What it is:
This herb is the ripe fruit of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. (family Zingiberaceae), which is produced in Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and Fujian provinces. The fruit is picked in summer and autumn, dried in the sun, stir- baked with sand, and shelled to get the kernel which is issued after being stir- baked with salt water.

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

Effects:
Warming up the spleen, improving appetite and digestion, conserving saliva, warming up the kidney to keep the kidney essence and reduce urination.

Used For:
1. For the treatment of abdominal pain, vomiting, poor appetite, profuse salivation and others due to deficiency of the spleen-yang and stomach-yang. Iit can be used with dangshen, white atractylodes rhizome, dried ginger, tangerine peel, etc.

2. For treating seminal emission, enuresis, dribbling urination, frequent nocturnal urination and others due to coldness and deficiency of the kidney-qi. It is often used with Chinese yam and lindera root, i.e.Pill for Decreasing Urination (uoquan Wan).

Precautions:
This herb is dry and hot in property and is liable to impair yin and stir up fire, so it should be avoided altogether in cases of hyperactivity of fire due to yin deficiency or damp-heat syndrome.