Properties: Sweet but slightly bitter, cool

Meridans Entered:
Primary: Lung, Heart, Kidney and Spleen

1. Tonifies Qi, generates fluids, nurtures the Stomach and nourishes Yin
   Qi, Yin and Body Fluid Deficiencies with Heat signs and chronic un-abating fever
   Aftermath of a febrile disease with weakness, irritability and thirst
2. Benefits Lung Yin and clears Fire from the Lungs
   Lung Qi and Yin Deficiencies with depleted Fluids and Blazing Deficiency Fire which impairs the the clearing and dispersing functions of the Lungs with long-term wheezing and coughing up of Blood-streaked sputum
   Cough, hemoptysis and loss of voice due to Lung Yin Deficiency
3. Sedates Heat in the Intestines and stops bleeding
   Heat in the Intestines with hematochezia due to Yin Deficiency
4. Calms the Spirit agitated by Parasites damaging the Yin
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Suggested Daily Dosage: 5-10g in decoction.

Interactions:

• Warfarin: May increase effect causing increased risk of bruising or bleeding.
• Antidiabetic drugs: May have additive effect.
• MAOIs: Might cause side effects such as anxiousness, headache, restlessness, and insomnia.
• Should be stopped before surgery due to anticoagulant effect (University of Texas at El Paso, accessed 2021)).

Notes:

Analysis of the ancient script forms of 參 Shen suggest it is simplified from 曑 (晶 -> 厽) making an ideogrammic compound of 晶 ("stars") + 光 ("light; brightness") + 彡 ("light rays") meaning the Three Stars astrological mansion (referring to the three stars of Orion's belt in western astronomy at the centre of this constellation). 彡 also acts as a phonetic component. Its main meaning is "joining, merging, being a part of" suggesting the three stars making up a single constellation.

光 may also be interpreted as 卩 ("kneeling person"), representing someone looking at the shining stars above him or be the original character for 簪 a hairpin and thus someone with a ceremonial hat of stars.

參 also appears in the title of the famous alchemical text 參同契 Cantong Qi translated as The Seal of the Unity of the Three, or Joining as One with Unity, with 參 playing on the double meaning as "three" and "joined as one" where it refers to the unity of the cosmology of the Yi Jing, Daoism and internal alchemy (Pregradio, 2011, Seal of the Unity of the Three, p. 3).

These all suggest a great reverence for these herbs, which crosses into the cosmological, religious and self-cultivation realms, while also suggesting a completeness of these herbs in themselves. Herbs with 參 in their name may be used individually, without needing a formula to complement them.