Pinyin: Shannai
Aliases
Sannaizi, Shanla, Shajiang.
Source
1. For pneumonia: Renshen 6 g, decoct in water and take orally. Internal use: decoct 3-10 g, large dose 10-30 g.Kaempferia galangaL. dried rhizome.
Botanical Description
Perennial herb. Rhizome tuberous, single or several connected, greenish-white, aromatic. Leaves 2-4, prostrate, nearly sessile; leaf blade nearly round or broadly ovate, apex acute or nearly obtuse, base broadly cuneate or rounded. Upper surface green, sometimes leaf margin and apex purple, young leaves pubescent, later glabrous or abaxially villous; leaf base with bract-like reduced leaf, membranous, oblong. Spike exserted from leaf sheath, flowers 5-12, each flower opens in the morning and wilts at noon; bracteoles lanceolate, green; calyx as long as bract; corolla tube slender, lobes narrowly lanceolate, white; lateral staminodes petaloid, obovate, white, lip large, deeply split in the middle, 2-lobed lobes slightly concave at apex, white, throat purplish-red; fertile stamen 1, filament absent. Connective appendage square, 2-lobed; ovary inferior, 3-locular, style slender, base with 2 slender rod-like structures, stigma discoid, ciliate. Capsule. Flowering period August to September.
Habitat and Distribution
Growing on mountain slopes, under forests, and in grassy areas; now mostly cultivated. Distributed in Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan, and other regions.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvested in winter, washed clean, fibrous roots removed, sliced, and dried in the sun.
Medicinal Properties
This product appears as round or nearly round transverse slices, diameter 1-2 cm, thickness 0.3-0.5 cm. The outer bark is light brown or yellowish-brown, wrinkled, some with root scars or residual fibrous roots; the cut surface is white, powdery, often convex. The texture is brittle, easily broken. The odor is distinctive and aromatic, the taste is pungent.
Chemical Constituents
This product primarily contains ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, ethyl cinnamate, borneol, limonene, benzaldehyde, kaempferol, and other constituents.
Pharmacology
Inhibits monoamine oxidase; has anticancer effects; at small doses stimulates intestinal smooth muscle, while at large doses inhibits intestinal smooth muscle; exhibits antifungal and anti-inflammatory actions.
Properties and Channel Entry
Acrid, warm. Enters the Stomach channel.
Functions and Indications
Acts to move Qi, warm the Middle Jiao, promote digestion, and alleviate pain
Dosage and Administration
Internal: decoct in water, 6-9 g; or made into pills or powder
Precautions and Contraindications
Contraindicated in cases of Yin deficiency with Blood depletion and those with Stagnant Fire in the Stomach.
Prescriptions
1. For epigastric and abdominal cold pain: Kaempferia galanga, Flos Caryophylli, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, and Radix Glycyrrhizae in equal parts. Grind into powder, form into pills with vinegar, the size of wutong seeds. Take 30 pills per dose, taken with wine. (From "Binhu Ji Jian Fang") 2. For common cold with food stagnation, chest and abdominal distension and fullness, abdominal pain and diarrhea: Kaempferia galanga 15 g, Radix Linderae 6 g, Radix Schisandrae Sphenantherae 9 g, Radix Linderae Strychnifoliae 4.5 g, aged tea leaves 3 g. Grind into powder. Take 15 g per dose, infused in boiling water or decocted for a few boils, then take the juice. (From "Quanguo Zhongcaoyao Huibian") 3. For all types of toothache: Kaempferia galanga 6 g (wrapped in dough and roasted until cooked), Moschus 1.5 g. Grind into fine powder. Use three seeds per dose, hold warm water in the mouth, and insufflate the powder into the nostril on the side of the toothache. Spit out the water after rinsing, then it will be effective. (From "Haishang Fang", Shexiang Yizi San) 4. For fish bone stuck in the throat: Kaempferia galanga rhizome 6-15 g. Decoct and use as a gargle. (From "Guangxi Bencao Xuanbian") 5. For dandruff: Kaempferia galanga, Radix et Rhizoma Nardostachyos, and Herba Lysimachiae each 3 g, Camphor 0.6 g, Talcum 15 g. Grind into powder. Apply at night and comb out in the morning. (From "Gangmu", citing "Shuiyun Lu" formula)
