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Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association
Dedicated to Developing Responsible Herbal Practice
 
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Established in 2002 by Susan Wynn, DVM, RH(AHG)
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President:  Laurie Dohmen
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VBMA Herbal Wiki
COMMON NAME:  Ginger
LATIN NAME:  Zingiber officinale
AKA:  Roscoe; Ginger; Jiang Sheng
 
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Zingiber officinale  


Common Name: Ginger

Latin Name:  Zingiber officinale Roscoe; Ginger; Jiang Sheng (fresh rezone); Gan Jiang
(dried rhizome), Pao Jiang (prepared rhizome), Jiang Pi (peel)

Family:  Zingiberaceae

Part Used: Rhizome

Active constituents:  1%-4% essential oil, zingeberene, zingiberole, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons including zingiberene, arcurcumene; monoterpene aldehydes and alcohols.

Actions: 
Carminative, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, diaphoretic; activator, antimicrobial, antipyretic, *circulatory stimulant*, cardiac
tonic, anticatarrhal, antiemetic, expectorant, antitussive, antirheumatic, warming digestive tonic; uterine regulator; mild tranquilizer and
antidepressant., hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, anticancer;  

TCM actions:
1. Promotes sweating, dispel and clear wind/cold and relieves pain,promotes expectoration,
2. Stimulation digestion warms the middle: treats Spleen yang Deficiency
3. Stimulates immunity, antidotes poisons, moderate other herbs,
4. Tonify and move Heart Qi, clear Wind, Cold, and Damp in the channels,
5. Warm and move Uterus Qi and Blood
6. Assist regulation of Heart Spirit


Fresh ginger (Jiang Sheng) specifically Actions:
1. Releases the exterior and induces perspiration treats exterior wine-cold syndrome; early stages of common cold
2. Warms the middle jiao and alleviates vomiting
3. Warms the lung and stops coughing

4. Eliminates Toxins:  Sheng Jiang is commonly used to neutralize the toxicity of other herbs

Dried ginger (Gan Jiang) specifically:
1. Warms the middle jiao; treat spleen and stomach cold syndrome
2. Restores depleted Yang
3. Warms the Lung, dissolves Phlegm
4 Warms the channel and stops bleeding
5. Dispels Cold and Dampness


Indications:
Prophylaxis of nausea and vomiting with motion sickness, and cancer care, flatulent colic, digestive weakness with cold sensations, adjunctive dirofliariasis treatment, osteoarthritis, improving circulation in geriatric or nonambulant animals, fever.; enhances beneficial actions of other herbs; moderate potential side effects of other herbs; acute respiratory infections; acute or chronic bronchitis with white phlegm and internal cold.

Cautions:
Rare report of contact dermatitis; if gastric irritation; or any interior Heat pattern (dried ginger)

Contraindications:
Patients taking anticoagulant drugs or have a blood coagulation disorder or gallstones; if spontaneous sweating form Exterior Deficiency and Interior
Heat patterns, including bleeding due to heat.; avoid high doses if pregnant or if any heat condition; safe for lactation.

Herb Drug Interactions:
Large doses may enhance the hypothromblinemic effects of anticoagulant therapy.; ginger may increase the absorption of pharmaceutical drugs

Dosage (use animal doses where available, otherwise human doses can be
included here but specify):

Small animal: dried herb: 15-200 mg/kg divided TID; *Infusion*:5 g per cup of water; ¼-1/2 cup per 10 kg divided TID; *Tncture*:1:2-1:3: 0.25-0.5
ml per 10 kg divided daily and diluted (for travel, 25-50 mg powder per kg divided TID given at least 30 minutes before travel

Horse dried herb: 8-30 g;* fresh*: 2 dr—1 oz.;* tincture*- 15-45 ml;
Cattle dried herb: 5-60 g; *Fresh ginger*: 30-120 g;
Pig dried herb: 1-4 g; *fresh:* 1-2 oz.;* tincture*:2-5 ml;
Sheep dried herb: 2-8 g, *fresh:* 1-2oz.*tincture *:3.5-14 ml


Native to Southeast Asia and cultivated in tropical regions worldwide

Notes:
Energetics: *pungent, sweet, hot and dry*.*

Organs and meridians: *Lung, Spleen, Stomach, IN, Ht, Ut

Dioscorides: helps digestion, soothes the stomach and abdomen, and antidote to poison**

Hildegard on ginger: Ginger is very hot and easily diffuses itself.  It is injurious as food for a healthy or fat person.  It makes him ignorant, languid, and lewd.  But one, whose body is dry and almost failing, should pulverize Ginger and consume the powder in broth, on an empty stomach. One who suffers constipation in his stomach or intestines should pulverize ginger and mix it with a little sap of bugloss; make little cakes with this power and flour of the broad bean and cook them. Eating these cakes will diminish the foulness of the stomach and strengthen the person.  One who has pimply eruptions should place the above mentioned powder in a cloth
...should smear his skin where the eruptions are, and he will be cured.

Cook: "Ginger root is one of the most pleasant of all the stimulating aromatics...When chewed or taken in powder; it increases the flow of saliva and warms the stomach.
The warm infusion promotes gentle and warm perspiration, favors an outward arterial flow increases the mucous flow of the lungs and bowels, relieves flatulence, internal congestions, and light spasmodic tendencies. Its influence in sudden nervous fatigue and prostration is excellent and it may be used in small quantities with cathartics to obviate nausea and griping.

Felter and Lloyd: treats fevers, acute colds, cold body surface, cold extremities, reduced appetite, atonic dyspepsia, epigastric or abdominal pain, borborygmus, diarrhea, dysentery, cholera with cold body; disordered menstruation


Clymer: on ginger, "It is excellent for children's colics and cramps, and expelling gas.  It is of much value in the beginning of colds by quickly sending the blood to the surface.  Its prompt use will frequently avert pneumonia and other serious developing maladies.

In onset of pneumonia or pleurisy use

Tincture of Ginger    10-40 drops

Tincture of Pleurisy root (Asclepias tuberosa)    10-20 drops

Tincture of Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum Frutescens  (2-3) drops

Dried ginger warms the middle jiao to restore normal digestive function.  It treats interior cold, the non-volatile shogoals are formed during the drying process.

Fresh ginger is acrid and warm, it warms the middle jiao to relieve nausea and vomiting,  It treats exterior wind/cold  It is much higher is essential
oils which decompose on drying.

Published research: anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes which belong to the prostaglandin and leukotriene
pathway; inhibits thromboxane formation; decreases pepsin activity; inhibits gastric contraction and serotonin-induced diarrhea.
 
 
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