Properties: Sweet, warm, slightly toxic
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Spleen and Liver
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Dispels Wind and dredges the meridians, alleviates pain and resolves toxicity
Scrofula, scabies
Haemorrhoids
Rheumatic arthritis
Tumor
Leprosy
Suggested Daily Dosage: Soaked in wine or stir-baked into powder.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in case of yin deficiency, anaemia and pregnant women.
Notes:
An addition to Ge Hong's Zhou Hou Beiji Fang described using a large dallas pit viper soaked in wine and heated gently and then mixed with lard and applied externally to leprosy sores (White Lai). Similar recipes using pit vipers in wine for elephantiasis appear in Galen and Arateus of Cappadocia of classical Europe.
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, 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.
