This product is a dried powder or mass obtained by processing the leaves or stems and leaves of the creeping rostellularia herb (Acanthaceae) plant Baphicacanthus cusia (Nees) Bremek.), the knotweed family (Polygonaceae) plant Polygonum tinctorium Ait.), or the crucifer family (Cruciferae) plant Isatis indigotica Fort.). The fallen leaves of these plants are collected in autumn, soaked in water until the leaves rot and the skins fall off. The fallen leaves are then removed, and an appropriate amount of lime milk is added. The mixture is thoroughly stirred until the soaking liquid turns from dark green to deep red. The foam on the surface of the liquid is then skimmed off and dried in the sun.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Salty, cold. act on liver, lung and stomach channels.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Clearing heat and removing toxins, cooling blood to eliminate spots, clearing the liver and draining fire, calming fright.

bubble_chart Indications

1. Used for warm toxin disease, hematemesis, and epistaxis. This product is cold in nature and can clear heat, salty and can enter the blood, thus it has the effects of clearing heat and removing toxin, cooling blood and eliminating macules, and is used for warm toxin disease, often combined with Unprocessed Rehmannia Root, moutan bark, and other herbs; for treating hematemesis and epistaxis due to reckless movement of blood caused by heat, it is often combined with Unprocessed Rehmannia Root, moutan bark, lalang grass rhizome, and other herbs.
2. Used for mumps, pharyngitis, fire toxin sores, and ulcers. This product has the effects of clearing heat and removing toxin, cooling blood, and reducing swelling. For treating mumps and pharyngitis caused by external contraction of pestilence seasonal toxin, it can be used alone with a small amount of borneol for external application, or decocted and taken with Skullcap Root, Isatis Root, Scrophularia Root; for treating fire toxin sores and ulcers, it can also be combined with Dandelion, Tokyo Violet Herb, Lonicera, and other toxin-removing and sore-healing herbs.
3. Used for cough with chest pain, and blood in sputum. This product is salty and cold, clearing the liver and draining fire, cooling blood and stopping bleeding. It is often used with Clam Shell Powder, such as in Dai Ge San. For severe cases, it can be combined with trichosanthes fruit, Gardenia, moutan bark, and others, such as in Hemoptysis Pill.
4. Used for summerheat fright epilepsy, and infantile convulsion. This product is salty and cold, good at clearing liver heat, clearing heat and extinguishing wind to stop convulsions. For treating summerheat fright epilepsy, it is often combined with Liquorice Root, Talc, such as in Green Jade Powder; for treating infantile convulsion, it is often combined with Uncaria, Cow-Bezoar, and others, such as in Liang Jing Wan.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Kaibao Bencao: "Mainly treats various dermatitis medicamentosa, pediatric fevers, fright epilepsy fever, epidemic headache with chills and fever, decoct in water and grind for oral administration. Also used topically for heat sores (herpes simplex), malignant swellings, incised wounds with bleeding, and poisoning from snake or dog bites."
2. Benjing Fengyuan: "Indigo, purges the liver and gallbladder, disperses stagnant fire, treats warm toxin disease and postpartum dysentery with tenesmus."
3. 《Qianjin》Lanqing Wan uses it, for epidemic chills and fever with headache, grind in water for oral administration."
4. Bencao Qiuzhen: "Indigo, greatly purges excess fire from the liver meridian and disperses liver fire stagnation."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Take 1.5-8g orally. This product is poorly soluble in water and is generally taken as a powder infusion or in pill form. Apply an appropriate amount externally.

bubble_chart Cautions and Contraindications

Use with caution for those with stomach cold.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains indigo and indirubin. The active anticancer component, indirubin, exhibits moderate inhibitory effects on animal transplantable tumors. Indigo decoction has antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus anthracis, Shigella dysenteriae, Vibrio cholerae, and others. Indigo also has certain liver-protective effects.