Areca Seed (bing lang) Semen Arecae

[seed]

Properties: It is bitter and pungent in flavour, warm in nature,
acting on the spleen, stomach and large intestine channels. It has the
effects of expelling and killing many kinds of intestinal parasites,
and a laxative effect to excrete parasites from intestine. Being
pungent for dispersing and bitter for lowering, it can promote
circulation of Qi and induce diuresis to treat food retention,
abdominal distention and watery distention.

Effects: Killing parasites, promoting circulation of Qi , resolving
food retention, and inducing diuresis to eliminate edema.

Indications:

1. To treat cestodiasis, a concentrated decoction made from 60-120g of
areca seed can be taken, or it can be used in combination with pumkin
seed for strengthening the effect of expelling and killing tapeworms.
To treat ascariasis and enterobiasis, it can be used in combination
with quisqualis fruit, chinaberry bark, caarpesium fruit and other
anthelmintics, such as Huachong Pill.

2. To treat food retention, abdominal distention due to Qi stagnation,
and indigestion, the herb is often used in combination with germinated
barley, hawthorn fruit and medicated leaven for strengthening the
effect of resolving stagnated food.

3. The herb is often used in combination with fiveleaf akebia,
oriental water plantain rhizome, pikeberry root and other herbs for
promoting urination and defecation and inducing diuresis to eliminate
edema, to treat the excess syndrome of distention and fullness due to
ascites and obstruction of urination and defecation; and with
chaenomeles fruit, tangerine peel, poria and other herbs for removing
dampness and inducing diuresis, to treat beriberi and edema.

Dosage and Administration: 6-15g. 60-120g for areca seed alone to
expel tapeworms.

Appendix: Shell of Areca nut.

It is the peel of areca. Being pungent in taste and slightly warm in
nature, with the effects of promoting circulation of Qi, alleviating
congestion and inducing diuresis to eliminate edema, the herb is
indicated for watery distention, edema due to disorder of Qi and other
syndromes. The dosage is 3-10g.