Tu Fu Ling - 土茯苓 - Rhizoma Smilacis Glabrae

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Rhizoma Smilacis Glabrae
Common English:	China Root Glabrous Greenbriar Rhizome Smilax Smooth Greenbriar Rhizome

Category

Herbs That Clean Heat and Purge Fire: Herbs That Clean Heat and Detoxify; Target Warm and Heat Diseases

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sweet Bland	Neutral	Liver Stomach	15-60g Tincture: 2-4ml

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Relieves toxicity and eliminates Dampness (benefits the joints)	Fire toxicity with turbid, painful urination Damp-Heat (jaundice) Damp-Heat Bi (joint pain)
Clears Damp-Heat from the skin	Chuang Yung (recurrent ulcers or other hot skin lesions)
Promotes normal urination (dispels Heat from the Lower Jiao)	Re (Heat) Lin with burning, painful urination

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Sm. Coicis Yi Yi Ren	Rx. Dioscoreae Bei Xie	Hb. Taraxaci Pu Gong Ying
Joint pain due to Damp-Heat toxin.	Joint pain and turbid urine due to Damp-Heat toxin.	Jaundice due to Damp-Heat in the Liver/Gallbladder.
Rz. Imperatae Bai Mao Gen Caulis Akebiae Mu Tong Or Hb. Taraxaci Pu Gong Ying Caulis Akebiae Mu Tong	Rz. Chuanxiong Chuan Xiong	Cx. Dictamni Bai Xian Pi
Hot, painful urinary dysfunction with scanty, dark, painful urination. (Re Lin)	Raises the clear Yang while directing turbid Qi downward, moves Qi, invigorates the Blood, clears Heat and removes Dampness for headache from constrained Damp-Heat in the Liver channel.	Skin lesions associated with Damp-Heat.
Flos Lonicerae Jin Yin Hua Flos Chrysanthemi Indici Ye Ju Hua	Fr. Kochiae Di Fu Zi Rx. Sophorae Flavescentis Ku Shen Rz. Atractylodis Cang Zhu	Flos Lonicerae Jin Yin Hua Cx. Dictamni Bai Xian Pi Rx. Glycyrrhizae Gan Cao
Abscesses and boils.	Eczema, carbuncles, Damp sores or psoriasis.	Syphilis.

Notes

1. It can counteract mercury poisoning.
2. It is an excellent treatment for syphilis, particularly in the secondary and tertiary stages.
3. At one time it was widely used to treat syphilis.
4. According to one source, it promotes Spleen and Stomach function and strengthens the muscles and bones.
5. Research has shown that it inhibits cancer cell growth.
6. One source states that it drains Damp-Heat and relieves poisoning from Calomelas (Hydrargyrum) Qing Fen, which is why it is used for syphilis, sore throat, joint pain and all malignant diseases.
7. It is reported to treat psoriasis.
8. For malignant carbuncles, apply a decoction of the herb topically.
9. Its western relative, sarsaparilla, is used in almost exactly the same way.
10. Tu Fu Ling and Rx. Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Bei Xie are both sweet and neutral; they cool heat, remove Dampness, expel Wind and relieve painful obstruction. Tu Fu Ling concentrates on the Liver and Stomach channels, resolving toxic Dampness, expelling Wind and unblocking painful obstruction. Traditionally it was used to treat and the skin rashes, sores and later-stage spasms associated with it. Bei Xie concentrates on the Liver and Kidney channels. It excels at separating the pure from the turbid, cooling Heat and removing Dampness, treating Milky Lin, Wind-Damp Bi and spermatorrhea from Damp-Heat. Both herbs treat burning sensations in the genitals and the feeling of Urinary Bladder prolapse.