Gan Song, the Chinese name of a traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the dried root and rhizome of the plant Gan Song in the family Polygonaceae. It is harvested in spring and autumn, and after removing the mud and impurities, it is dried in the sun or shade. Gan Song is used to promote Qi circulation, relieve pain, and invigorate the spleen.
Image of Gan Song
【Basic Information of Gan Song】
Harvest Time: Spring and autumn
Storage: Keep in a cool and dry place, avoid moisture and moth
Alias: Gan Song Xiang, Xiang Song, Gan Xiang Song
Distribution: Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet, and other regions
Dosage: 3-6g
【Source】 Gan Song refers to the rhizome and root of the plants Gan Song Xiang or Wide-leaf Gan Song.
【Plant Morphology】 ① Gan Song Xiang (from "Kai Bao Ben Cao")
A perennial dwarf herb with a strong pine-like fragrance, measuring 20-35 centimeters in height. The upper part of the stem is slightly hairy, and there are a few brown leaf fibers near the root.
There are not many basal leaves, generally 6-9 leaves per cluster, with narrow linear or lanceolate-obovate leaflets, measuring 7-18 centimeters in length and 0.4-1 centimeter in width. The apex is bluntly rounded, gradually narrowing below the middle, slightly petiolate, and the base slightly expanded into a sheath. The leaves are entire, with no clear veins and smooth on both sides. The stem leaves are 3-4 pairs, not narrowed into petioles at the base, measuring 2-6 centimeters in length, becoming smaller towards the top. The flowers form head-like umbels, with 2 leaf-like ovate bracts below the inflorescence. The flowers are light pink, with 3 ovate entire bracts at the base; the sepals are small, less than 1 millimeter in length; the corolla is wide and tubular, with one side of the base slightly constricted, and the apex is 5-lobed, slightly unequal in size, with a rounded apex; there are 4 stamens, attached to the base of the corolla, longer than the corolla, with most of the filaments hairy and smooth at the upper end, and the anthers nearly horizontal; the ovary is inferior, with the style slender and slightly exceeding the corolla, and the stigma funnel-shaped. The fruit is inverted ovoid, with 1 chamber developing; the seed is 1, with the calyx small and not noticeable. The flowering period is in August. It grows in alpine grassland areas and is distributed in southwestern China.
Image of Gan Song
② Wide-leaf Gan Song
A perennial herbaceous plant, measuring 15-30 centimeters in height. The rhizome is short, with residual slender brown leaf fibers at the base.
The leaves are basal, with lanceolate-obovate or long spatulate leaflets, bluntly rounded at the apex, gradually narrowing below the middle into petiole-like structures. The leaves are entire, with 3 veins. The flowers form head-like inflorescences; there are 2 leaf-like bracts on the flower stalk, lanceolate in shape; there are 2 rows of symmetrical white short hairs on both sides of the flower stalk; the corolla is wide and tubular, pale pink, and light pink at the apex; the sepals are 5-toothed. The fruit is inverted ovoid or flattened. It mostly grows in alpine grassland areas and is distributed in Tibet and other regions.
【Collection】 It can be harvested in spring and autumn, with the autumn harvest being better. After digging, remove the mud and sand, as well as the remaining stems and root hairs. Do not wash with water, and directly sun-dry or shade-dry.
【Processing】 Remove impurities, quickly wash with water, remove and cut into sections, and air-dry.
【Properties and Tastes】 Sweet and warm.
① "Kai Bao Ben Cao": "Sweet, warm, non-toxic."
② "Tang Ye Ben Cao": "Balances Qi."
③ "Ben Cao Cong Xin": "Spicy, sweet, warm."
④ Jiangxi "Chinese Materia Medica": "Sweet, warm, slightly toxic."
【Meridians Entered】 Spleen and stomach meridians.
① "Ben Cao Hui Yan": "Enters the Foot Tai Yin and Yang Ming meridians."
② "Ben Cao Zai Xin": "Enters the Heart and Spleen meridians."
Image of Gan Song
【Functions and Indications】
Promotes Qi circulation, relieves pain, invigorates the spleen, and strengthens the stomach. It is used to treat stomach pain, chest and abdominal distension, headache, hysteria, and edema.
① "Ben Cao Shi Yi": "Used for treating darkening of the skin, wind-dampness affecting the teeth, and wild chicken hemorrhoids."
② "Ri Hua Zi Ben Cao": "Treats chest and abdominal distension, and relieves Qi."
③ "Kai Bao Ben Cao": "Treats bad Qi, sudden chest and abdominal pain and fullness."
④ Wang Haogu: "Regulates the original Qi and relieves Qi stagnation."
⑤ "Gang Mu": "Treats edema of the knees due to beriberi, boil the herb, and use the decoction for washing."
⑥ "Modern Practical Chinese Materia Medica": "Suitable for headaches, abdominal pain, and mental depression, and can also expel intestinal worms. It is effective for those who experience convulsions and lameness due to intestinal worms."
【Dosage and Administration】 Oral administration: Decoction, 0.8-1.5 qian (Chinese unit of weight); can also be made into pills or powder. External use: Soak in water for rinsing or boil in water for washing.
【Precautions】 It is not suitable for those with Qi deficiency and blood heat.
① "Ben Cao Shi Yi": "It works well with Bai Zhi and Fu Zi."
② "Ben Cao Cong Xin": "It has a spicy and aromatic nature and can exacerbate deficiencies."
【Gan Song Formulas】
① Treatment for various gastrointestinal pain: Gan Song Xiang, Mu Xiang, Hou Po. Decoction.
② Treatment for neurogenic stomach pain: Gan Song Xiang, Xiang Fu, Chen Xiang. Decoction.
③ Treatment for phlegm dizziness: Ban Xia Qu, Tian Nan Xing, Gan Song, Chen Ju Pi. Grind into fine powder, cook with water, and make into pills the size of a Wutong seed. Take twenty pills each time, with ginger soup, after meals.
④ Treatment for hysteria, neurasthenia, and gastrointestinal spasms: Gan Song 6 qian, Guang Pi 1.5 qian. Soak in 500 milliliters of boiling water for three hours (boil once every half an hour). Divide into twelve doses and take six times a day.
⑤ Treatment for toothache due to kidney deficiency: Gan Song, Liu Huang, equal amounts. Grind into fine powder, soak in boiling water, and use for gargling.
⑥ Treatment for athlete's foot and detoxification: Gan Song, He Ye Xin, Gao Ben. Decoction for washing.
