What it is:
This herb is the dried germinatedripe caryopsis of Hordeum vulgare L.(family Gramineae). The herb is produced in every part of China. It is used un-prepared or stir-baked.

Property:
Sweet in flavour, neutral inproperty, acting on the spleen, stomach and liver channels.

Effects:
Improving digestion andstopping milk secretion.

Used for:
1.For anorexia, feeling of fullness in the stomach and abdominal distension due to food retention and indigestion, it is often used in combination with hawthorn fruit and medicated leaven.

2. For stopping milk secretion, orgalactostasis and distending pain in the breasts, equal amount of unprepared and stir-baked germinated barley are decoct-ed together in water for an oral dose. In addition, this herb also has theeffect of soothing depressed liver,so it can be used as a subsidiary herb for treating syndrome of stagnation of the liver-qi.

Dosage and administration: 10- 15g,decocted in water for an oral dose. 60-120g for stopping milk secretion; for improving digestion, the stir-baked isbetter, while for other purposes, theunprepared is used.

Precautions:
It should not be prescribed for breast-feeding women.