Properties: Bitter, pungent, cold, toxic
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver, Stomach, Spleen and Lung
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Stops malarial disorders and kills parasites
This is a special herb for killing the parasites that cause malaria
- Induces vomiting to expel Phlegm
Phlegm in the chest (Tan Yin)
- Treats Gu Toxins and Ghost Possession
Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as treating gathering Evil Qi, Gu Toxins and Ghost Possession.
Suggested Daily Dosage: 3-9g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in deficiency.
Interactions:
- Any drug that will be ejected through vomiting and diarrhoea. May also increase the risk of liver toxicity or affect drugs metabolised by CYP450 liver enzymes.
Notable Constituents:
- Febrifugine
Powerful antimalarial quinazoline alkaloid whose use has been hampered by its side effects of diarrhoea, vomiting, and liver toxicity (Kikuchi et al., 2006).
Appears in 1 formulae listed on this site: (click to display)
Research Links & References: (click to display)
Research Links:
Reference Notes:
Individual herb information has sourced mainly from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes. Zhou, Xie and Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Vol. 5, and A+ Medical Encyclopaedia have been used for entries not available from those sources with additional material searched for and filled in where available. Western herbs not appearing in the Chinese literature have used Ross (2010): Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Materia Medica, White Rabbit Institute of Healing and therapeutika.ch. Choices of which source to use or combine have been my own.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted. Actions and indications are taken from traditional uses and do not necessarily reflect the evidence base which should be researched independently. Dosages are for guidance only and will vary dependening on the potency of the batch and the tolerance of the individual so should be evaluated by a professional based on individual needs.
