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Cura x Cura

Hua Jiao花椒

Zanthoxyli Pericarpium · Sichuan Pepper · Prickly Ash Husk

Herbs that Warm the Interior 温里药《神农本草经》

Overview

The dried pericarp of Sichuan pepper, acrid, warm and distinctly numbing on the tongue. It warms the middle burner and stops the cold pain there, and it kills parasites and calms itching — taken internally for cold abdominal pain and worms, and prepared as a wash for damp itchy skin and vaginal itching. It is a kitchen spice as well as a medicinal, and the two uses should be counted together.

Nature & Flavor

Acrid · Warm

Channels

Spleen · Stomach · Kidney

Typical Dosage

3–6 g in decoction
花椒Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Warms the middle, stops painCold epigastric and abdominal pain that eases with warmth and pressure; vomiting and diarrhea from cold in the middle burner.
  • Kills parasitesAbdominal pain from intestinal worms — historically paired with Wu Mei 乌梅.
  • Dispels damp, stops itchingDecocted as an external wash for damp itchy skin lesions and for vaginal itching with discharge.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Hua Jiao

No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Cold abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea from cold in the middle burner
    - Abdominal pain from intestinal parasites
    - Damp itchy skin conditions and vaginal itching (external wash)

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

Abdominal painIntestinal parasitesEczemaItching

Contraindications

Cautions

Our dispensary data records this herb as toxic, and in practice that means the dose matters: stay inside the range dispensed and do not extend a course on your own. Excessive amounts irritate the mouth and gut, with numbness, burning, nausea and vomiting, and prolonged high doses are avoided altogether. Acrid and hot, it is wrong for yin deficiency with heat signs and should not be used where there is active bleeding. When preparing an external wash, keep it away from the eyes and broken skin.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Contraindicated in pregnancy at medicinal doses — ordinary culinary amounts in food are a separate question; ask the practitioner

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing《神农本草经》(classical source, public domain; recorded as Shu Jiao 蜀椒).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华人民共和国药典》.

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.