WH Acupuncture & Herbs Centre

It is the dried ripe seed of Prunus armeniaca L.var.ansu Maxim.,Prunus sibirica L. Prunus mandshurica (Maxim.)Koehne or Pruns armeniaca L.,family Rosaceae. The seeds are collected from the ripe fruits in summer after the pulp is removed, and then dried in the sunshine. The raw or stir-baked are smashed into pieces to be utilized as medicine.

[ Medicinal Properties ]: Bitter, slightly warm and mildly toxic; relate to lung and large intestine meridians.

[ Medicinal Efficacies ]: Relieve cough and dyspnea; moisten intestine and release bowels.

[ Clinical Applications ]: 1. Cough and dyspnea      It treats cough due to wind-heat, in cobination with Sangye and Juhua, such as Sangju Decoction; it treats cough caused by dry-heat with Sangye, Chuanbeimu and Shashen, such as Sangxiang Decoction; in cases of cough resulting from lung-heat, it is combined with Mahuang and Shengshigao , such as Mahuang Xingren Gancao Shigao Decoction.

2. Intestinal dryness causing constipation       It is usually combined together with Huomaren, Danggui and Zhiqiao, such as Runchang Pill.

[Usage and Dosage ]: 4.5g-9g. The raw medicinal is decocted later.

[ Precautions ]: It is mildly toxic, so it must be used within the amount listed. It is used with caution when treatig infants.

[ Medicinal Comparison ]: Similarities: Taoren and Kuxingren moisten the intestines, release the bowels and relileve cough and dyspnea. They treat constipation due to intestinal dryness.

Differences: Taoren is more effective to activate blood and resolve stasis, so it treats blood-stasis manifested as dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, abdominal pain after delivery, abdominal mass, pain in chest and hypochondrium and traumatic injury. In addition, it also treats pulmonary abscesses and intestinal abscesses at an early stage. Kuxingren is more effective for relieving cough and dyspnea, so it treats cough and dyspnea due to many factors.

[ Side Effects ]: Over dosage of Kuxingren may easily lead to poisoning. First , its excites vomiting, breathing , vagus, vasomotor and other centers and then there is coma and convulsion. Afterwards, the whole centreal nervous system goes numb and finally leads to death. The manifestations of poisoning are dizziness, headache, quick breathing, vomiting, palpitation, cyanosis, coma and convulsion.

苦杏仁为蔷薇科植物山杏Prunues armeniaca L. var. ansu Maxim．西伯利亚杏P.sibirica L．东北杏 P. mandshurica （Maxim.）Koehne或杏 P. armeniaca L.的成熟种子。主产我国东北、内蒙古、华北、西北、新疆及长江流域。夏季采收成熟果实，除去果肉及核壳，晾干，生用或炒用。