Qianghuo is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. It was first recorded in the "Shen Nong's Materia Medica" under Duhuo. It has the functions of dispelling wind and dampness, dispersing cold and relieving pain. It is used for colds, colds, headaches, rheumatic arthralgia, shoulder and back pain and other conditions.

Source: Notopterygium incisum Ting ex H. T. Chang and Notopterygium forbesii Boiss. rhizomes and roots.

Origin and distribution 1. Sichuan Qiang: Mainly produced in Songpan and Xiaojin in Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan, Nanping, Pingwu in Mianyang and Tengchong in Yunnan. In addition, it is also produced in Minxian County, Gansu Province. Sold all over the country.

2. Xiqiang: Mainly produced in Minxian, Linxia, ??Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, Tianshui and other places in Gansu. Sold all over the world.

Identification points: It is generally believed that the quality of silkworm Qiang is the best, followed by bamboo Qiang and striped Qiang, and big-head Qiang the worst. According to the origin, Sichuan Qiang is the best, followed by Western Qiang. The best ones are those with fat roots, transverse knot lines, brown surface, chrysanthemum heart in cross-section, and pure aroma.

White, large in appearance, similar in use but inferior to smaller ones. Su Song of the Song Dynasty said: "The Duhuo and Qianghuo that come out of Shuhan are better. The leaves of the spring seedlings are like green hemp. They bloom in clusters in June, either yellow or purple. When they bear fruit. Those with yellow leaves are grown on stones, and those with green leaves are grown in the intestines of soil. The scriptures say that the two are of the same category, and those with yellow leaves are called single plants. "Materia Medica Mengquan": "Qiang Hua mostly grows in Sichuan and Sichuan, and also grows in Longxi... It is the same species as Duhuo, and later generations divided it into two names. The purple ones with dense knots are Qiang, and the yellow ones with lumps are Du. Today, Qiang Hua is mostly used in medicine. For whip festival, Duhuo and Guiyan are often used." 4 Li Shizhen said: "Duhuo and Qianghuo are two kinds of the same kind. Those from other places are called Duhuo, and those from Xiqiang are called Qianghuo. Su Song said it quite clearly." 5 "Compendium of Materia Medica" in the Qing Dynasty. "Cong Xin" narrates Duhuo and Qianghuo respectively: "In ancient times, Duhuo was the only one. Later generations divided it into two types. Those with large and empty shapes, mortars like ghost eyes, sparse joints and yellow color are called Duhuo. Those with purple color, dense joints and strong Qi are Qianghuo. . And out of Shuhan"

Quick identification 1. Silkworm: cylindrical, slightly curved, 4 to 10 cm long, 1 to 2 cm in diameter, sometimes with stem base remaining at the top. The surface is dark brown or black brown, with dense and raised nodes, resembling a "silkworm" shape, with wart-like protruding root marks on the nodes. It is light in texture and easy to break. There are obvious chrysanthemum patterns and many cracks in the cross section. The bark is yellow-brown to dark brown, the xylem is light yellow, and there is a yellow pith in the center. The smell is peculiar and the taste is slightly bitter and pungent.

2. Bamboo Qiang: slightly larger than silkworm Qiang, with longer internodes and a bamboo-like shape. Yu Tongcan Qiang.

3. Tiaoqiang: The rhizome and roots are cylindrical, 10-15cm long and 0.7-3cm in diameter. The surface is tan, with longitudinal lines and knob-like protruding root marks; the area near the rhizome is thick, irregular nodules, and has fine horizontal lines. The texture is crispy, the skin is light brown on the cross section, and the wood is yellowish white. The smell is the same as silkworm Qiang.

4． Datouqiang: It is in the shape of irregular lumps with varying sizes. There are many residual stem bases at the top, and the rest are similar to silkworm Qiang. The smell is slightly lighter than that of Silkworm Qiang.