Dang Gui

(8-96) Dang Gui (or Radix Angelicae Sinensis) is a common herb for Chinese women. It is supposed to replenish blood for women. It's mostly used to treat menstrual pain, and irregular menstruation. It is also heavily used for women after labor to replenish blood and energy. Here is the fun part: can you imagine the head of the same root has a different effect than the end of the root? I once learned one end will get rid of the dirty blood, while the other will help replenish fresh blood. Another interesting point of this herb is that the amount of time you spent boiling the herb will alter the effect too. If I remember correctly, if the boiling time is less than 5 minutes it will contract the uterus. If boiled for an hour or longer, then it will relax the uterine muscle. I tried it few years ago. I put 4 slices (you can ask the store to slice it for you) in a cup of boiling water. I then drank it like a tea before going to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night with a huge contraction. I could never imagine the same root would have so many different characteristics. 1