Properties: Bitter, cold, toxic
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Lung and Stomach
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Clears Heat, relieves Fire toxicity and improves the throat
Swollen, painful throat (alone internally or as a gargle)
- Clears Heat, resolves Fire toxicity and disperses swellings
Abscesses, carbuncles and other toxic sores
Cancers, especially of the throat and Lungs
Externally for Heat swellings, ulcers of the head, scabies and injuries from snake, dog and spider bites
- Relieves jaundice
Damp-Heat jaundice
Suggested Daily Dosage: 3-6g in decoction.
Cautions: It is extremely bitter and cold, and poisonous.
Poisoning can occur with dosages over 10g and reactions usually appear within 5 to 30 minutes. Gastrointestinal reactions are the earliest symptoms with nausea and frequent vomiting occur after about 2 hours followed by nervous system toxicity manifested as dizziness, vomiting, ataxia, slurred language, or nystagmus, blurred vision, drowsiness and other symptoms of autonomic nervous dysfunction. Cardiovascular system symptoms may also manifest and can cause death.
Notable Constituents:
- Matrine
Alkaloid with antitumour and analgesic effects via opioid agonism which can cause both euphoria and dysphoria and hallucinations.
- Spartin
Alkaloid that may cause neurological or cardiovascular effects and has been used as an anti-arrhythmic.
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.
