What it is:
This herb is the root of Angelica sinensis (oliv.) Diels.(family Umbelliferae) which is mainly produced in Gansu and Shanxi provinces. It is dugin the lateautumn, smoked dry on slow fire after getting rid of the rootlets, slice, andused unprepared or stir-baked with wine.

Property:
Sweet and pungent in flavour, warm in property, acting on the liver, heart andspleen channels.

Effects:
tonifyingthe blood, promotingblood circulation, relieving pain and moistening the bowels.

Used for:
1.Blood deficiencysyndrome characterizedby sallow complexion,pale lips and tongue,dizziness,palpitation,pale on nails, etc. It is often used to-gether with astragalusroot, as in Chinese Angelica Decoction for Replenishing the Blood (Danggui BuxueTang).

2. Irregular menstruation, amenor-rhea and menorrhalgia.In case they are due to deficiency ofthe blood, it is often prepscribed withprepared rehmannia root,white peony rootand donkey-hide gelatin, as in Decoc-tion of Four Ingre-dients( Siwu Tang) and Decoction of Donkey-hide Gelatin and Argyi Leaf (JiaoAi Tang); if the con-ditions result fromblood stasis, it isoften given along with chuanxiong rhi-zome, red peony root, peach kernel and safflower, as in Decoction of Four Ingredients Plus Peach Kernel and Safflower (Tao Hong Siwu Tang); if they are due to stagnationof the liver-qi as well as blood stasis,it should be givenwithcyperus tuber, bupleurum root, curcuma root and others,as in Decoction for Dispersing Stagnationand Restoring Mens-trual Flow ( Xuanyu Tongjing Tang).

3. Various kindsof pains due to bloodstasis and rheumaticarthralgia. For painsin the extremities due to blood stasis,it can be prescribedwith red sage root, frankincense and myrrh, as in Effec-tive Bolus for Activating Energy Flow in Channels and Collaterals( Huoluo Xiaoling Dan); for traumatic injuries marked by pains and ecchymoma, it is often used together with rhubarb, peach kernel and safflower,as in Decoction forRecovery and Activa-ting Blood Circulation(Fuyuan Huoxue Tang);for rheumatic pains in the shoulders andarms, it is usuallyused along with notopterygium root, ledebouriella root and turmeric, as in Decoction for TreatingRheumatic or Rheuma-toid Arthritis(Juanbi Tang); for numb extremities, itis frequently used in combination with spatholobus stem, loranthus mulberry mistletoe, etc.

4. Sores, carbun-cles and other pyoge-nic skin infections. For early stage infections with red-ness, swelling and pain but without pus,it must be used withhoneysuckle flower, red peony and tricho-santhes root, as in Fairy Decoction for Treating Cutaneous Infections( Xianfang Huoming Yin); for those in the middle stage with abscess formed but without rupture, it should be used with pango-lin scales, honey-locust thorn and astragalus root, as in Powder for Promo-ting Discharge of Pus (Tounong San); for the slow-healingones long after rupture due to deficiency of both qi and blood,it shouldbe used with astra-galus root, ginseng,prepared rehmannia root and white peonyroot, as in Decoctionof Ten Powerful Tonics(Shiquan Dabu Tang).

5.For constipationdue to blood defi-ciency and dryness of the intestines, it is often given with desertliving cistanche, fleece-flower root,hemp seed,etc.

Dosage and admi-nistration: 5- 15g, decocted in water for an oral dose. Itshould be used unpre-pared for nourishingthe blood and mois-tening the bowels,stir-baked with winefor promoting men-strual flow and blood circulation.

Precautions:
It should not be used in cases of excessivedampness manifested as abdominal disten-sion and loose stool.