Properties: Sweet, bitter, warm
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver and Spleen
Divergent Channels: Gallbladder, Liver
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Invigorates the Blood, dispels Blood Stasis and alleviates pain
Blood Stasis with amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain and epigastric pain
- Transforms Stasis and stops bleeding
Uterine bleeding and retained lochia due to Blood Stasis
- Treats childhood nutritional impairment
Childhood nutritional impairment with focal distention
- Eliminates toxins
Internally and topically for various insect and snake bites
Suggested Daily Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It should not be used with Ren Shen and it is contraindicated to 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 Yan Hu Suo and Lian Fang.
Notable Constituents:
- Humic Acid
A naturally occurring, complex molecule found in soil, peat, and other decomposed organic matter. It has been found to have antioxidant properties and can support gut health by promoting beneficial bacteria. Flying squirrel faeces, as a form of decomposing plant matter, can contain humic acids as a breakdown product, especially if stored and aged.
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.
