This product is the root of the perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family, Qizhou fistula disease reed (Rhaponticum uniflorum (L.) DC.) and blue thistle (Yuzhou fistula disease reed) (Echinops latifolius Tausch). Qizhou fistula disease reed is mainly produced in the northeast, north, and northwest of China; blue thistle is mainly produced in Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, and other regions. It is harvested in autumn, with the residual stems and fibrous roots removed, washed, sliced, and dried.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Bitter, cold. Act on stomach meridian.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Clearing heat and removing toxins, dispersing abscesses and resolving nodules, promoting menstruation and lactation.

bubble_chart Indications

1. Used for abscesses, sores, and toxins, acute mastitis with swelling and pain. This product is bitter and cold, hence it has the effects of clearing heat and removing toxins, dispersing abscesses, and resolving nodules, making it particularly effective for treating acute mastitis. For treating abscesses, sores, and toxins, it is often used in combination with Rhubarb Rhizoma, Forsythia, Tokyo Violet Herb, and other herbs; for treating acute mastitis with swelling and pain, it is often used with Trichosanthes, Fritillaria Bulb, Dandelion, and other herbs.
2. Used for breast distending pain and inhibited lactation. This product has a bitter taste and descending properties, with the ability to promote lactation and relieve dysmenorrhea, hence it can be used for symptoms such as obstructed breast meridians, inhibited lactation, and breast distending pain, often used in combination with Pangolin Scales, Cowherb Seed, and other herbs.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Benjing: "Mainly treats skin heat toxins, malignant sores, carbuncles, hemorrhoids, fixed arthralgia, and promotes lactation."
2. Bencao Congxin: "(Treats) acute mastitis, back gangrene, scrofula, bloody defecation, expels pus, tonifies blood, treats injuries from falls, connects sinews and bones, applies to incised wounds, stops bleeding and promotes flesh growth, and unblocks the Jingmai."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

3-12 grams. Decoct and take orally.

bubble_chart Cautions and Contraindications

Qi deficiency, sores, and ulcers. Contraindicated for those with flat and sunken lesions and pregnant women.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

Qizhou fistula disease contains volatile oils, from which the main component isolated is ecdysterone. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments have shown significant antioxidant effects, thereby improving various pathological indicators of atherosclerosis and alleviating the condition. Particularly, it can restore the balance between prostacyclin and thromboxane A2, which is an important factor in inhibiting atherosclerosis.