Cassia Seed (jue ming zi)

Semen Cassiae

Properties: Sweet, bitter, salty in favour, slightly cold in nature, it acts on liver and large intestine channels. The moist quality, sweet flavour and the cold property of the herb clear the heat and the liver fire, nourish Yin, improve vision, and ease the bowels by clearing the heat and nourishing the large intestine. Therefore, this herb is used for treating conjunctival congestion caused by liver-fire, blurring vision due to deficiency of Yin and constipation caused by intestinal dryness.

Effects: Remvoing intensive heat from the liver and improving vision, moisturizing intestine and eazing the bowels.

Indications:

1. For treating conjunctival congestion, swelling and pain, dizziness and headache caused by the flamming-up of the liver-fire, it is used in combination with the drugs for clearing liver-fire and heat, such as gentian root, prunella spike. For treating blurring vision due to Yin deficiency, it is used together with wolfberry fruit and dodder seed to nourish liver and improve vsision.

2. For treating heat accumulation in large intestine, constipation due to intestinal dryness, it is used in combination with the drugs for relieving dryness and loosening the bowels, such as trichosanthes fruit, bush-cherry seed, etc.

Dosage and Administration: 10-15g.The herb should not be over decocted if it is used to loosen bowels.

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