yang qi shi

Name: yang qi shi
Creator: Bencao Index

阳起石·Actinolitum

Actinolite

About yang qi shi

Yang Qi Shi (阳起石) is actinolite, a mineral, recorded as Actinolitum. It is salty in flavour and slightly warm, entering the Kidney channel alone. The catalogue files it among the substances that tonify Yang.

Names

Pinyin	yang qi shi
Chinese	阳起石
Latin Name	Actinolitum
English Name	Actinolite·actinolite; actinolitum·actinolitum
Japanese	yokiseki
Korean	yanggiseok

Classification

Category: Tonify Yang
Channels: Kidney
Flavour: Salty
Temperature: Slightly Warm
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Warms the Kidneys and Lower Jiao, warms the Ming Men and strengthens Yang

Cold from deficient Kidney Yang: impotence, spermatorrhea or premature ejaculation, with a sore, weak lower back and knees
Low libido from Kidney Yang deficiency
Loose stools and cold limbs as part of the wider Kidney Yang deficiency picture

Warms the Uterus

Infertility and uterine bleeding when the Uterus is Cold
Gynecological complaints of a Cold type

Combinations

jiu cai zi + bu gu zhi + tu si zi + lu rong
Kidney Yang Deficiency presenting as low back pain, impotence, premature ejaculation and spermatorrhea
lu rong
Cold Womb
wu zhu yu + gan jiang + huai niu xi + shu di huang
Cold Womb Infertility
tu si zi + lu rong
Male Kidney Yang Deficiency

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any	3-8 g	—	—	—	—

Cautions

contraindication Heat signs arising from deficient Yin
contraindication Any pattern where Heat or Fire signs predominate; it is reserved for true Cold from Kidney Yang deficiency
contraindication Impotence caused by Fire stagnating in the Lower Jiao
contraindication Ongoing uterine bleeding or vaginal discharge driven by excess Fire
caution Not for long-term use; meant for short courses rather than as a maintenance tonic
caution Actinolite is a mineral that can take a fibrous, asbestos-like form; the processed material is ground very fine to limit exposure to residual fibres when it is handled

Interactions

Antagonistic with

chan tui Antagonistic pairing with Chan Tui (cicada slough)
lei wan Antagonistic pairing with Lei Wan (Omphalia)
tu si zi Counteracted by pairing with Tu Si Zi (Cuscuta)
ze xie Antagonistic pairing with Ze Xie (Alisma)