Quan Shen - 拳参 - Rhizoma Bistortae

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Rhizoma Bistortae Rhizoma Polygoni Bistortae
Common English:	Alpine Knotweed Bistort Rhizome Snakeweed Rhizome

Category

Herbs that Clear Heat and Purge Fire: Herbs that Clear Heat and Relieve Toxicity

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Bitter Astringent	Cool (Cold) (Slightly Toxic)	Liver Stomach Large Intestine (Spleen)	4.5-18g Cancers: 15-30g Tincture: 2-5ml

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Clears Heat, Disperses clumps, Reduces abscesses, Resolves Phlegm, Resolves toxicity	Swellings, abscesses, scrofula, hemorrhoids and febrile seizures Snakebite
Cools the Blood and stops bleeding	Heat leading to hematemesis, bleeding hemorrhoids or red dysenteric disorder

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Flos Chrysanthemi Indici Ye Ju Hua Flos Lonicerae Jin Yin Hua	Ram. Uncariae cum Uncis Gou Teng Scorpio Quan Xie Bombyx Batryticatus Bai Jiang Can	Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian Cx. Fraxini Qin Pi Rx. Pulsatillae Bai Tou Weng
Abscesses and sores	Febrile seizures	Red dysenteric disorder

Notes

1. Topical use, as a wash or a paste, is common for this herb.
2. It also calms fright and helps remove Dampness.
3. Muscular tetany can be treated with it.
4. Quan Shen and Rz. Paridis Chong Lou both clear Heat and resolve toxicity. Quan Shen is more specific for dysenteric disorders and enteritis caused by internal Heat. Chong Luo is better at clearing the Lungs and draining Heat to treat sores, boils and furuncles.