Gardenia Fruit

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

• Drains fire and relieves irritability - Zhi Zi is a classic bitter-cold fruit for agitation, vexation, insomnia, and heat disturbing the chest or Heart.
• Clears damp-heat - it is widely used for jaundice, dark scanty urination, and heat lodged in the Liver-Gallbladder or lower burner.
• Cools blood and stops bleeding - traditional indications include nosebleed, hematuria, and blood-heat rashes or macules.
• Clears toxicity and reduces traumatic swelling externally - poultice or wash use extends to sprains, bruises, and hot painful swelling.

Secondary Actions

• Zhi Zi is the general medicinal record, while raw Shan Zhi and charred Jiao Shan Zhi reflect processing distinctions with somewhat different emphases.
• Its strongly downward, heat-draining nature makes pattern accuracy more important than casual use as a general calming herb.

Classic Formulas

• Zhi Zi Chi Tang - classic constrained-heat formula pairing Zhi Zi with Dan Dou Chi for irritability and chest vexation.
• Yin Chen Hao Tang - damp-heat jaundice formula using Zhi Zi to drain heat through the urine.
• Huang Lian Jie Du Tang - major fire-toxin formula in which Zhi Zi clears heat from the triple burner.

Classical References

• Materia medica sources such as TCM healing-herb references describe Zhi Zi as bitter and cold, entering the Heart, Liver, Stomach, and Lung to purge fire, cool blood, relieve toxicity, and clear damp-heat.
• Me and Qi highlights Shan Zhi Zi as an alias and emphasizes classic use for febrile irritability, jaundice, bleeding from heat, and externally applied swelling.