Drink of Fragrant Solomonseal Rhizoma for Heart-Failure

INGREDIENTS
Clean fragrant Rhizoma Polygonati Odorati (Yuzhu), Rhizoma Polygonati (Huangjing), 250g
Dry white sugar powder, 300g

PROCESS: First soak in cold water fragrant solomonseal rhizome and, after it has become saturated and some more water has been added, decoct it three times, twenty minutes each time; then mix the three decoctions into one and continue decocting it over a slow fire until it is almost boiled away; and then, when it becomes warm, put in dry white sugar powder and mix them up to absorb all the decoction left; finally dry the mixture in the sun, grind the mixture and put it in a bottle for future use.

DIRECTIONS: To be taken infused in boiling water, 3 times a day, 10g each time.  Applicable to patients suffering from ordinary chronic heart-failure. Fragrant solomonseal rhizome can invigorate yin, moisten dryness, promote the production of body fluid and quench thirst. Modern study has shown that fragrant solomonseal rhizome contains cardiac glucyoside (convallamain, convallarin), and experiments on animals have proved that it has the functions of invigorating the heart, reducing blood sugar and actions similar to adrenocortial hormone, and clinical application proves that it is effective for congestive heart-failure resulting from rheumatic heart disease, coronary heart disease or pulmonary heart disease. This prescription is more applicable to patients suffering from heart failure marked by the type of deficiency of yin.