Medicinals
zào jiǎo cì / 皂角刺 / 皂角刺 / gleditsia thorn;
Latin pharmacognostic name: Gleditsiae Spina
Alternate English names: Chinese honey locust thorn soap bean thorn
Alternate Chinese names: 皂刺 zào cì; 天丁 tiān dīng; 大角莿 dà jiǎo cì; 皂角针 zào jiǎo zhēn; 皂荚刺 zào jiá cì; 角刺 jiǎo cì; 角针 zào zhēn
Origin: Plant
Use: medicinal
Category: Phlegm-transforming cough-relieving panting-calming agents / Phlegm-transforming agents
Properties: Acrid; warm; nontoxic*.
Channel entry:
Indications:
Tracks wind, draws out toxin, disperses swellings, and expels pus.
swollen welling-abscesses (yōng zhǒng) and sore-toxin; pestilential wind; lichen (xiǎn) and
Dosage & Method:
Decoct (3–9g) or use in pills or powders. Topical: Decoct with vinegar; or grind and sprinkle on dry or mixed.
Quality:
Slender finely cut twigs without bark and unbroken thorns are signs of good quality.
Product Area:
Shǎnxī (Shaanxi), Shāndōng, and Sìchuān.