Hu Sui胡荽
Coriandri Herba · Coriander · Cilantro · Chinese Parsley
Overview
· Disperse Wind-Cold. Hu Sui is the aerial part — often the whole plant with its root — of Coriandrum sativum, the same coriander eaten as a herb across Asia and the Mediterranean. Acrid and warm, strongly aromatic and light, it works outward and upward: its classical role is to bring a measles rash to the surface when it is slow to erupt, taken internally and used at the same time as a wash or steam. Its second, gentler use is culinary in origin — it opens the appetite and moves food along.
Nature & Flavor
Acrid · WarmChannels
Lung · StomachTypical Dosage
3–6 g in decoctionActions
2 core actions
- Releases the exterior, vents rashesEarly measles where the rash is slow or incomplete, with chills and mild fever. Practice is to give it internally and simultaneously wash or steam the skin with the decoction.
- Opens the appetite, moves foodPoor appetite, a heavy undigested feeling, and epigastric or abdominal fullness — the everyday use that follows from its aromatic, food-moving character.
In Formulas
Formulas containing Hu Sui
No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.
Indications & Clinical Uses
- Early-stage measles with a rash that will not fully erupt
- Mild wind-cold exterior patterns
- Poor appetite, indigestion, epigastric and abdominal fullness
Western Medical Keywords
Searchable condition terms
Contraindications
Cautions
Not appropriate once the rash has fully erupted, and not appropriate when the eruption is driven by intense heat-toxin rather than by an unresolved exterior — in those cases a warm, dispersing herb pushes in the wrong direction. Not toxic, but it is dispersing and aromatic: those with qi deficiency and profuse sweating, and those with bad breath or body odour, should not take it in quantity. Handling large amounts of the fresh plant can leave the skin more sensitive to sunlight in some people.
Contraindicated in pregnancy: No specific restriction at culinary amounts — coriander is an ordinary food. Medicinal doses during pregnancy should be directed by the treating practitioner.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only
References
- Shi Liao Ben Cao《食疗本草》(Tang dynasty, public domain).
2. Ben Cao Gang Mu《本草纲目》(Ming dynasty, public domain).
3. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.