Pharmaceutical name:

Ramulus Cinnamomi Cassiae

Latin botanical name:

Cinnamomum cassia Blume

Cinnamomum Ioureiru Nees.

Pron. in Japanese:

桂枝: keishi

Pron. in Korean:

桂枝: kyechi

Pron. in Cantonese

 gwai3 zi1 (桂枝); juk6 gwai3 (肉桂)

Common Name:

cinnamon twig

Distribution:

Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Fujian

Properties (characteristics)

gui zhi: acrid, sweet, warm.

rou gui: acrid, sweet, very warm.

桂枝: 辛 ， 甘 ，  熱 ．

肉 桂: 辛 ， 甘 ， 大 熱 ．

Channels (meridians) entered:

heart, lung, bladder

心﹐肺﹐膀胱。

Actions & Indications:

1). tonic for stomach, rid of wind, to promote sweating, for headache, anemia,, cold limbs, to promote urination.

2). to promote lung qi, in chill and fever, cold phlegm, diarrhea, muscle spasm,  headache, back pain, sweating, to stop easily being annoyed, strengthening muscles and bones, promote circulation.

3. use in impotence due to lack of fire

Medical Function:

藥理:

• the ingredient cinnamaldehyde posseses antipyretic effect; promote sweating, diluting blood vessel of the skin. (if decoction is used when warm)

• anti-spasm, relieves pain; inhibits CNS

• inhibit the induced ulcers of laboratory rats; promotes bile secretion.

• antibiotic effect

• lowers blood sugar. (methylhydroxy chalcone polymer )

• promote urination (if decoction is used when cooled.)

• 解 熱 作 用 :  桂 皮 醛 ( cinnamaldehyde ) 發汗,解熱，擴張皮膚血管，促進 汗腺分泌

•   鎮 痙 ，鎮 痛 作 用 : 有 抑 制 中 樞 神 經 作 用 。

• 對 於 消 化 系 統 之 影 響 : 對 於 大 白 鼠 拘 束 水 浸 胃 引 發 潰 瘍 有

• 抑 制 作 用 ， 促 進 膽 汁 分 泌 。

• 抗 菌 作 用 : 對 病 原 性 絲 狀 菌 有 抑 制 作 用 。

• 降血糖作用 (甲羥基查耳酮多聚體 MHCP)

• 利尿作 用。

Chemical Ingredients:

化學成份: 

桂皮醛（cinnamaldehyde）(樹皮﹐bark:55 ~ 75%),

醋酸桂皮酯（cinnamyl acetate）,

丁香酚  (eugenol) (樹皮﹐bark:5~20%; 葉﹐leaves70-90%),

乙醛 (aldehyde)

蒎烯  (pinene)

桂皮酸 (narumicin)

笨麗酸乙酸,

桂二萜醇（cinnzeylanol),

乙酰桂二萜醇（cinnzeylanine).

香豆素（coumarins）

黃樟油素 safrol (葉﹐leaves<1%)

甲羥基查耳酮多聚體 (能增強脂肪細胞對胰島素的反應性) methylhydroxy chalcone polymer (MHCP), (water-soluble polyphenol compound can increase glucose metabolism of fat cells.)

Dosage:

gui zhi:3-10 g per day for boiling. Ruo gui: 1-5 g used as powder form or added to the decoction when they are ready for use.

Commonly Used formulae:

常用配方:

dang gui shao yao san 當歸芍藥散

gui zhi shao yao zhi mu tang 桂枝芍藥知母湯,

ma huang tang 麻黃湯

chai hu gui zhi tang 柴胡桂枝湯

chai hu gui zhi gan jiang tang 柴胡桂枝乾薑湯

dang gui si ni tang 當歸四逆湯

huang qi jian zhong tang 黃耆建中湯,

gui zhi fu ling wan 桂枝茯苓丸

Modern Research:

to be loaded

Cautions:

not to use in case of warm-febrile diseases, yinxu with heat, heat in blood with vomiting. Use caution during pregnancy or excessive bleeding during menses. Over dosage  may be toxic to the kidney and may cause bleeding in the urinary tract.

肝陽上亢﹐瘟病﹐陰虛有熱﹐血熱嘔吐者忌用。懷孕或月經過多者小心應有。過量使用可能會對腎臟有毒﹔引起血尿。