Eucommia, Du Zhong 杜仲
Du Zhong (TCM)
Hooker & Hooker, Icones Plantarum, 1890
Bundles of chopped, wild Eucommia bark for sale at the Chengdu Market.
(Adam, 2017)
(Adam, 2017)
Botanical name:
Eucommia ulmoides
Parts used:
Bark
The best quality is collected from Sichuan province, especially the wild product.
Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Sweet, slightly Pungent
Classifications:
3M. ARTHRITICS
D. Clear Wind and Damp
N. Tonics
Eucommia ulmoides
Parts used:
Bark
The best quality is collected from Sichuan province, especially the wild product.
Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Sweet, slightly Pungent
Classifications:
3M. ARTHRITICS
D. Clear Wind and Damp
N. Tonics
Uses:
1. Tonifies Liver and Kidney, strengthens Joints and Bones:
-weak or painful lower back and knees; stiffness and rigidity of the back
-strengthens bones and joints; with suitable herbs for chronic joint diseases
-Fatigue, urinary frequency
-also to nourish Essence and enhance Willpower
-'long-term use makes one feel happy and vigorous and able to enjoy a long life' (Shen Nong Ben Cao)
2. Moves Qi and Blood:
-promotes circulation, especially in the elderly with joint weakness and pain
3. Strengthen the Kidneys, Calms the Fetus:
-bleeding during pregnancy from cold and weak Kidneys
-Threatened Miscarriage; Restless Fetus, Back Pain during Pregnancy, Habitual Miscarriage
4. Settles Wind, Stops Rising Yang:
-Hypertension, Dizziness and light-headedness
-also for Sweating from deficiency
-'disperses the invading pathogenic Wind'. (Wang Hao Gu)
DOSE:
Decoction: 9–15 grams
Powder: 2–5 grams
PREPARATION:
1. Stir-fried Eucommia Du Zhong:
It is often dry-fried to break up the white threads inside the bark.
2. Salt-prepared Eucommia Du Zhong:
It is stir-fried or baked until lightly scorched after being soaked or sprayed with Salt-Water. This leads the medicine to the Kidneys. This is also preferred in the treatment of Hypertension.
3. Charred Eucommia Du Zhong:
The broken bark is stir-fried until scorched and blackened, but not burnt and deformed. This still tonified Kidneys and Liver, but also helps stop Bleeding, thus being better for Uterine Bleeding, long Menstrual periods, or Bleeding during Pregnancy due to Kidney weakness.
4. Honey-prepared Eucommia Du Zhong:
To 600 grams of Eucommia Du Zhong bark, add 1 oz. of butter and 2 oz. of Honey, then stir-fry until the butter and honey are absorbed. It can then be powdered.
SUBSTITUTE:
Euonymus japonica is used as a substitute in Japan.
Decoction: 9–15 grams
Powder: 2–5 grams
PREPARATION:
1. Stir-fried Eucommia Du Zhong:
It is often dry-fried to break up the white threads inside the bark.
2. Salt-prepared Eucommia Du Zhong:
It is stir-fried or baked until lightly scorched after being soaked or sprayed with Salt-Water. This leads the medicine to the Kidneys. This is also preferred in the treatment of Hypertension.
3. Charred Eucommia Du Zhong:
The broken bark is stir-fried until scorched and blackened, but not burnt and deformed. This still tonified Kidneys and Liver, but also helps stop Bleeding, thus being better for Uterine Bleeding, long Menstrual periods, or Bleeding during Pregnancy due to Kidney weakness.
4. Honey-prepared Eucommia Du Zhong:
To 600 grams of Eucommia Du Zhong bark, add 1 oz. of butter and 2 oz. of Honey, then stir-fry until the butter and honey are absorbed. It can then be powdered.
SUBSTITUTE:
Euonymus japonica is used as a substitute in Japan.
