WH Acupuncture & Herbs Centre

It is the dried mature seed of Prumus persica( L.)Batsch or Prunus davidiana(Carr.)Franch, familoy Rosaceae. The ripe fruit is picked vetween July and September. The flesh of the fruit is removed, the stone is broken and the seeds are taken out and dried in the sunshine. Then it is peeled and the seeds are pounded and then able to be utilized as a medicine.

[ Medicinal Properties ]: Bitter, sweet and moderate; relate to heart, liver and large intestine meridians.

[ Medicinal Efficacies ]: Activate blood and dispel stasis; moisten the intestine and relax the bowels.

[ Clinical Applications ]: 1. Blood stasis causing dysmenorrheal, amenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain, mass, pain in chest and hypochondrium and trauma pain    For women's syndromes and mass, it can be used together with Honghua, Danggui and Chuanxiong, such as in the Taohong Siwu Decoction. For case of painin chest and hypochondrium, it is usually cobined with Honghua and Chaihu. In addition, for trauma pain due to blood-stasis, it is combined with Honghua, Danggui and Jiudahuang, as in Fuyuan Huoxue Decoction.

2. Blood stasis of heat type causing pulmonary and intestine abscesses       For early stage of pulmonary abscess, it is combined with Xianlugen, Dongguazi, Yiyiren, as in the Weijing Decoction. Yet, for early stage of intestine abscess, it is combined with Dahuang, Mudanpi and Dongguazi, such as in the Dahuang Mudan Decoction.

3. Constipation due to dry intestine     It is usually used together with Huomaren and Gualouren.

In addition, it can also relieve cough and is used as an assistant medicinal in order to treat cough and dyspnea.

[ Usage and Dosage ]: 4.5-9g.

[ Precautions ]: It is contraindicated in Pregnant women.

[ Medicinal Comparison ]: Similarities: Both Honghua and Taoren have the actions of activating blood and dispelling stasis and are often used together for reinforcement to treat dysmenorrheal due to blood stasis, amenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain, mass, trauma and pain.

Differences: The difference is that Honghua is pungent and dispelling, warm and opening and is efficacious in opening meridians, activating blood and dispelling purpura, for which it can be used to treat dark skin eruptions due to stagnation of heat ad blood-stasis. While Taoren is sweet, moistening, bitter and purging and can relieve cough and dyspnea, for which it may be used to treat pulmonary abscess, intestine abscess and constipation due to dryness in the intestine and cough and dyspnea.

[ Side Effects ]: When over-dosage is used, it can cause headache, dizziness, vomiting, palpitations and even respiratory failure.

桃仁为蔷薇科植物桃Prunus persica(L.)Batsch或山桃P.davidiana(Carr.)Franch.的成熟种子。桃全国各地均产，多为栽培；山桃主产于辽宁、河北、河南、山东、四川、云南等地，野生。6～7月果实成熟时采摘，除去果肉及核壳，取出种子，去皮，晒干，生用或炒用。