INDIVIDUAL HERBS

NAME: QUAN SHEN - 拳参 - RHIZOMA BISTORTAE

Pharmaceutical Latin: Rhizoma Bistortae
Rhizoma Polygoni Bistortae
Common English: Bistort Rhizome
Snakeweed Rhizome
Alpine Knotweed

CATEGORY

Herbs that Clear Heat and Purge Fire: Herbs that Clear Heat and Relieve Toxicity

PROPERTIES:

Taste Temperature Entering Meridians Dosage
Bitter
Astringent
Cool
(Cold)
(Slightly Toxic)
Liver
Stomach
Large Intestine
(Spleen)
4.5-18g
Cancers: 15-30g
Tincture: 2-5ml

ACTIONS AND INDICATIONS

Actions Indications/Syndromes

Clears Heat, resolves toxicity, reduces abscesses, resolves Phlegm and disperses clumps

Swellings, abscesses, scrofula, hemorrhoids and febrile seizures

Snakebite

Cools the Blood and stops bleeding

Heat leading to hematemesis, bleeding hemorrhoids or red dysenteric disorder

CONTRAINDICATIONS, INCOMPATIBILITIES AND HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Contraindicated for those without Excess Fire.
  • Contraindicated for those with Yin type sores.
INCOMPATIBILITIES
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

MAJOR COMBINATIONS

Flos Chrysanthemi Indici
Ye Ju Hua
Flos Lonicerae
Jin Yin Hua

Ram. Uncariae cum Uncis
Gou Teng
Scorpio
Quan Xie
Bombyx Batryticatus
Bai Jiang Can

Rz. Coptidis
Huang Lian
Cx. Fraxini
Qin Pi
Rx. Pulsatillae
Bai Tou Weng

Abscesses and sores

Febrile seizures

Red dysenteric disorder

NOTES

  1. This herb is often used topically either as a wash or paste.
  2. This herb also restrains fright and facilitates the removal of Dampness.
  3. It can be used for muscular tetany.
  4. Both Quan Shen and Rz. Paridis Chong Lou clear Heat and resolve toxicity. Quan Shen more specifically treat dysenteric disorders and enteritis due to internal Heat. Chong Luo is better at clearing the Lungs and draining Heat to treat sores, boils and furuncles.