Wiseman’s Chinese Medical Database

quán shēn / 拳参 / 拳參 / bistort [root];

Latin pharmacognostic name: Bistortae Rhizoma

Alternate English names: snakeweed [root]

Alternate Chinese names: 紫参[1] zǐ shēn

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: Heat-clearing agents / Heat-clearing toxin-resolving agents

Properties: Bitter; cool; slightly toxic*.

Channel entry: liver, stomach, and large intestine channels.

Indications:

• Clears heat and resolves toxin: Diarrhea and dysentery; welling-abscesses; scrofula; scalds; snake bites.
• Staunches bleeding; extinguishes wind: Blood heat vomiting of blood and nosebleed; bleeding from external injuries; high fever and convulsions.

  Dosage & Method:

  Oral: Decoct 3–10g. Topical: Appropriate amount.

  Product Area:

  Shāndōng, northern China, Manchuria, Jiāngsū, and Húběi.

  See also:

  xiē zǐ qī (蝎子七 Polygoni Vivipari Rhizoma, serpent grass [root];)