Properties: Bitter, cool
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver and Heart
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Clears the Heart, opens the Orifices aromatically, awakens the Spirit and vaporizes Phlegm
Delirium or coma due to Hot Phlegm Obstructing the Pericardium or Warm-Heat pathogen Wind-Stroke, convulsions or seizures
- Clears the Liver, relieves Fire toxicity, extinguishes Wind and stops tremors
Extreme Heat Generates Liver Wind with high fever, spasms, tremors or convulsions
- Drains Heat and resolves Fire toxicity
Carbuncles, boils and a wide variety of Hot swellings (Chuang Yung) (can be used as a stand-alone herb)
- Aids fasting
Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of animal parts which can, with protracted taking, lengthen
the lifespan. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).
Suggested Daily Dosage: 0.15-0.35g as powder or pills.
Cautions: It should be used with cautions for pregnant women.
Animal products are prohibited from use in the UK under the Medicines Act 1968 ch. 67 which restricts herbalists to the use of plant products only. It is generally substituted with Huang Lian, Gou Teng and Tian Zhu Huang.
Appears in 8 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.
