Properties: Bitter in flavour. Slightly cold in nature, acting on the heart channel and liver channel, its bitterness for sending down and purging, and mild coldness for clearing away heat, it effects on heart, liver and blood division and it can clear heat from the blood and promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis and heat. It is applicable in treatment of chest and abdominal pain caused by accumulation of heat in the blood division, irregular menstruation, carbuncle and sore. Because of its tropism to the Heart channel it also has effect of clearing away the heart-fire to relieve restlessness, tranquilizing the mind and emotion, therefore, it can be used to treat vexation due to warm ad heat pathogen.

Indications:

1. For treatment of irregular menstruation, dymenorrhae, amenorrhae, postpartum tormina, it is usually used in combination with Herba Leonuri, Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong, Radix Angelixae Sinensis, Rhizoma Cyperi, and other herbs with the action of promoting blood flow to regulae menstruation; For treartment of gastric and abdominal pain due to blood stasis, it is usuallyused in combintion with Rhizoma Corydalis, Rhizoma Cyperi, Faeces Trogopterorum, and other herbs with the effect of relieving pain by promoting blood circulation; For treatment of pain in chest and hypochondrium due to stagnation of the liver-qi and blood stasis or colicky pain in the chest caused by blood stasis, it is usually used in combination with Rhizoma Corydais, Lignum Dalbergiae Odoriferae, Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Flos Carthami, and other herbs with effects of promoting blood circulation and relieving blood stasis, promoting the circulation of Qi and relieving pain.

2. For teatment of arthralgia-syndrome due to wind-dampness, redness, swelling, hot and pain of joints, it can be used together with Ramulus Mori, Caulis Lonicerae, Radix Achyranthis Bidetatae, Cortex phellodendri, and other herbs to clear away heat and dry dampness, to clear obstruction in the channels and to relieve pain; For treatment of skin sore and carbuncles due to noxious heat and acute mastitis, it can be used together with Flos Lonicerae, Fructus forsythiae, Herba Taraxaci, and other herbs with the effects of clearing heat and toxins.

3. For treatment of heat invasion of nutrient ying and blood divisions in epidemic febrile disease, vexation and delirium caused by pyrexia, it is used in combination with Cornu Rhinoceri Asiatici, Radix Ophiopogonis, Rhizoma Coptidis, and other drugs with effects of clearing heat from blood and heart to relieve restlessness. For deficiency of Yin-blood, disourishment of mind stored in the heart, insomnia and dreaminess, it can be used together with Radix Rehmanniae, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Semen Ziziphi Spinosae, and other herbs with effecs of nourishing Yin and supplementing blood, nourishing heart to tranquilize the mind.

Dosage and Administration: 5-15g.

Precautions: It is antagonistic to Veratrum nigrum L.