Gan Jiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis) is from the rhizome of the perennial herb, Zingibor officinale Rosc, family Zingiberaceae. It is produced widely throughout China. It is normally collected in the winter, cut into pieces and dried either in the sun, or artificially at low temperatures. It is then ready for use.

Catergory: Interior Warming.

Common Name: Dried Ginger Rhizome.

Channels Entered: Heart, Lung, Spleen and Stomach.

Properties and Functions: Gan Jiang is pungent in flavour and hot in nature. It acts to warm the Middle-Jiao to expel Cold, restore Yang and warm the channels, and warm the Lung to transform Phlegm.

Indications: Clinical indications for the use of Gan Jiang include:

• Spleen-Cold and Stomach-Cold whether excess or deficient, marked with vomiting and epigastric abdominal pain.
• Yang exhaustion syndrome with a weak pulse and cold limbs. Traditionally it would be combined with Fu Zi (Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata). These are two of the three ingredients in the classic formula Si Ni Tang.
• Accumulation of Cold in the Lung manifesting as cough with thin, watery or white sputum, and dyspnoea.

Dosage: 3 – 10g

Cautions and Contra-Indications: Internal Heat from Yin-Deficiency, Heat in the Blood leading to haemorrhage.