Heat-Clearing and toxicity-Removing Herbs
Ma Bian Cao (Herba Verbenae)
Name
Ma Bian Cao (European Verbena)
The Effect of European Verbena
Property
Bitter, cool; liver and spleen meridians entered.
Actions
Clear heat and remove toxicity, activate blood and dissipate nodulation, promote diuresis and resolve swelling.
Indications
Jaundice due to damp-heat, edema, dysentery, malaria, sores and boils, abdominal mass, gonorrhea, diphtheria, pharyngitis, amenorrhea, gangrenopsis, fever due to external pathogens.
Dosage and Administrations
Decoct 15~30 g, 30~60 g of the fresh product, or made into pill and powder. Proper dosage is for external application, pounded for applying or decocted for washing.
Cautions
It is contraindicated to pregnant women.
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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