Semen Ziziphi Spinosae, spine date seed, sour jujube seed, dried, ripe seed. Semen Ziziphi Spinosae is produced in the provinces of Hebei, Shananxi, Liaoning, Shandong, and Henan. It is collected in autumn, and the fruit and shell of the stone are removed. The seeds are dried in the sun, used unprepared or stir-baked, and crushed before use. Sweet in flavor, neutral in property, acts on the Heart and Liver channels. Nourishes the Heart, tranquilizes the Mind, tonifies Yin to stop sweating. For insomnia and palpitation due to Blood Deficiency in the Liver, it is used with Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui), Radix Paeoniae Alba (Bai Shao), and Radix Polygoni Multiflori (He Shou
Wu). For restlessness and insomnia due to Deficient
Liver Yin with Heat, it is used with Rhizoma Anemarrhenae
(Zhi Mu) and Sclerotium Poriae Cocos (Fu Ling) in “The Decoction of Semen Ziziphi Spinosae” (Suan Zao Ren Tang). For insomnia, palpitation, forgetfulness, dryness in the mouth and
throat, red tongue, and sparse tongue coating due to Deficient Heart and Kidney and Hyperactivity of Yang due to Yin Deficiency, it is used with Radix Rehmanniae (Sheng Di Huang), Radix Scrophulariae (Xuan Shen), and Semen Platycladi (Bai Zi Ren) in “The Celestial Emperor’s Heart Tonic Pill” (Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan). For spontaneous sweating and night sweats due
to general Deficiency, it is used with Radix Codonopsis (Dang Shen), Fructus Schisandrae
(Wu Wei Zi), and Fructus Corni (Shan Zhu Yu). Decocted in water for an oral dose; or ground into powder and swallowed before bedtime.