Properties: Pungent, bitter, cold, toxic
Meridans Entered:
Primary: None given
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Clear Heat, resolves Toxicity and disperses swelling
Swelling Toxin of welling abscesses and flat abscess
Syphilis, chancre
Painful swelling from knocks and
falls
Suggested Daily Dosage: For external use only, pounded for applying or decocted for washing, or made into paste.
Cautions: Avoid taking orally.
Notable Constituents:
- Dioscorine
Alkaloid toxin isolated from several yam tubers which has a traditional use as an arrow poison for hunting. It is a convulsant neurotoxin that acts by blocking the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor leading to hyperpolarization of the neuron. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, vomiting and sleepiness and at large doses convulsions with death occurring in extensor spasms. Externally it has local anesthetic effects: dioscorine in 0.5% solution has approximately the same activity as 0.05% cocaine.
Does not appear in any formulae listed on this site
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, has 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.
