Rehmannia, Shu Di Huang 熟地黄

Prepared Chinese Foxglove root
Shu Di Huang (TCM)

Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, 1839

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Botanical name:
Rehmannia glutinosa

Parts used:
Prepared Root

Temperature & Taste:
Warm, moist. Sweet

Classification:
N. Tonic

Uses:
1. Tonifies the Blood:
-weakness, pale face and tongue, deficient and thin pulse
-Dizziness, poor Memory
-Palpitations, Insomnia
-Uterine Bleeding, Postpartum Bleeding

2. Strengthen the Kidneys, Nourishes Yin:
-weakness of the Lower Back and Knees
-Dizziness, Tinnitus
-Tidal Fever, Night-sweats
-Nocturnal Emission
-Wasting and Thirsting Disorders; Diabetes

3. Nourishes and Increases Essence:
-Premature Aging; premature greying of hair; support during aging
-Delayed development in children
-Impotence, Infertility

DOSE:
9–30 grams in decoction

Main Combinations:
1. Blood deficiency and Menstrual disorders associated with Blood deficiency, with Dang Gui, Paeonia Bai Shao, Ligusticum Chuan Xiong (as in Si Wu Tang)
2. To strengthen the Kidneys and Nourish the Yin or Yang, combine with Cornus Shan Zhu Yu and Dioscorea Shan Yao. This trio forms the basis of the most important formulas used to strengthen the Kidneys. Alone, they nourish Kidney Yin and are usually corrected with the addition of Poria Fu Ling, Alisma Ze Xie and Paeonia Mu Dan Pi (as in Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, 'Rehmannia 6'). When combined with Cinnamon (Rou Gui) and Aconitum Fu Zi, it is called Shen Qi Wan (Kidney Qi Pill) and is used for Yang deficiency.
3. To strengthen Kidney Yang, add Cinnamon and prepared Aconitum Fu Zi.
4. Heat with Yin deficiency, combine with Gui Ban (Turtle shell), Phellodendron Huang Bai and Anemarrhena Zhi Mu.
5. To more strongly nourish Yin and clear Heat, strengthen the bones an calm the Mind and Nerves, combine with Pearl.
6. To avoid the heavy, cloying, hard-to-digest nature of Rehmannia from overwhelming the Spleen, Costus or Amomum Sha Ren can be added.

Major Formula:
Liu Wei Di Huang Wan
Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan
Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan
Zuo Gui Wan
You Gui Wan
Zuo Gui Yin
You Gui Yin
Si Wu Tang
Shi Quan Da Bu Tang
Ba Zhen Tang
Bai He Gu Jin Tang
Dang Gui Liu Huang Tang

Cautions:
1. Not used in Spleen weakness with poor appetite, loose bowels, abdominal pain and distention
2. Not used in cases with excess Phlegm and Damp
3. Avoid Onions, Garlic and Radish while taking Rehmannia.

Main Preparations used: