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Guizhi (Cinnamon Twig) — classical plate
Cinnamomi Ramulus · Cinnamon Twig Plate 001
Cinnamomi Ramulus
桂枝 Guizhi
Cinnamon Twig
Ramulus Cinnamomi Cassiae
Nature & FlavorPungent, sweet; warm
ChannelsHeart, Lung, Bladder
Actions
Releases the exteriorInduces sweatingWarms and unblocks the channelsTransforms qi
Six ChannelsThe chief herb of Taiyang disease
The Classic The original text

「味辛温。主上气咳逆，结气喉痹，吐吸，利关节。」

Pungent in flavor, warm. It treats qi rushing upward with cough and counterflow, bound qi and throat blockage, retching breath, and it frees the joints.

RootBro's note — The master switch of pungent-warm exterior release. 'Frees the joints' means opening the channels through which nutritive and defensive qi move at the body's surface — Zhang Zhongjing developed it into the core herb of Taiyang disease.
PhD Insight A systems-biology reading
Its key active constituent is cinnamaldehyde, 75–90% of the volatile oil. By activating TRPA1 ion channels it increases microcirculation at the body surface and assists the hypothalamus in balancing heat production and dissipation.
Cinnamaldehyde · 肉桂醛
A TRPA1 agonist → peripheral vasodilation → surface blood flow ↑ → assists sweating and heat release. It also inhibits platelet aggregation (the TXA2 pathway), which relates to the anti-inflammatory mechanism behind 'freeing the joints.'
A modern reading of 'nutritive and defensive qi out of harmony': the nutritive corresponds to blood circulation and immune response; the defensive to autonomic control of temperature and the skin barrier. Guizhi Tang's harmonizing of the two is, in essence, restoring precise autonomic control over the peripheral vessels.
Logic Pairing Classical pairings
Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction)Mahuang Tang (Ephedra Decoction)Guizhi Jia Gegen Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction plus Kudzu)Xiao Jianzhong Tang (Minor Fortify-the-Middle Decoction)Zhigancao Tang (Honey-Fried Licorice Decoction)Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang (Poria, Cinnamon Twig, Atractylodes & Licorice Decoction)
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⚠️ Safety note: This page is study material on the Chinese medical classics, offered for cultural and educational understanding only. It is not a diagnosis, a prescription, or a promise of treatment. Herbs are medicine — use them only under the guidance of a licensed practitioner, and never compound or take them on your own.

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