Da Huang - 大簧 - Radix Et Rhizoma Rhei - Rhubarb Root
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Radix et Rhizoma Rhei |
| Common English: | Rhubarb Root and Rhizome |
Category
Downward-Draining Herbs: PurgativesProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Bitter | Cold | Heart Large Intestine Liver Stomach ( Pericardium) (Spleen) | 3-15g Severe cases: 15-20g Tincture: 2-4ml Its purgative action weakens if it is cooked for more than 10 minutes. |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Drains Heat and purges accumulations | Intestinal Heat Excess, with high fever, profuse sweating, thirst, constipation, abdominal distention and pain, delirium, a yellow tongue coat and a full pulse Yang-Ming Fu Stage Qi Level Heat in the Intestines |
Drains Fire | Fire from Excess with intense fever, sore throat, and painful eyes and constipation Fire toxin sores due to Xue Level Heat, especially with constipation |
Clears Heat, transforms Dampness and promotes urination | Damp-Heat with edema, jaundice, painful urinary dysfunction and acute, hot dysenteric disorders |
Drains Heat from the Blood | Bloody stool either from hemorrhoids or Heat in the Intestines Chaotic movement of hot Blood with hemoptysis or epistaxis with constipation It can be powdered and administered orally for bleeding in the upper digestive tract |
Invigorates the Blood and dispels Blood Stasis | Blood Stasis with amenorrhea, fixed abdominal masses or fixed pain Blood Stasis due to traumatic injury Intestinal abscess |
Clears Heat and reduces Fire toxicity | Topically or internally for burns or skin lesions (Chuang Yung) due to Heat |
| Clears Heat and eliminates Phlegm | Chronic Accumulation of Phlegm-Heat with cough, dyspnea, mania, disorientation and other symptoms of Phlegm Misting the Heart |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
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Major Combinations
| Natrii Sulfas | Sm. Cannabis | Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata |
Unremitting high fever, delirious speech and constipation. | Moderate constipation. Habitual constipation with Deficiency. | Constipation due to Cold accumulation. |
| Cx. Cinnamomi | Rz. Coptidis | Rz. Coptidis |
Chronic constipation. | A feeling of fullness and distention due to Heat Accumulation. Distention, Heart palpitations, mental distress with facial congestion and epilepsy due to Excess Heat. | Hematemesis or epistaxis due to Blood Heat. Whole body Damp-Heat. |
| Fr. Gardeniae | Rx. Gentianae | Rx. Kansui |
Strong pathogenic Heat in the Upper and Middle Jiaos. Upward Flaring of Heat attacking the head. | Liver Fire leading to headache and anger with constipation. | Accumulation of pathogenic Heat and Fluids in the chest and upper abdomen. |
| Hb. Artemisiae Scopariae | Sm. Plantaginis Or Caul. Akebiae | Cx. Moutan |
Jaundice with flank pain. | Hot, painful urinary dysfunction. | Intestinal abscess. |
| Ram. Cinnamomi | Rx. Angelicae Sinensis | Hirudo |
Blood Stasis. (removes Stasis and unblocks the flow of Qi) Combined Interior/Exterior conditions with chills, headache, fever, sweating and abdominal fullness and pain. Abdominal fullness and pain as a result of purging an Exterior condition too soon. | Blood Stasis. | Purges intense Blood Stasis. |
| Calcined Gypsum | Natrii Sulfas | Rx. Rehmanniae |
Topically as a plaster for burns. | Eliminates obstruction in the Intestines for severe constipation with passage of liquid but no solid stool. Abscesses, swellings and toxic sores. | Blazing Heart and Stomach Fire with epistaxis and hemoptysis. Deficiency Fire. Parched, dry stools with damaged Yin. |
Hb. Artemisiae Scopariae | Rx. Paeoniae Rubra | Rx. Ginseng |
Early-Stage Damp-Heat Jaundice when Heat is stronger than Dampness. Biliary ascariasis. | Chronic accumulation in the abdomen, blockage of urine, constipation, Qi rushing upward to the Heart, abdominal distention and rebellious damage from food and drink. | Yang Ming Stage with Qi and Blood Deficiency. |
Rx. Ophiopogonis | Rx. Ginseng | Rz. Coptidis |
Constipation with Heat consuming Body Fluids. | Constipation with Spleen Yang Deficiency and Accumulation of Cold | Dysentery with Excess Damp-Heat. |
Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata | Anti-Parasitics | Rx. Angelicae Dahuricae |
Chronic dysentery with accumulation of Damp-Heat and Spleen Yang Deficiency. | Enhances the expulsion of parasites. | Cellulitis on the back with constipation and a forceful pulse. |
Sm. Persicae | Rx. Stephaniae Tetrandrae | Rx. Ginseng |
Moderate Blood Stasis. | Water Accumulation with edema and abdominal fullness. | Chronic Blood Stasis with Qi and Blood Deficiency. |
Tabanus | Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum | Sm. Persicae |
Amenorrhea. | Reduces the side effects of nausea and vomiting when the formula is used in high dosages. | Acute appendicitis. |
| Fr. Forsythiae | Rz. Bletillae | Rx. Glycyrrhizae |
Topically, for aphthous ulcers, carbuncles, furuncles, cervical erosion, micotic vaginitis, toothache and small or medium sized burns. | Bleeding peptic ulcer. | Vomiting immediately after eating. Liquid vomit. Stomatitis, topically. |
| Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata | ||
Cold Accumulation with constipation. The elderly with Internal Cold. Edema, Kidney failure, Nephritis, Uremia. |
Notes
- For Blood Stasis, whether recent or long-standing, this herb is essential, since it clears extravasated Blood out through the bowels and removes Heat arising from Stasis.
