Han Fang Ji - 漢防己 - ( Fen Fang Ji) - Radix Stephaniae Tetrandrae

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Radix Stephaniae Tetrandrae
Common English:	Four Stamen Stephania Root Stephania Root

Category

Herbs that Drain Dampness (Diuretics)

Herbs that Dispel Wind-Damp and Relieve Pain (Anti-Rheumatics)

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Bitter Acrid	Cold	Bladder Spleen Kidney (Lung)	3-12g Tincture: 2-4ml 4.5-9g (Secondary source)

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Promotes urination and reduces edema especially in the lower body	Edema due to Dampness accumulating in the Lower Jiao with damp leg Qi, borborygmus, abdominal distention, ascites
Expels Wind-Dampness and alleviates pain (purges Damp-Heat)	Wind-Damp-Heat collecting in the channels with fever, red, hot, swollen, painful joints (Wind-Damp-Heat Bi) Painful contractions of the hands and feet

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Poria Fu Ling Ram. Cinnamomi Gui Zhi (Rx. Glycyrrhizae) (Gan Cao)	Rx. Astragali Huang Qi Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae Bai Zhu (Poria) (Fu Ling)	Hb. Lycopi Ze Lan
Edema in constitutionally weak patients. Swelling due to Leg Qi.	Wind-Dampness invasion with Wei Qi Deficiency causing superficial edema, heaviness of the body, and sweating.	Edema due to Blood Stagnation blocking the channels. Removes water, invigorates Blood and unblocks the collaterals for ascites, edema of the face and extremities and leg Qi. Postpartum edema.
Sm. Coicis Yi Yi Ren Faeces Bombycis Can Sha	Rz. Gentianae Qin Jiao Rx. Aristolochiae Fangchi Guang Fang Ji Rx. Polygoni Multiflori He Shou Wu	Rx. Astragali Huang Qi
Wind-Damp Bi. Wind-Damp-Heat Bi.	Arthritis.	Wind-Dampness with edema. Wind-Dampness with Exterior Deficiency.
Rx. Gentiana Long Dan Cao Cx Phellodendri Huang Bai Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu Rx. Glycyrrhizae Gan Cao	Rx. Aconiti Zhi Chuan Wu Ram. Cinnamomi Gui Zhi Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae Bai Zhu	Sm. Zanthoxyli Bungeani Jiao Mu Sm. Descurainiae/Lepidii Ting Li Zi Rx. et Rz Rhei Da Huang
Expels Lower Jiao Damp swellings with pain, while draining pathogenic Fire from the Bladder.	Wind-Cold-Damp Bi.	Dysuria and constipation due to water accumulation.

Notes

1. According to some sources, this herb strengthens Kidney function.
2. Some sources regard it mainly as an herb that dispels Wind-Damp.
3. One source states that it clears Heat and dispels Blood Stasis.
4. It is widely used for arthritis, particularly of the knees, and is well suited to Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao with inflamed knees.
5. It acts on the pituitary, adrenal, hypothalamic axis.
6. It offers protection against pathogens.
7. It expels pathogenic Wind from the exterior and eliminates Internal Damp-Heat, Lower Jiao Damp-Heat in particular.
8. It is now a standard remedy for neuralgia, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, immediate allergies and cancer.
9. According to one source, it relieves buccal mucosal pain and hand pain, expels Phlegm, and stops cough and asthma caused by Lung Deficiency.
10. Studies have shown that it inhibits the growth of cancer cells and kills them.
11. Rx. Aristolochiae Fangchi Guang Fang Ji is more effective at eliminating Wind and Dampness, whereas this herb has a stronger diuretic effect. Guang Fang Ji is used more for edema of the upper body, and Han Fang Ji more for edema of the lower body. When neither is specified, this herb is generally the one used.
12. Han Fang Ji and Caulis Akebiae Mu Tong are both very bitter and very cold; both descend to strongly clear Heat, open the Fluid pathways and open the orifices. They are frequently combined for floating edema, urinary difficulty from Damp-Heat, and Wind-Damp Bi. Han Fang Ji is superior at draining pathogenic water and expelling Wind, and is the best choice for edema with abdominal distention, wheezing from Phlegm and thin mucus, and Wind-Damp Bi. Mu Tong is outstanding at clearing Fire from the Heart and Small Intestine channels and invigorating the Blood. It is better suited to mouth and tongue ulcers, rough, painful urination from excess Fire in the Heart and Small Intestine channels, and amenorrhea from Blood Stasis.
13. With its solid, hard texture, Han Fang Ji was believed to act on the Lower Jiao and to excel at expelling Dampness, promoting water metabolism and reducing swelling. It is used mostly for Lower Jiao Damp-Heat, lower-body edema and Damp leg Qi. The texture of Guang Fang Ji was considered as light as wood floating on water, and this lightness implied that it acts upward and outward to expel Wind, relieve pain and treat upper-body edema as well as Wind-Damp Bi. Owing to its toxicity, it is no longer used.
14. Han Fang Ji (Stephaniae Tetrandrae Rx.) is non-toxic.