The loss of essential oil during infusing Anchu-san was examined. After six minutes boiling, 22.7% of oil passed into the decoction and only 7.8% of oil remained when infused till half volume.
The contents of essential oil in diverse preparations of Anchu-san on the market were also compared to find that all of the medicines contained far less oil than decoction.
Then, simultaneous analysis of essential oils in Cinnamomi Cortex, Foeniculi Fructus and Amomi Semen, which constitute Anchu-san, by using high-performance liquid chromatography was investigated. The constituents of oils, cinnamaldehyde, D-camphor, borneol, linalool,
anethole and bornyl acetate, were separated by using μ-Bondapak C13 as column and water: methanol (40: 60) as eluate. From the patterns of chromatograms of the decoction and several preparations, some new informations were provided.

The decocted extract of Uncariae Ramulus et Uncus, for which prolonged boiling is presumed to reduce its activities, was extracted with n-hexane-chloroform (5: 1) and methanol consecutively. The patterns of each organic solvent extract were analysed with thinlayer chromatography (TLC) by several solvent systems using the Dual-wavelength TLC Scanner. No clear difference in the patterns was evident in any of the 10-120 min decocted extracts.
The comparison of patterns of the chromatograms however revealed some new informations.

We treated five patients with palpitation at rest due to imbalance of Ki-distribution, a concept of traditional Chinese medicine in which there is abnormal upward flowing of “Ki, ” who showed rapid improvement after Shakuyaku was excluded from their original regimen or after initiation of treatment with Shakuyaku-free regimens. All these patients shared in common two findings before the initiation of the Shakuyaku-free treatment: first, the absence of strain of the rectus abdominas muscle in the whole abdomen between the hypochondrium and the upper margin of the pubic bones, and secondly, the presence of abdominal pulsation diagnosed as pericardiac, infra-umbilical or sub-umbilical pulsation. We also treated patients who developed palpitation at rest only after Shakuyaku-free regimens were replaced with regimens including Shakuyaku. These findings suggest that there may be many patients in whom Shakuyaku-free regimens may improve palpitation when they have an imbalance of Ki-distribution as an underlying condition.