(280) Shi Chang Pu (Sweetflag rhizome)

[HB KIM]

Shi Chang Pu (Rhizoma Acori; sweetflag rhizome)

1.   Clears the head and brain, benefits the intellect
a.   Among the aromatic herbs, those with a strong aroma go to the head area.  Aside from She Xiang (from an endangered species), Shi Chang Pu is one of the best herbs that go to the brain.

b.   Shi Chang Pu is slightly warm in nature, but it can act like a cooling herb. Just as running a computer for a long time will cause the processor to overheat, using the body or mind for too long may cause a person to feel heat or fogginess in the head or lose the ability to concentrate. In this way, Shi Chang Pu is like a cool ocean breeze and can cool and clear the mind with its aroma

c.   The volatile oil in Shi Chang Pu enters the blood vessels in the brain and expands them to increase cerebral blood circulation.  If the cerebral blood circulation increases, more oxygen and glucose is supplied to the brain. This decreases fatigue and dissipates the foggy feeling.

d.   Shi Chang Pu can affect the area in the brain responsible for storing memories, thereby improving memory and intelligence.

e.   In clinical practice, Shi Chang Pu may be used for dementia or brain development problems.  For this purpose, combine Shi Chang Pu with Yuan Zhi + Fu Shen.  Yuan Zhi has a function to clear Phlegm from the brain.  Yuan Zhi enters the Heart, which according to TCM, has a close relationship to the brain.  Phlegm in the brain can be metabolic waste product accumulation in the brain.  Long term study without rest may result in so much unmetabolized waste products in the brain that the brain may not even feel clear after sleep and rest.  Yuan Zhi can clear up this problem thanks to its aromatic nature.  Fu Shen calms the Shen in addition to draining Dampness. Therefore Fu Shen has the ability to draw waste products from the mind into the water metabolism system and pass them out through the urinary system.

f.   To boost intelligence:
-Qi  deficiency pattern: Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang + Yuan Zhi, Shi Chang Pu, Fu Shen
-HT Blood deficiency: Gui Pi Tang + Shi Chang Pu, Fu Ling to Fu Shen
-Yin deficiency: Liu Wei Di Huang Wan + Yuan Zhi, Shi Chang Pu, Fu Ling to Fu Shen

The difference between Yuan Zhi and Shi Chang Pu is that Shi Chang Pu is cool, while Yuan Zhi is warm.  Both are aromatic with relatively strong medicinal effects. The correct dosage for each of them is 4-8g, no more than 12g.  When used together they complement each other and become neutral in temperature.

h.   For patients who suffer from a weak Stomach, elderly patients with memory problems, or anyone with pathological levels of Phlegm in the brain, use herbs that strengthen the Spleen and dissolve Phlegm: + Yuan Zhi, Dan Nan Xing, Ban Xia or Sheng  Jiang.  If the main complaint is heat in the head, Heart heat, or hyper-activity in the sympathetic nervous system, herbs with a cooling nature should be used such as: Shi Chang Pu, Bo He or Ju Hua. 

i.   Cong Ming Dan is a valuable pill for students.  It improves memory and intelligence.  To make Cong Ming Dan, use the formula for Gong Jin Dan but replace She Xiang with the same amount of Zhang Nao, and add Yuan Zhi, Shi Chang Pu and Fu Shen.  When the pill is wrapped in gold it becomes Cong Ming Dan.  The substitution of Zhang Nao for She Xiang is important for student use.  She Xiang may stimulate the component of the brain in charge of sex drive.  Zhang Nao clears the brain and clears Heart heat so it is more suitable for study purposes.  Starting 100 days before an exam, take 1-2 pills per day. 


CASE 1: A 38 year old female was preparing for board exams. She was normally healthy, but the effort required to prepare for the exam in addition to taking care of her children was making her tired.  She also had a lot of test anxiety because she had failed last year on her first try. She was not experiencing too much physical fatigue, but she was drowsy, especially during class time.  She was given Gong Jin Cong Ming Dan. After taking the formula, her drowsiness was reduced and her mind felt clear.  She also felt reduced anxiety and was more energetic in the morning.


