- Region
- Asia
- Origin
- East Asia, especially China
Asia · Herb · № 738
Artemisia argyi
Herb · Asia
Chinese mugwort (ai ye)
Artemisia argyi
Traditionally attributed effects: warms the meridians and uterus, stops bleeding from cold and relieves pain; the herb of moxa.
Safety notes
Not with blood heat from yin deficiency; caution during pregnancy. Contains thujone. Traditional use is no proof of effectiveness; if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult a doctor or pharmacist.
Cautions by tradition (1)
- Chinese materia medica: Always discuss bleeding in pregnancy with a midwife at once.
Preparation
Leaf. Usually as a decoction, together with other herbs.
Use in traditions
Described in the classical Chinese materia medica, in the group 'herbs that stop bleeding'. Ai ye is the herb from which moxa is made: dried leaf burned on or above acupuncture points. At the Dragon Boat Festival bundles are hung by the door against illness. In Korea ssuk is a beloved spring vegetable and an ingredient of rice cakes.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Chinese materia medica
- Nature and taste
- bitter, pungent, warm
- Meridians
- liver, spleen, kidney
Attributed effects
For prolonged or heavy menstruation and uterine bleeding from cold, cold in the uterus with infertility or a restless foetus, menstrual pain from cold and cough with cold phlegm.
Preparation and amount
Traditional dosage: 3–9 g a day, usually in a decoction. Acupuncturists burn the herb as moxa; the ash is kept and sprinkled on small bleeding spots.
Combinations
- With donkey-hide gelatin and dang gui for bleeding from cold and blood deficiency
Caution: Always discuss bleeding in pregnancy with a midwife at once.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Decoction
- Formulas
- Jiao ai tang