桂枝·Ramulus Cinnamomi
cassia twig
Gui Zhi (桂枝) is the young twig of the cinnamon tree, recorded as Ramulus Cinnamomi. It is acrid and sweet in flavour, warm in temperature, and enters the Heart channel. The catalogue files it among the acrid, warm herbs that release the Exterior.
| Pinyin | gui zhi |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 桂枝 |
| Latin Name | Ramulus Cinnamomi·Ramulus Cinnamonmi |
| English Name | cassia twig·Cinnamon Twig·cinnamon twig; cassia twig |
| Japanese | keishi |
| Korean | kyeji |
Excess-type Wind-Cold with chills and fever and no sweating; Wind-Cold-Damp Bi
Exterior Wind-Cold where Ying and Wei are out of harmony (Tai Yang Zhong Feng), with chills, fever and spontaneous sweating; warms and tonifies the Middle Jiao
Yang Deficiency with Wind-Cold-Damp Bi, causing painful limbs and chills; Wind-Cold-Damp Bi with backache; headache at the occiput
Eases painful obstruction and frees the joints by warming the channels and collaterals and driving out Wind-Dampness
Wind-Cold Damp Bi.
Heart Yang Deficiency leaving Yang floating in the Upper Jiao and Yin damaged in the Lower Jiao, with insomnia and irritability
mu li + long gu + bai zhu + sheng jiang + gan cao + da zao
Spermatorrhea due to exhaustion.
Damaged chest Yang causing breathlessness and palpitations
Edema from Yang Deficiency: unblocks Yang and helps clear congested fluids; Heart Yang Deficiency with dyspnea and palpitations
Heart Yang Deficiency leading on to painful obstruction as Blood Stasis blocks the channels, with chest pain and palpitations
Deficient Yang of the Spleen and Heart with breathlessness, edema and palpitations
Pain from trauma; Blood Stasis with gynecological complaints; masses in the lower abdomen
Deficient chest Yang with angina pectoris; Chest Bi from Yang Deficiency
Deficiency Cold in the Chong and Ren channels with irregular menses, dysmenorrhea and abdominal pain
Invading Cold with Blood Stasis, causing abdominal pain and amenorrhea
huang qi + dan shen + zhi gan cao
Palpitations and bradycardia in sick sinus syndrome
Transition from the Tai Yang Stage into the Shao Yang Stage
Blood Stasis, clearing Stasis and freeing the flow of Qi; mixed Interior and Exterior conditions with fever, chills, sweating, headache, and a full, painful abdomen; abdominal fullness and pain after an Exterior condition was purged prematurely
Congealed painful obstruction affecting the arms or the legs; shoulder complaints
Stabbing pain of the flanks and chest
Bi syndrome.
Bi syndrome of the upper body, most of all the shoulders
qiang huo + du huo + fang feng + wei ling xian
Rheumatoid arthritis.
fu ling + zhu ling + ze xie + bai zhu
Yang Deficiency with dysuria and edema
Accumulated Phlegm causing palpitations, vertigo, dizziness, and a full chest and hypochondrium
Yang Deficiency and stagnant Cold with irregular periods
zhi gan cao + ren shen + e jiao
Deficient Heart Yin and Yang with an intermittent pulse and palpitations
| Age | Raw | Granule | Tincture | Concentrate | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any External conditions: 3-10g; Painful obstruction: 9-15g; Tincture: 1-3ml | 3-10 g | — | 1-3 ml | — | — |