CASE 2: A 76 year old female was suffering from mental dullness and borderline dementia.  Her problem was worse than just forgetfulness; she was actually experiencing some dementia symptoms.  She also suffered from very severe fatigue. She needed to sleep a lot.  She was so tired that she complained even a spoon felt too heavy to lift, and even sitting still felt too difficult to do.  She nearly always felt dizzy and foggy-headed.  Also, she was not able to eat much since her ST function was so poor. The tongue coat was white. 

This set of symptoms was a result of SP Qi Deficiency + Phlegm Fluid.  Qi deficiency caused her aversion to movement, while Phlegm caused her feeling of heaviness.  Especially for elderly patients, it is better to strengthen the SP then to simply expel Phlegm alone.  The formula used for this patient was Liu Jun Zi Tang, which is comprised of Si Jun Zi Tang + Er Chen Tang.  To treat the mental fogginess + Yuan Zhi, Shi Chang Pu.  Tian Ma was also added to improve brain circulation. After 20 days of taking this formula, the patient's symptoms were very much improved.  (Ren Shen 6, Bai Zhu 6, Fu Ling 4, Ban Xia 4, Chen Pi 4, Yuan Zhi 4, Shi Chang Pu 4, Tian Ma 4, Gan Cao 2, Sheng Jiang 5)




2.   Clear HT heat, open the HT, calm Shen, open the ST
a.   Shi Chang Pu enters the HT to clear HT heat, so it can be used for stress-related disorders.  The volatile oil in Shi Chang Pu has a calming function which makes it applicable for irritability, anxiety or palpitations.  Gui Pi Tang is commonly prescribed for this kind of case. However, Gui Pi Tang is not appropriate for cases of HT heat since it is warm in nature.  A better choice would be Huang Lian Xie Xin Tang + Zhu Ru, Shi Chang Pu.  In the case of Phlegm-Heat, a good option is Zhu Ru Wen Dan Tang + Shi Chang Pu.

b.   Long term use of sedatives for the treatment of psychological disease can create internal heat.  The heat will become encapsulated within, reflected in manic symptoms and a thick yellow tongue coat.  An appropriate formula for this situation is Zhu Ru Wen Dan Tang + Dan Nan Xing.

c.   The volatile oil in Shi Chang Pu has the ability to awaken the ST and strengthen digestive function. Shi Chang Pu is better in the case of stress-related (hyper sympathetic) digestive disorders than for use in the case of weak Stomach.  Shi Chang Pu is especially useful for students who suffer from indigestion due to stress; for this purpose it should be combined with other aromatic herbs to transform Dampness.


CASE: A 42 year old business man was suffering from neck pain, shoulder pain, low back pain, headache, toothache, bad breath, irritability, anxiety and insomnia. He noticed recently that when he gets stressed his hands tremble.  He used to drink too much alcohol, but he has reduced his alcohol intake significantly for a while now.  However, he still smokes 1 or 2 packs of cigarettes per day.  His tongue coating is white with yellow in the center.  He had to continually increase the dosage of his prescription psychoactive drug because it was not helping enough.  His mind felt very foggy and unclear. 

This patient was exhibiting Phlegm-Heat in the interior, Heart & Liver Heat probably resulting from his business activities, and Liver Wind manifest as hand tremors. The principle was to clear Heat from the Liver & Heart and dissolve Phlegm-Heat. The following formula was used: Cang Zhu 6, Fu Ling 6, Chen Pi 4, Chai Hu 4, Long Gu 4, Mu Li 4, Zhu Ru 4, Shi Chang Pu 4, Zhi Shi 3, Yuan Zhi 3, Huang Qin 2, Gan Cao 2.  A closer look at the formula reveals groups of herbs that focus on the Heart, Liver, and Phlegm-Heat.
-HT: Zhu Ru, Zhi Shi, Shi Chang Pu, Yuan Zhi
-LV: Chai Hu, Long Gu, Mu Li
-Damp/Phlegm-Heat: Cang Zhu, Huang Qin, Fu Ling, Chen Pi, Gan Cao

After taking this formula, the man felt that mental clarity had been restored. The irritability and anxiety were reduced, his hand tremor had disappeared, his tongue coating had changed to normal (thin white) and his bad breath had disappeared.  For ten more days he took a formula modified from the one above which was more focused on tonifying the Heart.  The modifications were as follows:  +Mai Men Dong 8, Cang Zhu & Fu Ling each reduced to 4.