Main Combinations:
Bones, Joints, Arthritis:
1. Lower back pain and weakness from Kidney deficiency:
i. dry fried Eucommia Du Zhong is soaked in wine and a small glassful is taken daily. Or take 6 grams of the powder each morning with wine.
ii. dry fried Eucommia Du Zhong is decocted in water with sliced Sheep Kidney (added at the end). (Cui Yuan Liang Hai Shang Ji Yan Fang, TCM)
ii. Eucommia Du Zhong with Schisandra Wu Wei Zi.
iii. with Wheezing, Eucommia Du Zhong with Walnut and Psoralea Bu Gu Zi.
iv. Eucommia Du Zhong with Curculigo Xian Mao
v. Eucommia Du Zhong with Rehmannia Shu Di Huang, Cornus Shan Zhu Yu
vi. Eucommia Du Zhong with Dipsacus Xu Duan and Achyranthes Niu Xi.
vii. Eucommia Du Zhong with Dipsacus Xu Duan and Mistletoe (Sang Ji Sheng)
viii. Eucommia Du Zhong with Achyranthes Niu Xi, Acanthopanax Wu Jia Pi.
ix. Cook Eucommia Du Zhong with an Ox-tail, adding Goji and Dang Gui
x. Eucommia Du Zhong with Cornus Shan Zhu Yu, Cuscuta Tu Si Zi, Psoralea Bu Gu Zhi, Rehmannia Shu Di Huang, Morinda Ba Ji Tian, Asarum Xi Xin
xi. Eucommia Du Zhong with Dipsacus Xu Duan, Cibotium Gou Ji, Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang, Lycium Gou Qi Zi, Notoginseng San Qi, Asarum Xi Xin (The Formulas of Dr. John H.F. Shen)
xii. Lower Back and Knee pain and weakness, barely able to walk, Eucommia Du Zhong with Cyathula Niu Xi, Notopterygium Qiang Huo, Cinnamon, Acanthopanax Wu Jia Pi (as in Ba Ji Wan, from The Great Peace Sagacious Benevolence Formulary),
2. Acute Lumbar strain, Eucommia Du Zhong with Dipsacus Xu Duan
3. Chronic Wind-Cold Joint Pain: Eucommia Du Zhong with Cinnamon twig Gui Zhi, Myrrh (Mo Yao), Frankincense (Ru Xiang), Achyranthes Niu Xi, Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Licorice (as in Shu Feng Ding Tong Wan)
Reproduction:
4. Male Tonic:
i. Eucommia Du Zhong with, Ginseng, Lycium Gou Qi Zi, Cornus Shan Zhu Yu and Cuscuta Tu Si Zi
ii. Spermatorrhea, Premature Ejaculation, Lower Back Pain, Eucommia Du Zhong with Cornus Shan Zhu Yu, Cuscuta Tu Si Zi and Velvet Deer Horn Lu Rong
5. Impotence and Urinary frequency from Kidney deficeicny, Eucommia Du Zhong with Cornus Shan Zhu Yu and Cuscuta Tu Si Zi.
Pregnancy:
6. Threatened Miscarriage:
i. Powdered Eucommia Du Zhong is mixed with pulp of Red Date (Da Zao) and formed into pills. (Sheng Jin Fang)
ii. Eucommia Du Zhong with Dipsacus Xu Duan, Dioscorea Shan Yao (Yang Qi Jian Bian Fang)
iii. Eucommia Du Zhong with Dipsacus Xu Duan, Cuscuta Tu Si Zi, Viscum Sang Ji Sheng
iv. from Kidney deficiency, Eucommia Du Zhong with Cuscuta Tu Si Zi with Dipsacus Xu Duan, Dang Gui, Lycium Gou Qi Zi, Atractylodes Bai Zhu (as in Bu Shen Gu Chong Wan)
7. Habitual Miscarriage, Eucommia Du Zhong with Dipsacus Xu Duan and Dioscorea Shan Yao.
Wind Diseases:
8. Hypertension, Dizziness:
i. Eucommia Du Zhong with Paeonia Bai Shao and Prunella Xia Ku Cao.
ii. Eucommia Du Zhong with Paeonia Bai Shao and Mistletoe (Sang Ji Sheng)
iii. Eucommia Du Zhong, Curcuma Yu Jin (equal parts) (Formulas of Dr. John H.F. Shen)
Other
9. Sweating from Deficiency, Eucommia Du Zhong with Oyster shell (Mu Li)
Major Formulas:
An Tai Yin
Ba Ji Wan
Bu Shen Gu Chong Wan
Dang Gui Di Huang Yin
Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang
Qing E Wan
Shu Feng Ding Tong Wan
Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin
You Gui Wan
You Gui Yin
Cautions:
1. If used for Kidney Yin deficiency with Fire, it should be combined with Phellodendron Huang Bai and Anemarrhena Zhi Mu.
Main Preparations used:
1. If used for Kidney Yin deficiency with Fire, it should be combined with Phellodendron Huang Bai and Anemarrhena Zhi Mu.
Main Preparations used: