Herba Moslae  (xiang ru/xiāng rú,香薷)  

Pharmaceutical name        Herba Moslae   

English name               Aromatic madder; haichow elsholtzia; mosla

Processed form             Dried aromatic madder section

Property and taste         Slightly warm; acrid

Channels entered           Lung，spleen, stomach 

Actions                    Induces sweating and releases the exterior, resolves dampness and harmonizes middle burner, promotes urination and reduces swelling.

Dosage                      3-9g;

Cautions & contraindications

Contraindicated in cases of profuse sweating from exterior deficiency.

Indications

For externally-contracted patterns of wind-cold during the summer, especially when accompanied by dampness, with such symptoms as chills and fever, headache, absence of sweating, body aches, abdominal pain, vomitting, and diarrhea, as in Herba Moslae Powder (xiang ru san/xiāng rú săn).

For edema and urinary difficulty, especially when associated with an exterior pattern.

Quality Criteria

Good quality has tender stems with many spikes and an intensearoma.

Production Regions  

It is mainly grown in Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi provinces of China.