Wiseman’s Chinese Medical Database

hóng jǐng tiān / 红景天 / 紅景天 / rhodiola [root]

Latin pharmacognostic name: Rhodiolae Sacrae Radix

Alternate English names:

Alternate Chinese names:

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: Supplementing agents / Qì-supplementing agents

Properties: Sweet; cold.

Channel entry: spleen and lung channels.

Indications:

• Fortifies the spleen and boosts qì: Spleen qì vacuity.
• Clears the lung and relieves cough: Lung heat cough.
• Quickens the blood and transforms stasis: Blood stasis from injury from knocks and falls.
• Modern applications: Hóng jǐng tiān has also been recently used to treat altitude sickness.

Dosage & Method:

Oral: 3–12g in decoctions. It may also be applied topically and is frequently made into tablets or gelatin capsules.

Notes:

Hóng jǐng tiān is a medicinal from the arsenal of Tibetan medicine that has recently gained popularity in Chinese medicine. It is not commonly used in clinical Chinese medicine, but its use is on the rise; it is included in this text because it is experiencing a surge of popularity in Western nations as well as in China.