☯ TCM Properties
Disperses Blood Stagnation, regulates Qi, softens hardness, disperses tumors and removes toxins; Increases uterine contraction and promotes contraception
Traditional Chinese Uses
Ji Xing Zi (Semen Impatientis), the ripe seed of Impatiens balsamina, is a blood-regulating substance that is bitter and warm and enters the Liver and Lung channels. Its chief action is to break up blood stasis and soften and disperse hardness: it is used for amenorrhea and abdominal masses (zheng jia) from congealed Blood, and for hard, clumped swellings, scrofula, and tumor-like nodules. A distinctive traditional use is dislodging food or bone lodged in the throat, where the ground seed is taken to "soften" the obstruction; it is likewise applied to stubborn sores and to relieve itching.
Because it strongly moves Blood and promotes uterine contraction, Ji Xing Zi is considered slightly toxic and is strictly contraindicated in pregnancy. It is used cautiously and in small doses, typically decocted or powdered within a formula rather than alone.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Ji Xing Zi, also called Ji Xing Zi or Ji Xin Zi (garden balsam seed), is the ripe seed of Impatiens balsamina L. (Balsaminaceae), an erect succulent annual 30 to 80 cm tall native to India and Southeast Asia and long cultivated throughout China as both ornamental and medicinal. The plant bears alternate lanceolate serrate leaves and showy axillary spurred flowers in pink, red, purple, or white; the explosive capsule dehisces at the slightest touch, scattering small kidney-shaped dark brown seeds about 2 mm across. In traditional Chinese medicine the seed is acrid, bitter, warm, and slightly toxic, entering the Lung and Liver channels; it softens hardness, breaks blood stasis, and unblocks the channels, used for amenorrhea due to blood stasis, difficult labor, retained placenta, abdominal masses, and lodged fish-bone in the throat. The flower Feng Xian Hua and stem Tou Gu Cao are separate medicinals.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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