E Jiao (阿胶) is a gelatin prepared from donkey hide, recorded as Colla Corii Asini. It is sweet in flavour and neutral in temperature, entering the Lung, Liver and Kidney channels. The catalogue files it among the substances that tonify Blood.

Pinyin

e jiao

Chinese

阿胶

Latin Name

Colla Asini Corii·Colla Corii Asini

English Name

Ass-Hide Glue·donkey-hide gelatin

Japanese

akyo

Korean

agyo

Actions and indications

Tonifies the Blood

Blood deficiency with dizziness, palpitations, insomnia and a pale or sallow face; the first choice when Blood has been lost

Nourishes Blood and stops bleeding

Bleeding of many kinds, especially the chronic, deficient type seen in consumptive disease: coughing up blood, blood in the stool, and heavy or irregular uterine bleeding

Nourishes Yin and calms the Spirit

Heart Yin left deficient after a Warm febrile disease, with sleeplessness and irritability; classically combined with Huang Lian

Moistens the Lungs and Large Intestine

Dry cough and wheezing from Lung Yin deficiency or consumption

Nourishes the Yin of the Lungs and Kidneys and secures essence

Spermatorrhea, frequent urination or vaginal discharge in deficiency patterns

Combinations

dang shen + dang gui

Palpitations and dizziness from Blood Deficiency

bai shao + ai ye

Excessive menstrual bleeding.

pu huang

Stops bleeding when dry-fried

sheng di huang + pu huang

Blood Heat with epistaxis, hematemesis or bleeding from the ears

zào xīn tŭ + bai zhu

Insufficient Spleen Yang causing bleeding

huang lian

Pus and Blood in the stool, above all in pregnancy or after delivery, from Heat toxin knotting in the Intestines and damaging the Blood collaterals

huang qin + bai shao + ji zi huang

Yin Deficiency with badly damaged fluids, typically following a fever, causing insomnia and irritability

gui ban + mu li

Yin Deficiency with contractures and muscle spasms

zhu ling + hua shi

Urinary dysfunction where deficient Yin and fluids coexist with water and Heat accumulating internally

zhi gan cao + mai men dong + bai shao

Yin Deficiency: persistent long-term low-grade fever, Heat in the five soles and an irregular pulse

mai men dong + sha shen

Lung Yin Deficiency with a dry cough and sputum streaked with blood

xing ren + niu bang zi

Heat damaging the fluids, causing a dry cough

ai ye

Cold obstruction causing heavy, painful menstruation; menorrhagia and long-lasting uterine bleeding; bleeding in pregnancy or after delivery; threatened miscarriage and restless fetus with cold abdominal pain

tian men dong

Dryness or Fire of the Kidneys and Lungs with emaciation, a dry throat, afternoon fever, and a dry cough bringing up blood-streaked sputum

tian men dong + xing ren + gua lou ren + zhe bei mu + sang ye

Dryness attacking the Lungs.

xian he cao

Bleeding of many kinds, above all from Yin and Blood Deficiency: hemoptysis, hematuria, metrorrhagia, bleeding in pregnancy, and Intestinal Wind with Blood in the stool

dang gui + bai shao + shu di huang

Anemia.

huang qi + dang gui + shu di huang + dang shen

Anemia with Qi Deficiency.

shu di huang + bai zhu + zhi fu zi

Spleen Qi and Yang Deficiency with bleeding: uterine bleeding, hematochezia, epistaxis and hematemesis

bai shao + ai ye + shu di huang + gan cao

Uterine bleeding or hypermenorrhea, or bleeding in pregnancy or following miscarriage

huang qin + ku shen + huai hua (chao) + di yu + fang feng

Hematochezia or bleeding hemorrhoids.

mai men dong + sha shen + bai he + bai ji + zhi zi + ou jie

Hemoptysis.