The Medicinal Value of Shichangpu (Acorus Tatarinowii Rhizome)
The Chinese medicine Shichangpu is the rhizome of Acorus tatarinowii Schott, a plant of the Araceae family; fresh Shichangpu has a fragrant odor. According to traditional TCM theory, the medicinal Shichangpu is pungent and bitter in taste, slightly warm in nature, and enters the Heart, Liver, and Spleen meridians. It has the effects of resolving phlegm and opening the orifices, transforming dampness and harmonizing the stomach, and calming the heart and boosting intelligence. It is indicated for loss of consciousness in febrile diseases, phlegm syncope, forgetfulness, insomnia, deafness, tinnitus, jingkou dysentery, and wind-damp bi pain.
Most of these conditions are nervous-system diseases, so Shichangpu is one of the most commonly used Chinese medicines for neurological disorders. Modern pharmacology also shows Shichangpu has significant effects on the central nervous system, mainly in three areas: sedation, anticonvulsant action, and memory improvement. Its water decoction and volatile oil have some improving effect on convulsions, paralysis, amnesia, and epilepsy caused by brain injury. These show that Shichangpu can promote recovery of the nervous system in brain-injury patients, confirming the scientific basis of the traditional TCM view that Shichangpu resolves phlegm and opens the orifices.
There are many reports of Shichangpu treating cranial and neurological diseases. One report shows that Shichangpu decoction alone treated grand mal epilepsy with an effective rate of up to 75%. Another reports Shichangpu injection treating pulmonary encephalopathy with a total effective rate of 74%. Yet another reports Shichangpu treating dizziness with a total effective rate as high as 100%. These clinical reports show Shichangpu has very significant efficacy in treating brain diseases.
Ancient records confirm this. "Zhouhou Fang" records that for sudden death and corpse syncope (stroke), Shichangpu can be pounded into jujube-pit-sized balls and stuffed under the patient's tongue. "Meishi Jingyan Fang" records that for phlegm clouding the heart orifices (such as cerebral infarction), Shichangpu and fresh ginger can be pounded together for juice and given by mouth. "Shengji Zonglu" records that for unconsciousness after heatstroke, fresh Shichangpu can be pounded for juice and administered. These prove that Shichangpu was already a major drug for cranial and neurological diseases in ancient times.
Shichangpu can also markedly improve tracheal spastic contraction in experimental animals, and this improvement is significantly related to dosage. It also has antiarrhythmic effects; animal experiments show it treats aconitine-induced arrhythmia. "Bencao Gangmu" records that Shichangpu can counteract the toxicity of Badou (croton seed) and Daji (Euphorbia pekinensis), and this detoxifying effect is also related to antiarrhythmic action. In addition, arrhythmias caused by strychnine-containing medicines such as Maqianzi (nux vomica) and Mubiezi (Momordica seed) can also be treated with Shichangpu. But Shichangpu itself is a toxic herb and must not be used in excess.
Shichangpu decoction also kills ascites cancer cells in vitro, and ancients used it for such diseases. As "Bencao Beiyao" records of Shichangpu: "It supplements the liver and benefits the heart, dispels dampness and wind, resolves phlegm and accumulations, opens the stomach and broadens the middle. It treats jingkou toxic dysentery, wind bi, and convulsions."
"Qixiao Liangfang" records a method using Shichangpu together with Banmao (Mylabris cantharis) to treat "various food accumulations, qi accumulations, blood accumulations, and distention-type diseases." Use 8 liang of Shichangpu and 4 liang of Banmao (wings and legs removed), stir-fry together until scorchingly yellow, pick out and discard the Banmao, and use only the Shichangpu. Put it in a coarse cloth bag and have two people pull the bag back and forth to rub off all traces of cantharis. Then grind the remaining Shichangpu into a fine powder, make a paste with Shenqu (medicated leaven, another herb that strengthens the stomach and relieves distention), and form into Wu-tse-sized pills (about 6-9 mm in diameter). Take 30-50 pills (about 5-10 g) each time, washed down with warm wine or plain water.
This formula is of great research value. The Banmao in it is an anti-cancer, anti-ascites herb, and Shichangpu also treats ascites. What traditional TCM calls "food accumulation, qi accumulation, blood accumulation, and distention" corresponds in modern medicine to digestive-tract tumors and hepatic ascites. This formula from "Qixiao Liangfang" already takes into account the toxicity of Banmao (cantharis is highly toxic with a very low lethal dose): it only stir-fries cantharis together with Shichangpu, then removes the cantharis (even sifting out the residues), ensuring medication safety. Modern patients need not prepare the drug this way, but may consider using demethylcantharidin tablets together with Shichangpu and Shenqu to treat digestive-tract tumors and ascites.
Shichangpu also has some analgesic effect. "Furen Liangfang" contains a formula called "Changpu Wan": take 6 liang of Shichangpu and 4 liang each of Wuzhuyu (evodia fruit) and Xiangfuzi (Cyperus rhizome), grind together into a fine powder, boil dry in 5 sheng of aged vinegar, then dry and grind again, make a paste with Shenqu, and form into Wu-tse-sized pills. Take 40-50 pills each time for "women's spleen-blood qi accumulation and abdominal and heart pain," a condition common in depressed women.
Shichangpu can also be applied externally to treat eczema, carbuncles and back abscesses, red-eye disease, and toothache.