Da Ji - 大薊 - Herba Sive Radix Cirsii Japonici

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Herba Sive Radix Cirsii Japonici
Common English:	Japanese Cirsium Japanese Thistle Large Thistle

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sweet (Bitter)	Cool	Liver Spleen Heart	4.5-20g Fresh: 30-60g Tincture: 1-4ml 9-15g (Secondary source)

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Cools the Blood and stops bleeding	Blood Heat with epistaxis, hematemesis, hematuria, hemafecia or uterine bleeding
Disperses Blood Stasis, reduces swelling and generates flesh	Topically for carbuncles, sores, and swellings (Chuang Yung) (use fresh)
Benefits the Gallbladder and reduces jaundice	Jaundice, especially due to Damp-Heat
Lowers Blood pressure	Hypertension, especially due to Liver Heat

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Contraindicated for those with Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold.
Contraindicated for those with watery diarrhea or white dysenteric disorder.
Contraindicated for those with early stages of Hot dysenteric disorder.
Contraindicated for those with Stomach weakness leading to extreme Blood Deficiency.
Use with caution during pregnancy.
Use with caution for those who do not have signs and symptoms of Blood Stagnation.

INCOMPATIBILITIES

HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

This herb has been shown to reduce the anticoagulant effect of warfarin. Use with caution to prevent the formation of clots.

Rx. Rubiae Qian Cao Gen	Hb. Cirsii Xiao Ji Rz. Imperatae Bai Mao Gen	Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae Niu Xi Rx. Sanguisorbae Di Yu Flos Lonicerae Jin Yin Hua
Hematemesis and epistaxis due to Blood Heat.	Hemorrhage due to Heat. (charred)	Internal abscess such as Intestinal abscess.
Hb. Artemisiae Scopariae Yin Chen Rz. Polygoni Cuspidatae Hu Zhang	Sm. Plantaginis Che Qian Zi	Sp. Prunellae Xia Ku Cao Hb. Siegesbeckiae Xi Xian Cao
Damp-Heat jaundice	Daily, as a drink for hypertension.	Hypertension due to Liver Heat.
Hb. Cirsii Xiao Ji	Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang Mel Feng Mi	Hb. Cirsii Xiao Ji Cacumen Platycladi Ce Bai Ye Rz. Imperatae Bai Mao Gen Rx. Rubiae Qian Cao Gen
Hematuria due to Blood Heat. Heat induced hemorrhages.	Hematemesis.	Hematemesis and hemoptysis. (use the charred forms of all of the herbs)
Urinae Hominis Sedimen Ren Zhong Bai Grain-Based Liquor	Salt
Intestinal abscess.	Mix and apply topically for sores and carbuncles.

Used fresh and on its own, it treats hematemesis, epistaxis and profuse menstrual bleeding.
It is particularly effective for hematemesis and hemoptysis.
For Lung abscesses it may be used alone.
For hypertension it may be used alone.
Its action is stronger than that of Hb. Cirsii Xiao Ji.
The aerial part of the plant, Da Ji Ye, drains abscesses.
Da Ji and Hb. Cirsii Xiao Ji both drive downward and guide out Stasis. Xiao Ji is weaker than Da Ji and does little to reduce sores. It stops bleeding and reduces Heat. It surpasses Da Ji in breaking up Stasis to promote water movement and is used mainly to promote urination. Da Ji treats swollen abscesses, breaks up Stasis and disperses toxicity.
Fresh Large Thistle Root Xian Da Ji Gen is superior for cooling the Blood, stopping bleeding and reducing sores. Externally it may be applied to sores, scalds and burns. It reduces Blood pressure.
Charred Large Thistle Root Da Ji Tan is less cooling and goes straight into the Blood, where it astringes and checks bleeding.
Compared with Xiao Ji, it is stronger at reducing swelling and dispersing Blood Stasis.