Yù Jīn (郁金), known in English as Turmeric tuber (Curcuma wenyujin (tuber)), is a cold, acrid and bitter Chinese herb from the Invigorate blood category. It enters the Liver, Heart and Lung channels. Its main action: invigorates Blood, relieves pain.
| Pinyin | Yù Jīn (Yu Jin) |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 郁金 |
| English | Turmeric tuber |
| Botanical name | Curcuma wenyujin (tuber) |
| Category | Invigorate blood |
| Nature | Cold |
| Flavour | Acrid, Bitter |
| Channels | Liver, Heart, Lung |
| Dosage | 3–10g |
| Cautions | Incompatible with Ding Xiang; use with caution in pregnancy |
Actions
- Invigorates Blood, relieves pain
- Moves qi, relieves constraint
- Clears the Heart, cools Blood
- Benefits the Gallbladder, reduces jaundice
Indications
- Stabbing chest and flank pain
- Chest Bi
- Amenorrhoea and dysmenorrhoea
- Distending breast pain
- Heat clouding the spirit in febrile disease
- Mania and epilepsy
- Heat in the Blood with haematemesis and epistaxis
- Jaundice with dark urine
How to remember Yù Jīn
Invigorate blood herbs are mostly bitter, and most enter the Liver channel.
- You can work these out
- Bitter, Liver channel: like most Invigorate blood herbs
- Heart channel: from its action “Clears the Heart”
- Learn by heart
- Cold: Invigorate blood herbs vary in nature
- Acrid: unusual for Invigorate blood herbs (most are bitter)
- Lung channel: nothing in its group or its actions points to it
Formulas containing Yù Jīn
Other Invigorate blood herbs
- Dān Shēn
- Chuān Xiōng
- Hóng Huā
- Táo Rén
- É Zhú
- Sān Léng
- Rǔ Xiāng
- Mò Yào
- Yán Hú Suǒ
- Chuān Niú Xī
- Huái Niú Xī
- Jiāng Huáng
- Zé Lán
- Yì Mǔ Cǎo
- Wáng Bù Liú Xíng
- Jī Xuè Téng
- Gǔ Suì Bǔ
- Wǔ Líng Zhī
Test yourself
What is the nature and flavour of Yù Jīn?
Yù Jīn is cold and acrid and bitter.
Which channels does Yù Jīn enter?
Yù Jīn enters the Liver, Heart and Lung channels.
What are the actions of Yù Jīn?
Invigorates Blood, relieves pain; Moves qi, relieves constraint; Clears the Heart, cools Blood; Benefits the Gallbladder, reduces jaundice.
What is Yù Jīn used for?
Stabbing chest and flank pain; chest Bi; amenorrhoea and dysmenorrhoea; distending breast pain; Heat clouding the spirit in febrile disease; mania and epilepsy; Heat in the Blood with haematemesis and epistaxis; jaundice with dark urine.
Which formulas contain Yù Jīn?
Ān Gōng Niú Huáng Wán.
Practise Yù Jīn and the other 290 herbs
Recognise each herb from its picture, recall its nature, flavour, channels and actions, and review it again just before you would forget it.
Try the 5-question herb quizShen Study is a study tool. Doses and cautions are as taught in standard Chinese materia medica texts; they are not prescribing advice.