Properties: Bitter, astringent, neutral
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver, Spleen, Large Intestine
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Astringes the intestines and checks diarrhoea
Diarrhoea, dysentery
- Resolves Toxicity and alleviates itching
Painless discoloured sores and lumps (Mafeng 麻風, "Hemp Wind": traditionally a term for leprosy)
Scrotal rash, itchy skin
Suggested Daily Dosage:
Notable Constituents:
- Juglone
Toxic naphthoquinone and isomer of lawsone, the staining compound in henna leaf. It stunts the growth of other plants nearby by inhibiting certain enzymes necessary for mitochondrial respiration. It is used as a herbicide, a food colouring, preservative and dye for cloth, inks and cosmetics. Medicinally it is used for its antibacterial and antifungal properties and being researched a potential cytotoxic and antineoplastic agent in cancer treatments.
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.
