Bai Dou Kou

Name: Bai Dou Kou

Other Names: Cao Guo, Round Cardamon Seed, Semen Amomi Cardmomi, Tsaoko Fruit, Fructus Amomi Tsao ko

Description: Round Cardamon Seed (bai dou kou)

Semen Amomi Cardmomi
Properties: Pungent in flavour, warm in nature, it acts on the spleen, stomach and lung channels. The pungent flavour of the herb can disperse the warm-dryness, and the fragrance can dispel dampness. The function of the herb includes eliminating the dampness in the middle-jiao, relieving the stagnation of Qi in the spleen and stomach, warming the stomach and arresting vomiting. It is therefore indicated for the syndromes of dampness retention in the middle-jiao, Qi stasis in the spleen and stomach, vomiting due to stomach-cold and the early stage of damp-warm syndrome.

Effects: Dispelling dampness, promoting Qi circulation, normalizing the functions of spleen and stomach and arresting vomiting.

Indications:

1. For the syndromes of excessive dampness in the middle-jiao, Qi stagnation caused by pathogenic dampness, incoordination between the spleen and stomach, manifestes as poppressive chest, greasy tongue coating, poor appetite, it is used in combination with the drugs for dispelling dampness and promoting Qi circulation, such as tangerine peel, pinellia tuber, atractylodes rhizome and magnolia bark. In cases of the early stage of damp-warm syndrome, headache due to cold and heat, heaviness of the limbs, oppressive chest, and greasy tongue coating, it is used in combination with the drugs for clearing away dampheat and facilitating the flow of lung-qi, such as apricot kernel, coix seed, pinellia tuber and ricepaper pith, known as Sanren Tang (Decoction of Three Kernels).
2. For the syndromes of cold-dampness retention in the middle-jiao, failure of descending and rebellious rising of the stomach-qi, marked as vomiting, and regurgitation, it is used with tangerine peel, pinellia tuber, fresh ginger to dispel dampness and cold, lower the adverse flow of Qi and arrest vomiting.

Dosage and Administration: 3-6g. Break into pieces and then decoct.


Properties (characteristics) acrid, warm, aromic

Channels (meridians) entered: spleen, stomach

Actions & Indications:

stomach pain, flatulence, belching, indigestion due to stomach qi stagnation , vomiting, malarial disorders, drunkenness from alcohol consumption.

Dosage: 1.5 to 6 g

Medical Functions: Medical Functions of cao guo:

1. a-pinene and β-pinene expells phlegm and inhibits cough.

2. 1,8-Cineole can have calming, pain relieving and asthma inhibiting effects

3. β-pinenean has strong anttibiotic and anti-inflammation effects; geraniol has strong antibiotic and antifungal effects

4. small amount of cao guo can stimulate intestine but large amount inhibits it. when taken orally geraniol inhibited the activities of the digestive tract of rats. Small amount mildly promotes urination.

5. rids of round worms of guinea pigs.


Chemical Ingredients: Essential oil: fruit contains 1.6%; seeds contains 2.2%; skin contains0.38%. The essential oil contains 33.94%of 1,8-cineole, 11.78% of trans-2-undecenal. Also contains α--pinene, β-pinene, camphor, Linalool, p-cymene, nonanal, decanal, a--terpineol, neral-a,-b, geraniol, nerolidol and geranial.

Cautions:

Do not use in cases of qixu, Blood deficient qixu (qi deficiency) and fire is high in lung and stomach with no cold dampness . (more to be uploaded).


Toxicity:

Roasting the herb cut down the side effects.

Half of the laboratory rat fed geraniol died. The lethal dosage is 4.9g/kg. For rabbits, the lethal injection dosage was 50mg/kg.

Cao guo which are processed by smoking can be carcinogens when taken for a long period.