Hu Zhang
Name: Giant Knotweed Rhizome (虎杖)
Pinyin: Hu Zhang
Pharm. Name: Rhizoma Polygoni Cuspidati
Properties:
|
Taste |
Characteristics |
Organs |
Dosage |
|
Bitter, Sweet, |
Excrete dampness and remove jaundice, clear heat and remove toxicity, resolve blood stasis, and stop the pain, resolve phlegm and relieve cough. |
Liver |
8-30g |
Description:
The root of perennial herbaceous plant Polygonum Cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc. It is good at clearing damp-heat from the liver and gallbladder and inducing diuresis, so it is the essential herb for jaundice of damp-heat type. It can be decocted alone or combined with other herbs such as Yin Chen Hao, Huang Bai, and Zhi Zi to strengthen the actions of clearing damp-heat and alleviating jaundice. It also can cool blood, clearing heat and removing toxicity, activating blood, and alleviating pain. It is also indicated for chronic arthralgia due to qi and blood stagnation and transforming into heat manifested as redness, swelling, and pain of joints because it has the actions of draining damp, activating blood, and unblocking meridians to stop the pain. It can be used alone for decocting or dunking into wine or combined with the wind-damp-dispelling herbs such as Fang Feng, Qin Jiao, and Fang Ji. Additionally, it also has the actions of purging heat and promoting defecation, cooling blood, and stopping bleeding. It is also indicated for constipation due to heat accumulation, hematemesis, hematochezia, and hemorrhoids with bleeding.