What it Is:
This herb is the leaf of Artemisia argyi Levl. et Vant. (family Compositae) which is produced in the provinces of central China. It is collected before florescence, dried in sunlight or in shade, and used unprepared or carbonized by stir-baking. If the leaves and the lateralshoots are cut off altogether, dried in sunlight and pounded it produces a wool named argyi wool which can be made into argyi sliver, for moxibustion purpose.

Property:
Flavour and channel tropism: bitter and pungent in flavour, warm in property acting on the liver, spleen and kidney channels.

Effects:
Warming channels to arrest bleeding and dispelling cold to relieve pain.

Used For:
1. Menorrhagia, metrorrhagia, metro-staxis and vaginal bleeding during pre-gnancy and so on, due to deficiency cold in the lower-jiao. It is often used with donkey-hide gelatin,Chinese ange-lica root and white peony root, as in decoction of Donkey-hide Gelatin and Argyi Leaf( Jiao Ai Tang). The fresh argyileaf can be used together with fresh remhannia root, fresh lotus leaf and fresh biota tops, as in Bolus o Four Fresh Drugs (Sisheng Wan) to treat bleeding, such as epistaxis and hemoptysis due to invasion of blood by pathogenic heat.

2. Irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, leukorrhagia, cold pain in the lower abdomen and sterility due to uterine coldness and others resulting from defi-ciency cold in the lower-jiao. It is often used with cyperus tuber, cinnamon bark and evodia fruit, as in Pill of Argyi Leaf and Cyperus for warming the uterus (Ai Fu Nuan-gong Wan). The decoction of argyi leaf can be used as a lotion for skin eczema and pruritus. Acupoint moxibustion with argyi wool or argyi slivers has the effects of promoting circulation of qi and blood by warming them and dredging channels and collaterals.

Dosage and administration: 3-10g, decocted in water for an oral dose; proper amount for external use. For warming channels to stop bleeding, stir-baked leaf is better, while unprepared leaf is better for other purposes.

Precautions:
Cannot be used alone in cases of deficiency of yin with heat in the blood.