Blood-Activating and Menstruation-Regulating Herbs
Diao Gan Ma (Root of Angled Bittersweet)
Name
Diao Gan Ma (Root of Angled Bittersweet)
Sources
The drug is the dried root or bark of Celastrus anguslatus Maxim. (family Celastraceae), growing in waste hillsides or scrubs, and distributed in Southern China and Shaanxi, Gansu of China.
The Effect of Diao Gan Ma
Property
Pungent, bitter, cool, slightly toxic; lung, liver and kidney meridians entered.
Actions
Expel wind and eliminate dampness, activate blood, dredge meridians, remove toxicity and kill parasites.
Indications
Tinea capitis, pustulosis, head louse, fracture, rheumatic arthritis, amenorrhea, pruritus vulvae, ulcers and sores.
Dosage and Administrations
Decoct 15~30 g. Proper dosage is for external application, pounded for applying or decocted for washing.
Sources and further reading
We cite classical materia medica and modern reference works. This article is health education, not medical advice.
- Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), Han dynasty.
- Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen, 1578.
- Chinese Pharmacopoeia, current edition — identity, quality and safety monographs.
- NCCIH and WHO reference material on traditional medicine safety.
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