cold and damp associated body/joint pain
- Guiding herb for the GV and Tai Yang Channels
Herbs That Release The Exterior Wind Cold
Cautions
- Avoid in Blood and/or Yin Deficiency
- Avoid with Exterior Deficiency

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Cardamon
- Transforms dampness, stops vomiting - nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea.
- Promotes movement of Qi, strengthens stomach.
- Calms the fetus, morning sickness.
- Prevents tonifying herbs from causing stagnation. (See also Bai Dou Kou, Yi Zhi Ren)
Aromatic Herbs That Transform Dampness

Navel Gland Secretions of Musk Deer
- Opens the orifices, revives the spirit, unblocks closed disorders (a wide variety of problems that impair consciousness) - heat entering the pericardium, convulsions, delirium, stupor fainting, closed disorders, tetanic collapse, phlegm collapse, seizures.
- Invigorates the blood, dissipates clumps, reduces swelling, alleviates pain - toxic sores, carbuncles, fixed masses, channel obstructions due to trauma.
Herbs That Open Orifices
Cautions
- Do not use during pregnancy.

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Sweetflag Rhizome
- Opens the orifices, vaporizes phlegm, quiets the spirit - sensory orifice disorders due to phlegm, deafness, dizziness, poor memory, dulled sensation, seizures.
- Harmonize the middle warmer, transform turbid damp, abdominal pain.
- Wind-cold damp - painful obstruction, trauma and sores.
Herbs That Open Orifices

Resin of Rose Maloes, Styrax
- Opens the orifices, penetrates through turbidity - for closed disorders, phlegm blockages, epidemic toxic disease, especially cold disorders.
- Pain in the chest and abdomen.
Herbs That Open Orifices

Aromatic Madder
- Expels summerheat and transforms dampness
- Promotes urination, reduces swelling - edema
Herbs That Release The Exterior Wind Cold
Cautions
- Avoid in exterior deficiency w/sweating

Bugleweed
- Promotes movement of blood and menstruation - pain due to blood stasis obstructing menses, post partum abdominal pain from stasis.
- Invigorates blood and dispels blood stasis - topically and interally for pain and swelling from traumatic injury or abscess.
- Promotes urination - post partum edemc or lin, systematic or facial edema.
Herbs That Invigorate Blood
Cautions
- Avoid during Pregnancy.

Perilla Leaf
- Release the exterior, disperse cold - wind-cold w/fever
- Resolve qi stagnation, open chest - vomiting, nausea
- Calm restless fetus - morning sickness
- Seafood poisoning - alone or in combination w/other herbs
Herbs That Release The Exterior Wind Cold

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