- It works well for Blood Stasis resulting from traumatic injury.
- Powdered and combined with sesame oil, it is used for burns.
- Because it passes into breast milk, it is contraindicated during nursing.
- Since it may produce Blood Stasis in the pelvis, it is unsuitable during menstruation or pregnancy.
- Most purgative formulas and many formulas for Blood Stasis contain it.
- When cooked in grain-based liquor, it can treat dysentery.
- Within the Chinese pharmacopeia it is the fast-acting purgative used most often.
- In people with irritable bowels, any attacking purgative may bring on diarrhea and cramping.
- Used raw, it can rescue the dying.
- It suppresses the growth of cancer cells.
- As a single herb, it treats bleeding of the upper gastrointestinal tract.
- It halts bleeding without leading to Stagnation.
- For Blood Stasis it may be given alone or in combination.
- It reduces serum cholesterol.
- It is beneficial in cardiovascular diseases.
- In brain bleeding with constipation, give 9g. in 15-20 ml of hot water several times/ day through a stomach tube, or as an enema 1 time/day with 9g. in 200 ml of water.
- In tuberculosis patients who have bronchiectasis, give 1.5g. of Da Huang powder 1-2 times/ day.
- Tao Huang San (Da Huang + Shi Hui {Calcium Oxide} + Ming Fan (Alumen) with water may encourage the formation of blood clots.
- In hepatitis with jaundice, fresh Da Huang may reduce transaminase levels and ease jaundice.
- Avoid using a high dose over a prolonged period.
- It is reputed to benefit the Gallbladder and clear Food Stagnation.
- Its mobilizing action is strong and goes directly to the Lower Jiao.
- Entering the Jue Yin, it clears Blood Heat and removes Blood Stasis.
- It can expel Phlegm-Heat by way of the Intestines.
- Da Huang and Fr. Crotonis Ba Dou are both purgatives that drive out the old to bring in the new, reduce accumulation and harmonize the middle. Da Huang is cold and of low toxicity; it is used for Heat accumulating in the Yang organs, and it breaks up Blood Stasis, clears Damp-Heat and relieves toxicity. Ba Dou is Hot and highly toxic, and it is used when Cold accumulates internally in the Yin organs.
- Da Huang and Natrii Sulfas (Mirabilitum) Mang Xiao both drain accumulation, treating clumped Heat in the Large Intestine that causes constipation. Da Huang is bitter and cold; it drains Qi Level Heat in Yang Ming disorders, cools the Blood, resolves toxicity and breaks up static accumulations, and it is used for epistaxis, hemoptysis, red, swollen and painful eyes, and gynecological abdominal masses. Mang Xiao clears the Large Intestine and softens hardness to relieve constipation.
- Steamed Rhubarb Shu Da Huang has gentler downward-draining and cooling properties, making it better suited to weaker patients. According to some sources, it clears Damp-Heat.
- Wine-washed Rhubarb Jiu Xi Da Huang cools Fire in the upper Jiao and sends it downward, treating Large Intestine Heat toxin with red eyes, toothache, mouth ulcers and restless Heat in the chest.
- Vinegar Rhubarb Cu Da Huang directs the herb's action into the Liver so that it breaks up Blood Stasis and drains Excess Heat from the Blood Level.
- Charred Rhubarb Da Huang Tan has less capacity to drain downward and break up Blood Stasis, but it gains the ability to stop bleeding, treating hemafecia from Heat in the Intestines.
- Slices of Pure Tranquility Qing Ning Pian is a prepared medicine sold for people who cannot tolerate a strong purgative.
- Prepared Rhubarb Zhi Da Huang drains Damp-Heat and clears Heat by way of the stool.
- Unusually, this herb is used in three major medical traditions: Chinese, Ayurvedic and Greek/Western.
- It may serve as a substitute for rhinoceros horn Xi Jiao and water buffalo horn Shui Niu Jiao.
From Class
- Da Huang (rhubarb): Purgative to drain via stool and urine, also reduces pain; 6 g. (Yuen)
- Chai Hu Jia Long Gu Mu Li Tang (Shaoyang pivot) for hyperthyroid: Chai Hu + Huang Qin harmonize Shaoyang, Ban Xia + Fu Ling resolve phlegm/nodules, Da Huang purges Yang Ming heat, Long Gu and Mu Li settle Shen; use Da Huang cautiously long-term. (Rabinowitz)
- Qing Hao (Artemisia annua) / Tao Ren / Da Huang: Qing Hao (first used for malaria) is studied for anti-cancer properties; about 3,000 of 2.5 million researched herbs show anti-cancer activity but must fit the individual.