What it is:
This hurb is the root of Ledebouriella divaricata ( Turcz) Hiroe (family umbel- liferae), chiefly produced in the province of Heilong- jiang, Jilin and Liaoning, collected in spring and autumn, sliced and dried in sunlight and used unprepared.

Property:
Pungent and sweat in wind, removing dampness to relieve pain, and expelling endogenous wind to relieve spasm.

Used for:
1. For exterior syndromes due to affection by exopa- thogens manifested as headache and pantalgia: in case of wind-cold type, the herb is used together with schizonepeta; in case of wind-heat type, it is often used in combination with peppermint, forsythia fruit and others; in case of wind-damp type, it is used with noto- pterygium root. For German measles, pruritus and other skin troubles, it is used with schi- zonepeta, tribulus fruit and other herbs.

2. For arthralgia due to wind-cold-ampness with symptoms of joint pain and spasm of muscles, it is often used with notopterygium root and Chinese angelica root, as in Decoction for Treating Rheumatic or Rheumatoid Arthritis (Juanbi Tang).

3. For tetanus with symptoms of opisthotonus, trismus, spasm and convulsion, it is often used with arisaema tuber, giant typhonium tuber and gastrodia tuber, as in Powder with Marvellous Effect (Yuzhen San).

Dosage and admi- nistration: 3-10g, decocted in water for an oral dose.

Precautions:
This herb is chiefly used for exopathogenic wind. For patients with endopathic wind due to blood deficiency and exuberance of fire due to deficiency of yin, it should be given cautiously.