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INDIVIDUAL HERBS

NAME: ZI WAN - 紫菀 - RADIX ASTERIS - ASTER ROOT

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Radix Asteris
Common English:	Aster Root Purple Aster Tatarian Aster Root

PROPERTIES

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Acrid Bitter (Sweet)	Slightly Warm (Lukewarm)	Lung	3-10g Tincture: 2-4ml

ACTIONS AND INDICATIONS

Actions

Indications/Syndromes

Relieves coughs and expels Phlegm

Cough of various etiologies including Wind-Cold and Wind-Heat, Lung Deficiency and consumption (Yin Deficiency) (primarily chronic coughing, especially Cold-induced with copious sputum that is difficult to expectorate or Blood streaked sputum)

Asthma, rebellious Qi, Phlegm with a stale feeling

CONTRAINDICATIONS, INCOMPATIBILITIES AND HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Use caution for those with coughs due to Yin Deficiency with Heat signs.
Use caution for those with excessive Heat signs.
Do not use long term or large doses.

INCOMPATIBILITIES

Counteracts Hb. Artemisiae Yin Chen Hao.

HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

MAJOR COMBINATIONS

Flos Farfarae Kuan Dong Hua	Rx. Platycodi Jie Geng Hb. Schizonepetae Jing Jie	Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin Bul Fritillariae Cirrhosae Chuan Bei Mu
Coughing and wheezing with copious sputum and rebellious Qi. (frequently used)	Productive coughing in the aftermath of an Externally-contracted disease - usually Wind-Cold.	Coughing of viscous, yellow Phlegm from Lung Heat.
Rx. Stemonae Bai Bu	Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi	Tub. Asparagi Tian Men Dong Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin Cx. Mori Sang Bai Pi
Acute or chronic coughing with Blood streaked sputum.	Productive cough, wheezing, and spontaneous sweating.	Chronic cough, especially due to Heat causing coughing up blood and pus.
Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu Bul. Fritillariae Cirrhosae Chuan Bei Mu (Colla Corii Asini) (E Jiao)	Rx. Platycodi Jie Geng Hb. Schizonepetae Jing Jie Rx. Stemonae Bai Bu Rz. Cynanchi Stauntonii Bai Qian	Rx. Platycodi Jie Geng Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu Colla Corii Asini E Jiao Bul. Fritillariae Cirrhosae Chuan Bei Mu
Chronic coughing due to Lung Deficiency with blood streaked sputum.	Coughing caused by profuse Phlegm and sputum.	Chronic cough due to Lung Heat and Yin Deficiency.
Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen Rx. Astragali Huang Qi Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi	Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu Bul. Fritillariae Cirrhosae Chuan Bei Mu Colla Corii Asini E Jiao Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen Poria Fu Ling Rx. Glycyrrhizae Gan Cao Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi
Chronic cough due to Lung Deficiency.	Tuberculosis. Late-stage Lung abscess.

NOTES

If the patient is Yin Deficient or has Lung Heat, it cannot be used alone or in large amounts. use Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang, Rx. Asparagi Tian Men Dong, Rx. Stemonae Bai Bu, Cx. Mori Sang Bai Pi or Rx. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong to support it.
This herb is Warm and moistening without drying and has a descending action to facilitate urination.
It enters both the Qi and Blood aspects.
It is used to treat children with restless crying.
It is good for chronic coughs.
The fresh herb can be used alone for coughs due to Wind-Cold.
This herb has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
It is used to treat sore throat and retained Phlegm.
This is a special herb for bloody Phlegm, metrorrhagia and dysuria.
It is said that dysuria can be cured using 30g of the herb alone.
This herb is also said to moisten the Lungs and descend Qi.
It is often used with Flos Farfarae Kuan Dong Hua. Zi Wan expels Phlegm while Kuan Dong Hua stops cough.
Zi Wan is pungent and dry and is good for Cold-induced cough while Kuan Dong Hua cools and moistens and is good for dry cough.
Honey-prepared Aster Root Mi Zhi Zi Wan is best for Lung Yin Deficiency or Lung Dryness due to its stronger ability to moisten and benefit the Lungs.