INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Radix Scrophulariae |
| Common English: | Scrophularia Ningpo Figwort Root Black Figwort Root |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Salty Sweet Bitter |
Cold |
Kidney Lung Stomach (Heart) (Pericardium) (Yin Wei) |
7-30g Tincture: 2-4ml |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
| Clears Heat and cools the Blood | Xue Stage Heat or Blood Heat with hemorrhage (hematemesis), fever, dry mouth and a purplish tongue |
Nourishes Yin |
Yin Deficiency with Heat signs especially as sequelae from Warm Febrile Disease with Dry Lungs, insomnia, constipation, an unclear Shen and irritability Yin Deficiency dry Lungs Heart Yin Deficiency |
Softens hardness and dissipates nodules (Transforms Phlegm-Heat) |
Neck lumps (goiter, scrofula) due to Phlegm Fire Severe throat pain and swelling |
Drains Fire |
Extreme throat pain or red, swollen eyes |
Relieves toxicity |
Ying Stage Heat |
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
|
INCOMPATIBILITIES |
|
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
|
Cx. Moutan |
Fr. Arctii |
Concha Ostreae or Concha Ostreae |
| Erysipelas and purplish rashes. |
Pain and swelling of the throat. Purpuric rashes due to Wind-Heat. |
Scrofula, goiter and other nodules due to Phlegm. |
Rz. Atractylodis |
Flos Lonicerae |
Rx. Rehmanniae |
Lowers plasma glucose to treat diabetes mellitus especially due to Qi and Yin Deficiency. |
Deep rooted, sores and ulcers. Recalcitrant, ulcerated, and painful sores due to toxic obstruction leading to Blood Stasis. Gangrene of the fingers and toes. |
Ying Stage Heat. |
Flos Lonicerae |
Rx. Ophiopogonis |
|
Excess Toxic Heat with maculae and eruptions. |
Boils, carbuncles and furuncles. |
Sore throat due to Internal Heat. |
Flos Lonicerae |
Rx. Rehmanniae |
Bul. Lilii |
Swollen abscesses and toxic sores. Skin lesions with abscesses or ulcerations. |
Constipation due to Dryness. Sore, dry throat due to Deficiency Fire. |
Yin Deficiency with Lung Dryness and a dry cough. |
Cornu Bubali |
Lasiosphere/Calvatia |
Rx. Rehmanniae |
Macular rashes and purpura from Heat in the Blood. |
Wind-Heat obstruction leading to swelling and pain of the throat. Clears the upper body, restores normal descent, nourishes Yin and stops pain. |
Excess or Deficiency Heat patterns. Late-stage febrile disease with irritability, thirst and constipation. Kidney Yin Deficiency with Fire Blazing with soreness and swelling in the throat, dry mouth and a parched tongue. |
Rx. Rehmanniae |
Rx. Ophiopogonis |
|
Sore throat with Dryness and pain. |
Diphtheria. |
Sore, swollen throat from toxicity and Heat. |
Fr. Arctii |
||
Initial stages of Wind-Heat where there are slight signs of toxicity. |
- Do not store in brass or iron.
- Named after the disease scrofula which is a type of tuberculosis affecting the lymph nodes of the neck.
- It is a valuable remedy for scrofula.
- Some sources classify this as a Yin Tonic.
- It mainly targets the cardiovascular system.
- It moistens Dryness.
- It is a neurocardiac sedative and targets chronic neurogenic stress conditions of the Heart.
- Steamed Scrophularia Zheng Xuan Shen is better for nourishing Yin and draining Deficiency Fire.
- Both Xuan Shen and Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang clear Heat, cool the Blood, enrich Yin and generate fluids. Xuan Shen focuses on the Yin, directs Fire downward, resolves toxicity, disperses clumps, cools the Lungs and benefits the throat. It emphasizes regulating the Lungs and Kidneys. Sheng Di Huang is stronger at cooling Blood, while enriching Yin and stopping bleeding. It focuses at the Blood level and regulates disorders of the Heart, Liver and Kidneys.