The ClassicThe original text
「味甘平。主心腹内崩，劳极洒洒如疟状，腰腹痛，四肢酸疼，女子下血安胎，久服轻身益气。」
Sweet in flavor, neutral. It treats internal collapse of the heart and abdomen, exhaustion extreme as malaria-like chills, pain of the waist and abdomen, aching pain of the limbs, and in women bleeding and calming the fetus. Taken over a long time, it lightens the body and boosts the qi.
RootBro's note — 'Enrich yin, stop bleeding' is ejiao's double action. In Zhigancao Tang it supplements heart blood; in Zhuling Tang it drains water without injuring yin; in Huangtu Tang it stops bleeding while nourishing yin — its emphasis shifts with the context.
PhD InsightA systems-biology reading
Its main substance is hydrolyzed collagen, rich in glycine, proline and hydroxyproline. It supplies the amino-acid substrate for blood building and promotes platelet aggregation — a hemostatic effect.
Collagen Hydrolysate · 胶原蛋白水解物
Glycine and proline → blood-building raw materials replenished → red blood cells and hemoglobin ↑ (nourishing blood). Activates coagulation factor XII → endogenous clotting ↑ (stopping bleeding). Also improves the intestinal mucosal barrier → less seepage bleeding (astringing).
Why ejiao must be melted in (yanghua), never decocted with the rest: boiled directly, the gelatin wraps the other herbs and cuts their extraction rate. Melting it separately and stirring it in guarantees full dissolution — collagen peptides dissolve far better in hot liquid than solid glue blocks do, so melting ensures the active material is fully released.
